Thanks for the warm welcome.
As to the question of "what boots and what knife"...
Knives, I have many... and my "favorite" varies often. Lately I've been favouring my ESEE RC6 (or "RAT 6" as it's also sometimes known) simply because I've found it to be the best all-round blade (long and strong enough to baton trees, enough edge holding to use for days without sharpening if necessary, light enough to be EDC - if you can accommodate the length anyway).
Sometimes I go with the Ontario Ranger Afghan, though, because it's a shorter (thicker) blade. It's heavier than the ESEE RC6, but sometimes makes lighter work of chopping (that's if I'm not taking the Sabercut or Commando Wire Saw with me).
Basically I choose whatever knife I feel best suits the gear I'm taking with me, but my EDC pack always has the ESEE RC6 at the moment (I don't do folding knives, or part-tang blades... they're just too weak)
As for boots... I have freakishly wide feet, so finding comfortable boots has always been a nightmare. Typically I've had to buy 3 sizes larger than my feet really are in length and hope that they'll stretch in the width (rarely works that way in boots, not such a big deal in trainers).
Anyway, bought some new boots a couple of weeks ago... Meindl Meran GTX (wide). First boots I've ever owned which
properly fit. Put over a hundred walking miles in them already, and there was no "break in" period... they were perfect comfort right out of the box.
Not cheap (good boots never are) but remarkably comfortable, water bounces right off (and I just use Nixwax to keep them clean and maintain them), no matter how long I'm wearing them and how far I walk (I've done 15 mile hikes in these already, through really boggy woodland), my feet don't sweat, they don't get cold or wet, and there's no offensive smell at all!
Worth every penny... but the right boots for you may vary. I do recommend resisting the urge to buy high-ankle boots, though, as these tend to become very uncomfortable for most people very quickly - it's why NATO forces now use a 7" ankle support instead of 9". I also strongly recommend 100% wool socks (they're more expensive than cotton or polycotton, but as with the boots you get what you pay for)
For those who live in an urban environment, your gear needs will be very different in some respects (you wouldn't really find a hunting knife all that useful, and you'd likely find urban boots better-suited than cross-country/mountaineering boots). Not really sure how you'd go about practising your urban survival skills since I'm sure people would think you're nuts scavenging vehicle parts, breaking into buildings to find the best shelter and supply opportunites etc.... also pretty sure that's not entirely legal
