Basically, you should drop everything you are doing and do this walk. The perfect, perfect time of year to begin is September; the summer crowds are gone, and you’ll finish before the bitter cold. I recommend starting in St. Jean Pied-de-Port for an interesting first day.
And you don’t need all the stuff you think you need in your pack.
Contact me if you need any help! My fiance and I did this together and had the time of our life. Very cheaply, too, i might add.