My gear selection has gone through an enormous change over several years.  I probably started out much like everyone else.  I had an old Army rucksack that I could stuff my canteen, food and other belongings.  I hoofed out in my cheap pair of boots shredding my feet along the way.  And having a lot of fun in the process.  I eventually progressed to an inexpensive internal frame, then to a more advance pack.  Always learning.  Always trying to make it better.

 Mule?  I hauled close to 68 pounds on a 6-day excursion through Glacier National.  There is something to be said about the ultra light enthusiast.  Although my own philosophy is still far from theirs, I do agree whole-heartily that going lighter is better.  I can hike farther, faster, and I do enjoy it more.  There is a defining moment when certain environment conditions require the use of extra gear.  As I stated before, go with what works for you; find your happy medium.  At this point in pursuit of my sport, I am somewhere in the middle of gear selection.  I have been trying to find lighter weight items and trying to be more militant in what I pack.  It has been a slow progression, but I have managed to shave a few ounces every time.  Remember, ounces make pounds.  My biggest leap happened between my Glacier trip and my Grand Canyon trip in 2002; I dropped close to 14 pounds of gear weight.   It made a huge difference.  

Choice of gear.   Mostly, it is a matter of preference when it really comes down to it.  The sport of backpacking has grown exponentially in the last few years and the amount of choices for equipment has grown.  There are a number of good sites out there that offer sound general advise on gear selection.  REI has a great section called Learn and Share.

However, a lot of your gear choices, as always, will be determined by your monetary limits.  My advice is to buy accordingly to your level of experience and where you’re hiking.  Do you need a TNF expedition tent when you’re just doing seasonal backpacking?  Probably not and you’ll save hundreds of dollars.  Buying top of the line equipment definitely has benefits.  However, you are paying for the brand name too.  There are a lot of companies out there that offer a wide variety of equipment and are starting to make progress in quality at lower costs.   

There was an article in Backpacker Magazine where a couple bought everything from Wal-Mart for a weekend trip.  There were interesting and some surprising results.  You can read the article by clicking on the Inexpensive Gear button on the left or read it directly from the magazine's archive: Attention Shoppers!   

Research the equipment you are considering on purchasing.  There are numerous sites out there that have reviews from both the supposed “professionals” and everyday users.  You will be surprised at how affordable you can outfit yourself.