Backpacking Gear - An Introduction

Like all popular hobbies, backpacking has a whole industry grown up around it. Gone are the days of handmade wooden frame packs and old army surplus rucksacks (though the latter are seeing a revival). Today the avid backpacker has much more variety to choose from. Internal or external frame (if you can find one)? Boots or trail shoes? Trail sandals?!? Titanium or aluminum? Backpacking Espresso maker?!?!

There are so many options out there with respect to gear and so much marketing involved muddling the waters that it is near impossible, in my opinion, to find the "right" gear to have. I have read articles, endless forum threads, countless blogs and the one overriding conclusion that I have come to with regard to finding the "right" gear to have is: There is no "right" gear to have, there is only the "right" gear for you.