I can top these stories about lugging unnecessary weight. Before I got into backpacking a friend and I went on a backpack trip in the Pecos wilderness in NM. We had no equipment, so we borrowed a couple of packs and went to Walmart to outfit ourselves.
Bought a couple of 8-lb. sleeping bags and a big old heavy tarp. Packed in (I sh*t you not) an iron skillet and canned food. I can't remember the other stuff (this was 1983), the iron skillet was memorable but I know the rest of our stuff weighed a metric ton.
We hiked up the mountain to around 10k and it just kicked our asses. On the way up, an older couple in their 60's passed us, they looked thoroughly squared away and that was humbling.
We did have fun though, caught some trout on dry flies in Stewart Lake IIRC.
