First of all, you should go as lightweight as possible.
To find out whats possible for you, it is a good idea to think about what you want to do. Enjoy a trail an entire hiking season, doing 10 miles per day or less? Or find your limits in distance you can cover per day?
The gear
Go as sustainable as possible – you know, in todays world you need to be aware of these issues, otherwise you risk to make Greta angry and this leads to bad luck and therefore a bear may snap you right in the rear.
Don’t buy “beginner” gear or gear because it is cheap. If short on cash, have a look at used gear or ask your friends. There are 100 thousands of highest quality backpacks sitting in a shelf somewhere, waiting that they see the light of the day.
I do not recommend any gear.
Try out as much as possible before getting stuff. Buy as local as possible and avoid big brands as you support a questionable business systems. The wo:men who sew the things together in the south could never afford the stuff. This is wrong.
Buy from the local cottage shop and you get better support for free. A good place to start in the US is here.
There are great gear makers also in Europe. Atompacks (UK) and Huckepacks or Weitläufer in Germany are makers of well designed packs.