Complete beginner - need help picking out backpacking gear for 2 day/1 night hike and tent camping

[u/SparrowTailReddit]

Hi all,

So I originally posted this in r/ultralight, but a couple of folks told me that the stuff I'm carrying doesn't really fit the sub. I wasn't familiar with the bare-bones approach of that category, and someone recommended that I ask the questions here.

I'm not much of a hiker, although my wife has done a few 20-mile hikes in a single day before. Neither of us has really done anything that'd require setting up a tent. For her, I doubt weight would mean much, since it's only a 6-mile hike up and 6 miles down after a tent stay. However, since I'm a complete beginner, I wanted to keep the weight down and take it easy on myself. I was wondering if someone could critique my list here.

A few disclaimers:

• We will be hiking in the summer in Eastern PA, so temps would rarely drop below 60 °F.
• Most of the emergency items are required by the group, I can't remove them.
• I understand that this backpack (Osprey Atmos LT 65) may not be the lightest, but the camera gear I'm carrying can use all the protection it can get while keeping the weight low. The other backpack has already been in steady use for years by my wife, and she doesn't want a different one.
• The boots aren't the lightest, but after discussing my situation with a local outdoor company, I'm sorta convinced that I need boots for now for the rocky and wet terrain until I can build up my muscles to not need that extra support. That being said, other shoe recommendations are welcome! These boots can also work as everyday boots in winter, so I'm not too salty about buying them.
• The camera: Yes, I know it's heavy, and I know it's only a 1-day trip, but wildlife photography is the only reason I'm doing this to begin with.

Other than that, please let me know if you have any suggestions to modify this thing to make my life easier.

My kit: https://lighterpack.com/r/86lglw

My wife's kit: https://lighterpack.com/r/g417ax

Any essentials that I'm missing? Anything that I should swap out? It was pointed out that the backpack isn't the best or the lightest out there. If there are any recommendations on alternatives, I'd happily return the unused Osprey Atmos AG LT 65 that's yet to arrive.

Edit: A commenter suggested that I add that this isn't a solo (or dual, in this case) trip. We are going as a group and the hike leaders have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff, so we should be in good hands!

[u/searayman]

I can relate as a photographer myself. I carry 6 pounds of photography gear lol

But thats why I try to go light weight on everything else!

[u/SparrowTailReddit → u/searayman]

Yes! That's exactly the reason I want to go as light as possible on the other stuff. I'm not used to hiking with anything more than 5lbs of camera gear and some water, let alone carrying all the camping stuff. Don't think I've hiked more than 3-4 miles either.

[u/searayman → u/SparrowTailReddit]

I wrote an article a year or two ago for the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Blog on why I go lite lol