zero hiking experience to a confident first overnight

the actual progression, not gear-first. roughly how long each stage took me.

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REI Co-op's free Backpacking Basics class (in-store or online)

covers gear, trip planning, and packing in about 90 minutes. good first stop, and it's free

A few dayhikes with a loaded pack, no summit goals

just walked around with weight for 2 weekends before I trusted my knees on a real trail

One frontcountry or car-camping night

practice the stove and the tent somewhere you can bail to the car if something's wrong

NOLS Leave No Trace basics, whatever version you can find

skip the multi-week expedition course unless you're going pro, the LNT fundamentals are the part that transfers

A shakedown overnight close to the car

NOLS structures their first 72 hours around exactly this: nav, shelter, stove, low stakes. mine was maybe 2 miles from the trailhead

Your actual first overnight, permit in hand

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