To all those beginners out there who are thinking of buying their first set of full gear. It may seem very expensive just looking at it, but keep in mind that much of your gear will be good for many years to come!

Doing a quick shop around on www.inlinewarehouse.com, below is some lower-end gear that will definitely get the job done on a tight budget, as well as average lifespan and some pointers as to what to look for. For those who are looking to buy one thing at a time and build up on gear, everything below is in a recommended order of purchase. Please note that, as there are shipping restrictions on some brands (Nike Bauer, Bauer, Mission, Easton), you will need to go through a mail forwarding service (such as Parcel It On or Badongo) in order to get the products back to Australia.

Skates: Bauer Vapor RX05 - $105USD (2-5 year lifespan)
A bit of a crapshoot initially, Bauer/Mission have a more solid boot with an easier wheel set-up, easier to maintain (my personal preference). Reebok have the Pumps that fill with air to fit your foot. CCM are more the traditional, fat-tongue'd hockey skate. Don't worry, of course you can change brands after your first pair (should last at least 2 years).

Stick: Any wood stick with ABS blade - $20USD (6-18 month lifespan)
Before you have any real preference in sticks, a wood stick is totally fine, with any curve. An ABS stick blade is extremely durable and is built purposely for outdoor/concrete/rough play, and they don't splinter or taco like regular wood or composite blades: great for some driveway practice. Eventually you can move on to composite one-piece sticks, which are more expensive and less durable, but a lot lighter and a lot more customisable.

Stick tape: 6 rolls - $11USD (should last 6 months or so, available at the rink)
Doesn't really matter to be honest, you'll burn through this stuff fairly quickly. It just helps the stick to grip the puck, and to protect your blade a little.

Puck: Propuck - $6USD (years!)
Apparently these are "dynamite" on outdoor surfaces. If you do plan on practising at home, don't get an ice puck, as rubber really doesn't slide that well on concrete (even though all the ice players are going to kill me for saying that now). Alternatively you could pick up a ball for a couple of bucks.

Gloves: Bauer Supreme One35's - $45USD (1-2 years)
More often than not, gloves are chosen on aesthetics rather than practical differences, as they all do the job just as well. Make sure you pick gloves with "Nash" leather palms, as they are a lot more durable. Once again, eventually boils down to personal preference on the little things, e.g. looks, cuff type, tight/loose fitting, etc.

Shins: Easton Synergy ST6's - $48USD (years and years!)
So long as they don't slip on your leg (make sure they are sized correctly), these are usually picked due to looks as well.

Pants: Tour 10W30 Pants - $36USD (depends; 1-2 years)
Outer ventilated pants are needed to cover the shins/girdle. Make sure they have double reinforced knees, otherwise you'll find yourself stitching up your pants every couple of weeks!

Elbows: Reebok 3K's - $26USD (years!)
Once again, aesthetics. If you fall a lot, steer clear of the soft foam elbow caps.

Helmet: Easton Stealth S9 with cage - $85USD (forever!)
Steer clear of the crazy cheap models: you don't want a concussion the first time you get hit. Make sure you get either a cage or a full shield; if you want a half visor, you'll need a mouthguard as well. Other than that, looks matter.

Girdle (soft): Mission Thorax Flow w/ cup - $70USD (years!)
This girdle comes with an inbuilt cup pocket, which is great as it saves you the trouble of buying a seperate pair of jock shorts. Inline girdles are traditionally soft to allow more mobility, whereas ice girdles are solid plastic but are quite bulky. Personal preference!

Total from Inline Warehouse: $452USD
Total shipping to Parcel It On: $Free
Total shipping from P.I.O. to Australia: ~$250USD (estimate)

= ~$760 AUD

+ Monash Wolverines jersey - $80AUD

GRAND TOTAL (full set of gear): $840 AUD

Not too bad!