As for the actual "how to do it", I'd do some the following:
* Do some research on basic gear to take (tents, water treatment, first aid, etc)
* Hit up a place like REI, Mountain Equipment Co-op or similar and load up. Make sure your boots fit - most good stores will have an incline you can jump around on to make sure your foot doesn't slip in your boot. Make sure you get the correct size of backpack, although this is not as critical as properly fitting boots. As a general rule, spendier stuff will either be tougher material or lighter, but you don't need to go nuts unless you're overburdened with cash.
* I'd start with a simple out-and-back overnight hike. If you're being careful, which you should, you'll probably have overprepared and will have a heavy pack, so a longer trip might not be fun. Over time you'll probably start to tweak what you take, get better gear and so on, and and your pack will start to get lighter. You'll also presumably find yourself getting fitter.
Backpacking is one of my favourite things to do on this earth. All your concerns with work, possessions, relationships and so on fade away, and you find yourself just focused on getting to the next camp, enjoying the wilderness and whatever company you have, finding water, and so on. It's an incredible experience.
As for the actual "how to do it", I'd do some the following:
* Do some research on basic gear to take (tents, water treatment, first aid, etc)
* Hit up a place like REI, Mountain Equipment Co-op or similar and load up. Make sure your boots fit - most good stores will have an incline you can jump around on to make sure your foot doesn't slip in your boot. Make sure you get the correct size of backpack, although this is not as critical as properly fitting boots. As a general rule, spendier stuff will either be tougher material or lighter, but you don't need to go nuts unless you're overburdened with cash.
* If you haven't come across the 10 essentials of hiking in your research, Google it. REI has a page - http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html
* I'd start with a simple out-and-back overnight hike. If you're being careful, which you should, you'll probably have overprepared and will have a heavy pack, so a longer trip might not be fun. Over time you'll probably start to tweak what you take, get better gear and so on, and and your pack will start to get lighter. You'll also presumably find yourself getting fitter.
Backpacking is one of my favourite things to do on this earth. All your concerns with work, possessions, relationships and so on fade away, and you find yourself just focused on getting to the next camp, enjoying the wilderness and whatever company you have, finding water, and so on. It's an incredible experience.