Actually, Justin and I are still more day hikers and overnight campers than backpackers, though I desperately aspire to that. In my case, it's in part a matter of helping along Justin's comfort level (mental as well as physical) to being further removed from so-called civilization. I've always been a bit of a "tom boy" so sleeping in a tent, using a pit toilet, getting a little sore/muddy/wet is no big deal to me. Justin had never really camped (except a couple KOA experiences when he was very young) before we met and married, so it's a process of acclimatization and education. He's done awesome, and I think he's ready for a 3 or more mile hike-in campsite for one or two nights now.
Now, I need to purchase a good backpacking pack. I have an LLBean rucksack but that's not what I need anymore. Campcookie, what's the model name/number of your Jansport pack? I don't want to sink needless $$ into a high end pack (I've been looking into the
Kelty's Women's Pack) if a Jansport will do. I've got a little more height and weight than you (5'5", 140lbs), but still want something that fits a women's build better than the average pack.
Weight-carrying and distance-covering wise, I consider myself a backpacker due to the camera equipment I regularly carry on my day hikes as a pro photographer. Justin and I are both not strangers to carrying a lot of weight for long periods, though doing it on a trail with our overnight equipment is still foreign to us. We are learning that even the pros split their backpacking and their photography up into scouting vs. shooting excursions. A scouting backpacking hike would mean lightening up on all the camera gear and heavy tripods and lenses to scout likely photo opportunities and determine the best time of day for that area (better light). Then, we'd return with a lighter "hiker load" but all our proper camera gear to do our serious shooting. We don't want to stop doing either, and up until this point both have been limited by one another because we tried to do it all on the same hike.
PS: Hiking and camping, like flying together (Justin's an instrument-rated private pilot; we rent an aircraft when we want to fly), are some of our happiest times. It's always exciting sharing an experience with your partner, particularly if you both feel like it's challenging, educational, relaxing and different. At different moments, both camping/hiking/backpacking and flying are all of those things and more.