re: Should I rent or buy equipment for my first backpacking/camping trip?

Check out The Clymb for some pretty good deals on outdoor equipment. It changes everyday and when they sell out, it's gone. Join and they'll mail you deals everyday. We're talking at least 50% off name brand outdoor gear, shoes, camping, biking, gps, etc. Every deal I've seen on there, I've compared to zappos, amazon and rei and have all been at least 50% cheaper.