Gloves are a commodity item. Tillman, Steiner and Black Stallion are all good options. It seems once you start getting Lincoln and Miller you only pay for the name and nothing else.

Helmets are a little different. If you dont need / want an auto darkening you can get away with a passive for pretty cheap. If you want to get a really nice passive helmet and still spend less than a decent AD, go for the pipeliner hood. While I don't personally have one, I hear really good things. I currently use an ArcOne AD helmet, which is nice. I have a middle of the road model (Python with 5500V filter). I also hear really good reviews on the Jackson and Lincoln helmets.

Thanks for the response, pizza. I'll check out those options!