Pacific Crest Trail

I want to do the Pacific Crest Trail, followed by strolling to the top of Rainier.  I've started reading/researching and there is a LOT to research/choose/learn.  They call this kind of trip 'thru hiking'.

So far my assumptions are I'll need 10k to get started, and be able to hike 10 miles on back to back days without blowing out my feet...  5k to pay bills for 3 months, the other 5k for gear, transportation etc.  This means I may not be able to do it next year, but the year after.   While needing to be able to go 10 miles repeatedly still holds true, after some initial reading, the 'warm up hikes' probably have a lot more value in testing and choosing gear.

I started looking in to gear, here's what I've learned.
  The classic hiking boot is a NO.  Too heavy.  The reading I have done recommends anything from a trail running shoe to a light boot.  The running shoes are  NO, while they are by far the lightest option (and reducing weight is a MAJOR concern in this trip) they don't have proper tread.  So that leaves light hiking boots or hiking shoes to choose from.  Besides that, I intend to also take some light but sturdy sandals.  Tiva's or something like that.  NOT the heavy closed toe sandals I've seen, they're heavier than the heavy hiking boots.  (ridiculous!)
...Did I mention I'll probably need FIVE(+) PAIRS of them?   Yeah, everything except the heavy hiking boot wears out in about 500 miles.  I'll probably have to test both extensively before I go to determine my preference.  Also, curiously, it turns out I'm supposed to order them 1 size larger than normal.  Feet get bigger when you do something like this so you need the room to expand.

  On top of shoes, a light pair of gators will help keep the sand, pebbles, and water off my feet.
  I am going to need 1-3 pairs of socks every time a package ships to me.  Curiously, while everything else needs to be technical, from what I'm reading regular ol' non-cotton socks from costco will do.  Cheap is good.
  The first piece of gear I am pretty sure I KNOW I want is an Aarn backpack.  These things load balance you front to back, allowing you to walk upright instead of the classic backpacker stoop.  Sounds WAY more comfortable -- Right now I'm leaning towards this pack (if I can find it in the US... they haven't really caught on here yet)  http://www.aarnpacks.com/#!natural-balance/c2h6

If anyone besides Andrew knows this blog exists, I'd be curious to know.