boaboabo -
i've had over 30 years of hiking, rock climbing, and alpine experience, so here's my take.
first, this forum about finding your way around the kitchen, not the back country. there are more appropriate places to look for advice.
gearwise:
1 - forget that link you posted. you aren't likely to be meeting any orcs, so you're not likely to need a "mountaineering sword".
2 - forget about throwing you're money away at walmart, target or your local drugstore. these products are only marginally ok for kids camping in the back yard or people car-camping who can drive away when the sh!t hits the fan weatherwise. these products are not only extremely heavy and bulky, but will fall apart and leave you hypothermic if you look at them wrong.
someplace like cabelas, which aims at fisherman and hunters, is only a minor step up quality-wise. the main drawbacks are the weight and bulk, but corners have been cut on quality too.
discount places like campmor or sierra trading post can have good finds if you know exactly what you're looking for, but a lot of what they have is absolute cr^p too, so choose wisely here.
l.l.beans is ok on quality, but their products are too heavy and too expensive in general.
i'd recommend, in order of preferance, mec, rei, and maybe ems.
mec is based in canada. you have to become a member to buy. the main drawback, is that some items can't be shipped outside of canada. however, all their in-house products can be, and as far as the quality of the best of their products go, they are tops, bar none. their basic level items are at least as good as rei. prices are very competitive.
rei is a good place for novices to shop. their entry level items won't let you down. prices are good, but products are a bit heavier and bulkier than you would ideally want.
buy decent gear from mec or rei that won't leave you in the lurch. as it eventually wears out and you acquire some extra cash, you can upgrade to better, lighter, more compact gear in the future. read up on the gear you want before you shell out the clams.
other than gear selection, i'd advise you to not get in over your head, abilitywise. a lot of "mountaineering" accidents don't involve actual mountaineers at all, just empty-headed day-hikers in sneakers who don't happen to have lassie around to bail them out. if possible, find someone with lots of experience and no agenda, join a club or at least read up.
lastly, don't neglect learning about first aid and route finding. remember to be responsible and pack out what you pack in.
here are a few links that will get you headed in the right direction. read the reviews and ask these people on the forums for more detailed advice.
Outdoor Gear - Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC)
REI.com: Outdoor Gifts, Gear & Clothing for Skiing, Snowboarding, Camping, Hiking and More.
BackpackGearTest.org - Home Page
Mountaineering Forum - Forum Powered by eve community
The Mountaineers Books, Outdoor Books By The Experts
hope you have the best of time outdoors