The point of buying camping gear is to go camping. Some of us (especially backpackers) tend to lose sight of this. Talking about and overanalyzing gear can become a hobby unto itself, for better or worse.
However, good gear can make camping and backpacking safer and more enjoyable.
On the other hand, some nicer gear requires a little more care than the cheap stuff. And certainly there will be less weeping and knashing of teeth is a $30 sleeping bag gets ruined as opposed to a $300 sleeping bag.
On the third hand, if you cheap out on everything, you’ll likely find that you need or want to replace it fairly quickly. I suggest not going cheap on at least one item. That’ll be one less item you don’t have to replace right away.
Birthdays and holidays are great times to help a scout upgrade their gear or buy them optional gear they want but don’t necessarily need.