[ernie]

My advice having started playing a few years ago. First figure out what sizing you need. Several sites will be able to give you a rough idea of the sizing to look for (hockeymonkey, totalhockey etc). Then go to a store and try some stuff on and get the style/brand that feels most comfortable to you For example, I personally like the RBK pant (one of the more recent versions) but a lot of people don't like the lower back protection on the back. I also recommend trying a skate on with shinguards as the length of shin guard will depend on how you want to wear it...some D-men in my one league like to have that bottom of the shin guard fit down overtop the front of the skate for shot blocking purposes while others (myself included) want the guard to be shorter.

Once you have an idea what style/brand and pretty much specific size you want hunt for the best deals whether in store or online (down in the States here online is usually the way to go for deals). By hunting around you can often get all new equipment for the same price of even less than used stuff (again, that's the case down here).

For a beginner get everything. If you start to feel really confident you may choose to leave off the shoulder pads for a relatively non-competitive skate. NEVER leave off elbow pads, shin guards or cup. EVER. No matter how good you are everyone catches a rut or gets tangled up at some point and you will land on an elbow or slam knees first inot a board. We had one guy who played university hockey for the Razorbacks at a simple stick and puck decide not to wear his shin guards, catch something, go into the boards and explode his knee cap.

As has been mentioned you can buy muost things used but I would avoid buying used skates. Again find the brand and size that fits and look for the best price. Most models can be baked to fit your foot perfectly. I started out in Bauer Vapor XXX's but I never found them perfectly comfortable. I found them a little tight for the front half of the foot and I have a problem with my right heel slipping/lifting in them. This past Christmas I found an online sale for Reebok 7k (reg $289 US but half price on one site for a day) that I really like as the front of the skate is a bit wider and the pump locks that right heel in place. That simple changed helped my skating immensely.

Sticks....there are several different curve patterns and it is a matter of trial and error on what you like best. Perhaps contemplate buying some cheap sticks of a couple of patterns to see which you like. As you improve and want a better stick at least you'll know what curve you like.

Washing gear...I've had no problems washing any of my gear including gloves. A gentle washing machine works well or even a simple overnight soak in a tub with a bit of bleach followed by good rinse. Also control the smell build up by not allowing the bugs to grow....hang up your gear to dry immediately when you get home after a game.