Far lighter gear is available than when you were doing it before! Thanks to this site I was able to cut my gear weight in half without compromising either comfort or safety, which meant I could keep backpacking despite a bum knee and the aches and pains of old age.

You'll find lots of good advice on gear selection on the home page of this site, left hand column.
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey