Gear advice for a new backpacker.

I'd start with a cheap, effective, ultralight setup like this:

http://lytw8.com/uploads/Cheap_Ultralight_Gear_List.pdf

It allows you to go ultralight and experience all it is to be on some longer hikes.

From there you will form your opinions on how to shape your gear to your liking.

copying someone's gear list is a bad idea as there are many ways to skin a cat.

I know I thought I was "done" with my gear list a couple of times now only to start researching some new gear. :p GL!

How much money are you going to spend?

Because a complete ultralight setup can be expensive, my simple contribution to the good advice is to know what you want to spend ahead of time. Prioritize your purchases so you can put your money on foundational items first and the leave the pricey "nice to haves" for later. If I were you I would get out the spreadsheet and start making a list with some budget options.

For example, you could buy a $150 Thermarest NeoAir sleeping pad. It only weighs 14 oz and it is great…I love mine. I also have a 3/4 length Z-rest foam pad for about $30, weighs 10 oz, but I can only sleep on it a couple nights at a time, so it doesn't work for long trips for me. Closed cell foam pad (the infamous BLUE PAD), probably $10 and also very light (I don't have one but probably in the 10 oz range). On a limited budget, I would start with the Z-rest, but the blue pad isn't a bad option either.

Other ideas from a budgeting perspective:

The cheapest, lightest choice you can make is to not even buy or pack it in the first place.

Shelter – go with someone who has a tent until you buy some of your other gear. Or if you already know for sure that you want to go the hammock route, do that first because everything needs to work together as a system and it will define other choices you make.

Sleeping bag/quilt – hard to cut corners here. If you have the money, spend it here because it needs to be both light and small for the whole ultralight system to work. (Listen for that word "system"…you will hear it a lot.) Besides, it's expensive to buy a mediocre bag and upgrade later.

Sleeping pad – depends on your hammock decision, but I can't comment on that. I only ever spent one night in a hammock. Down bag, no pad, and I froze. I learned the principle that compressed down loses all insulating properties. Pad will aid insulation….it needs to all work with your system as well…

Clothing – don't buy a lot more, just pack less. Be sure everything you wear dries quickly. Be warned that clothing can get heavy but it can also be easily upgraded piecemeal. Insulation you can wear during the day can be part of your insulation at night as well.

Rain gear – use what you have or get something cheap. I have an O2 rain jacket – light and cheap. I also have GoreTex PacLite and rarely pack my GoreTex any more…too heavy.

Cooking – Plan to eat simply on the trail. Coffee, oatmeal, more coffee…you get the idea. One pot, one utensil, and one lightweight method to get it hot. Buy a pot and use your buddy's stove if you need to. No titanium plates, cups, frying pans or trivets. (I love my long-handled titanium spoon, though.) Think of your one pot as the constraint for your menu…it's that "system" thing again.

Water – gatorade bottles, soda bottles, etc. Cheap and light. Platypus bottles are light and don't cost too much. Elaborate hose-based hydration systems and nalgene bottles are expensive and heavy. Expensive AND heavy is a bad combination. Some people use chemical treatments, and I like my filter. I usually hike in areas with clear streams and lakes so I don't carry a lot of water while I hike. The filter provides instant water whereas the chemicals require time to take effect. This works for me in the areas where I hike. (So even my terrain is part of my system.)

You probably get the idea. Also be warned that once you get into it that you will probably find things that you will want to swap out later. Hope this gives you something to think about.

for hammocking advice i'd advise going to:

http://www.hammockforums.net

there you will meet many pros on hammocking…

as far as gear tips, i'd really just recommend reading gear lists posted here by people who hike near the same area you do. this will give you a good indicator of what people are taking and what they aren't.