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I'll try to give you some pointers:
Gear in general:
1) tacticool & cheap army gear ripoffs
Might look good (it doesn't), advertised as most durable shit on earth (it isn't), you won't regret spending your money on it (you will).
You don't need Bear Grill's ultimate survival knife with jagged edge for 100 bucks or that Punisher sniper tactical gear with reinforced shoulders to dampen rifle recoil.
Won't last you a season, overpriced or too cheap to even bother given the durability
2) discount tourist gear
Pretty cheap, good for starters, but be prepared that you'll either need to buy another soon or upgrade (second option is much, better). Sometimes you can find cheap stuff that you'll use a lot (I still have a quechua tarp I bought pretty cheap and it served pretty good). Good for getting base layers of clothing on budget, cheap sleeping mat, or some cooking stuff.
Watch out for materials used and quality. Also cashiers might not always be able to help you if you have harder questions, depends on shop though
3) proper army gear
Look out for used army gear sales. You can get some good, durable stuff pretty cheap that you'll use a lot. Army mess tins and alcohol stoves are perfect for camping and nearly indestructible. Clothing and sleeping bags are also pretty good as entry level. Also looks pretty good, unless you go full-camo combat ready mode.
4) proper outdoor gear
I usually tell people to start with (2) and (3) level gear. When you get some experience, upgrade the gear you use most to category (4). Don't overspend, I'm pretty sure you don't need titanium cooking gear, 20k expedition tent or gore-tex gloves for mid-summer weekend camping trip. Also people working in army and outdoor stores usually know their shit better than you so feel free to ask them anything, even for help picking right gear. Even if you don't buy something they might give you some solid advice or pointers where you might get the stuff.
Will continue
