But also having the specific equipment for the desired type of journey is essential for comfortableness. Good, durable and lightweight stuff are most important for backpacking. As I prefer backpacking I want to recommend some equipment which helped me during my trips and rarely disappointed me. I'm sure there are more comparable items than those listed below, maybe also cheaper, but I can only recommend those things I could test on my own. The most important item for backpackers is of course the backpack.
Long trips makes it necessary to have a comfortable rucksack.
Nowadays there is available an enhanced version, which reduces pressure of the contents on the bottom by an ingenious Crossbow system. The prices for Lowe Alpine backpacks are high, but I never regret this investment. Though the material is excellent and can stand a small shower, it is not water proofed. For the normal rainfall I bought a 50-100l rain cover from Mammut, also useful for packing and hiding all the straps, important for airplane transportation. The quality of the Alpamayo convinced me to get the Zoom II photobag from Lowepro.