When i venture forth, I am actually "trusting my life on" a variety of items, some of which are very cheap and some of which are very costly. I will look or bargains in some areas, but in others, performance is supreme and cost is secondary.

The three critical items are boots (appropriate foot gear) bag (as in sleeping) and backpack - the three B's, if you will.

Some very cheap shoes work for some situations, but for demanding, vertical, rough terrain, you will spend serious money for workable boots. Research carefully and pay whatever it takes. Good fitting is absolutely critical.

I am generally doing a fair amount of hiking or backpacking, so a light, warm bag is critical. The two I currently use come from Marmot and REI, but there are many comparable brands, including some cottage industry stuff that gets good comments. If weight is not a concern, you can save a lot of money.

Backpacks are the third critical category. Again, careful fit is hugely important and there are many specialized features that may influence your decision. I like a bag with reasonable capacity - about 60 liters (4000+/-cu in).

Beyond this, you have a lot of options, although demanding environments will dictate some specialized equipment. You can cook over an open campfire or spend up to $300 on a stove. There are very costly (and very good) tents, but you can do a lot with a basic tarp if you know what you are doing.

One exception is technical climbing gear. Don't cut corners here. The hardware store rope will not work; you want a UIAA certified line, along with similarly vetted carabiners, helmets, and harnesses This stuff ain't cheap, but someday you will be hanging from your gear and it will be a long way to the bottom - that is why you get good stuff.

A word about military surplus. These items range from superb to total garbage, but the oldest still usable gear I have is a 1951 Army Mountain cook set - two nested two quart pots with a skillet/lid. Very lightweight and still functional after all these years. Not everything has to be glitsy and expensive...spend whatever it takes on critical, survival critical items, and save money on less significant stuff.