Given that cost is an issue, if you have time and access to a sewing machine, an option is to make some of your gear.

A couple of places to look:
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/homemake/index.html

Tents, for example, Henry Shires (tarptent.com) gives away the design details of one of his older (but still excellent) single wall tents at http://tarptent.com/projects/tarpdesign.html
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Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle