I've spent the last few months researching gear and buying most of it (still need to decide on a pack and some little things). Planning to do a 2 night hike starting Wednesday this week (to avoid the holiday weekend crowds) to start to get comfortable with my gear outside of my backyard. It will be my first actual backpacking trip - I've car camped, and day hiked, but never really carried everything with me. I have a friend who lives on the trail in North Adams, MA so I'm thinking of doing a few days up that way. It's my first real step towards a 2015 start that involves more than just spending money