My first backpacking trip was a few years ago. Ironically, it was in Washington State. I have a good friend (from Maine) who moved out to Washington State about five years ago. She got really into backpacking out there, so we decided to plan a trip to visit! I literally bought and shipped a new 6 lb 60 L Deuter pack out there to break in on the trip. Fortunately, the trails in Washington State aren’t as rugged as the trails in Maine, so I wasn’t in too much trouble with my lack of preparation and knowledge for this trip. I certainly learned my lesson when I started backpacking in Maine though! The Deuter took one trip on the AT (Mahoosuc Notch, yikes) before it got traded in for an UL Osprey!!! At this time, I’ve done a number of backpacking trips in both Washington State and Maine, and many miles on the Appalachian Trail. Here’s the gear that I’ve narrowed it down to for all of my trips! Please note the links below are affiliates – so that means I make a small commission, and I appreciate you using them to make a purchase!