I have to add that what makes it worthwhile getting up the next day to walk some more is a good night's sleep. You need a good quality bag, 3 or 4 season, depending on where you go and when, and good mats to sleep on where your hip bones do not get crunched every time you roll over in the night.
Wet weather gear can make or break your holiday. Invest in good quality goretex stuff, especially if you are going to be backpacking again in the future.
The emphasis on the correct fitting backpack, INTERNAL FRAME ONLY!!!, is crucial. When buying your backpack at a climbing and hiking store, ask the staff member to help you load it up to at leat 40 pounds and walk around the store with it on so you can see where the pressure points lie and adjust it there and then with their help to a better fit for you.
Check out back issues of Backpacker magazine for special gear review editions before making final choices. It could save you from making a real bad purchase.
Well fitting hiking sneakers (for short haul, less rigged terrain and lighter backpack) or hiking boots (for longer trips, heavier pack carrying and rugged terrain) are ESSENTIAL. You need to purchse them in advance of your trip and wear them around the house, around town to breaak them in. Excrutiatingly painful blisters are misery when trying to enjoy a holiday. It happened to me 2 years ago and I never felt comfortable, even though I kept on walking.
You must go with someone who can map read and has wilderness survival skills.
Men seem to be able to wear the same pair of boxers all week long. Women cannot. Don't let your male companion short change you on the underwear front. You will want a clean pair of knickers every day. I can wear the saem shirt for days on end when space and weight of backpack are real issues, but clean undies for women is a must. If your trip is of long duration in a wilderness area where there are no camping aareas with facilities and running water for showers, a yeast infecttion is a definite threat (so I always take y.i. treatment with me for just in case). Sorry if this is TMI, but on a 6 week tour once this made me miserable too.
If you are working out regularly with Cathe, doing 3-4 cardios per week, weight training the legs 1-2 times per week, you are all set! All your training needs are being taken care of.
The first day can often hurt, because people do not realize how great hiking is for training the body and no-one is ever prepared for carrying that pack all day, especially if over 30 pounds, but by day 2 it usually feels great and as easy as walking along a flat surface. No matter how well trained you are with Cathe's leg and glutes workouts, expect your glutes to be achey after day 1! Weight training cannot always completely prepare us for real life activities.
Have fun, I am so jealous!
Clare
I am so encouraged by your enthusiasm and excitement to help a sister out!