I live in a small village in North Wiltshire and I'm extremely lucky to have a great network of byways and bridleways outside my front door, I've ridden a fair few of them on short day trips but I’m now looking to extend my trips as there is no shortage of wild camping spots.
I am getting on a bit and my hardtail is knackered so I've ordered a bouncy bike through my employers C2W scheme, need to work out what luggage to put on it and scouring Aliexpress (I am poor!) for some more lightweight camping kit than I currently have.
I've got a lot out of this forum already, fingers crossed can contribute something in the near future.
Not much to say other than hi and welcome. I'm pretty new here too. Sure you'll get plenty of help choosing luggage if you need it. All I'd say is don't worry about not having the latest and greatest (and most expensive) kit. There's plenty you can improvise, make do with, and even make yourself if you're handy (turns out sewing machines don't bite). Just strap some kit to your bike anyway you can, go and try it out not too far from home, then adjust as necessary.
A 20l dual-ended Airlok from Alpkit is a good start - fits almost any bike, will strap straight to the bars (harness not necessary in most cases, I would argue) and is about £15.
As Northwind says, don't worry about getting "the right gear". Get some dry bags, strap them to your bars and under your seat. Small rucksack for the other bits and give it a go...
You'll find out what works and what doesn't and then make more informed choices as you gain experience.
Try little trips not too far from home first. If something doesn't work, or breaks then it isn't too far back home. Work out what will work better and give that a go.
As confidence and experience increase, the further and more adventurous your trips can become.
It's easy to forget the obvious bits isn't it. Most people (myself included) seem to reach to the conclusion that as little, ideally no, weight on the back is best, but if you're just doing a short trip to test kit, why not? Keeps it simple.
As for working out the luggage, as it's a full suspension bike I need to take some measurements and to ensure everything fits properly, yes I've already used Alpkit many times so will go to them for luggage and a good idea about the Airlok.
I don't plan on spending much initially on the tent and bag, the normal budget Aliexpress options everyone seems to be going for now:
