It’s a little expensive to get started doing, but backpacking is awesome. My favorite time is when I’ve got dinner in the pot, my hammock is all set up, I’m hitting my THC pen, and relaxing. The views are usually really nice too if you’re in a nice area or are willing to drive a few hours from your home. Campsites/Park entrance is pretty cheap and your gear should last. If you do all your shopping online it should look like this.
Tent: ~$75 Shoes: ~$50-75 Backpack: ~$50-$75 Hammock (if you decide this over a tent): $40ish If you go hammock you want to get either a wool blanket and an underquilt which will be $50-$80 or you could just get a sleeping bag which will vary in price based on how awesome of a bag you need. You’re also going to want a bug net for the hammock. Get one that zips shut vertically. It can be a pain to get into the hammock with your phone, a meal, your blankets, and whatever else when you have no free hands and no head space. I think mine was like $15. I would also suggest one that has some sort of internal support frame. Mosquitos love me and I’m open tore up on one of my arms and one of my legs as they will bite me through the bug net and my hammock. They make sprays to keep them off your gear that last for long periods of time but I haven’t tested them. A water bladder: $20 You could get a filtration system, I carry like 5 liters of water. It gets really heavy. And a jet boil: $20-$30
There are other misc things I would suggest packing to. Medical supplies (band aids, ace bandage, some sting ointment, Advil/Tylenol, common stuff that should be around your house)
The rest is just food. Meals that don’t need to be refrigerated and if possible use some of your water. Soups are good if it gets cold at night. Take some vegetables and some bouillon cubes. Even some dry noodles and make a meat free chicken noodle soup. Or canned tuna and rice. I try to stay away from the dehydrated premade meals because there’s a ton of sodium in them, they are pretty expensive, and most don’t taste that great.
Most importantly, if you decide to pick up the hobby, please be safe when doing so. Start with short hikes, make sure that you have a compass that doesn’t need Internet to function (don’t rely on your phone) have print outs of your map, and let people know where you’re going. If you go to an official park, talk with the people at the front office before embarking. They will know of any deviations on the trail, good places to get fresh water that you can filter/boil if need be, any problem areas in the trail, and most interestingly, what trails have the best views and will fit your skill level of hiking.
I can send you links to what I’ve purchased as well as a short review of my gear as well.