When it comes to serious hiking > 5 miles for multiple days (section vs thru-hiking), enjoyment is inversely related to the weight of your pack. You also want to eat well, stay warm, dry, and get some sleep. However. you don't want to add too many lbs to accomplish these goals. Tents and Sleeping bags, sleep pads, cooking utensils can add alot of weight if not careful. Researching and experimenting with gear is part of the fun of the hobby. Serious thru-hikers of the AT, CDT, and PCT (Triple Crown) aim for a pack with only a 15 lbs base weight which excludes water, fuel, food.
If you just go out to Walmart or Academy and buy a standard backpack, tent, sleeping bag, pad, and cooking stove; you will soon be hating life on the trail. If you save weight in certain areas, you may cheat in other area with so-called "luxury items" involving food, an inflatable pillow, bulkier sleeping pad, or even a micro camp chair.
Interesting gear options include:
Hammock (Hennessy) vs Tent (Big Agnes)
Jetboil vs pocket rocket* vs sodacan/alcohol
Sleeping bag vs down quilt*
Ripstop Nylon vs Cuban fiber*
Hiking boots vs trail runners*
Leukotape* vs moleskin
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