As a kid, I managed to kill deer while hunting in jeans, waffle-pattern cotton long johns, and a surplus field jacket with a book of matches in the pocket. Not sure how, but it happened. Don’t overthink it.
I’d rather hunt with $1k binos and a $300 rifle than the other way around. Start there. 6-8x is plenty. You can get older used alpha binos (Leica, Swarovski, Zeiss) for $500-ish. That said, alpha glass is no longer the best game in town. Call the folks at CameralandNY for deals on great glass.
Whitetails are small. My father dressed Texas whitetails for decades with a two-blade Case stockman’s knife, which you can get in a hardware store for $60. A single-blade Sodbuster would work just as well. A 2.5 to 3” blade is plenty, even for elk. More just gets in the way. Look for steel that holds an edge well.
Packs (and what to put in them) are a rabbit hole that's at least as deep as the rifle rabbit hole. I used a surplus ALICE pack for years because I had one in the Army. It's hard to shoot with it on while you're leaning over but otherwise it's fine. On the other end of the spectrum is the Mystery Ranch Pop-Up 38—a daypack that expands to carry meat—which is ideal for bigger animals like elk but overkill for a deer. On gentle terrain, I'd use a light daypack and plan to drag your buck home with 10-foot loop of 1” tubular nylon. Just tie a clove hitch round the deer’s head, step into the loop, and start walking. Should cost $10-12 in the same hardware store where you got your knife.
Old pillowcases are great for game bags, as is anything on sale at the end of deer season. You’re going throw it away when you get home, so resist the urge to invest.
I use a Leica rangefinder. Instead of waiting to see game to use it, determine ranges to everything you can see before game shows up. Then you can plan your moves (if any) knowing how far things are from you. They’re also helpful for navigation. I’ll upgrade to binos with a built-in rangefinder someday.
Tripod? No idea.
For general background, check out Steven Rinella’s books. He irritates me for any number of reasons, but his books are solid. Also check out
https://www.thewildbooks.com/. Hogs and deer are all but identical in how you take them apart and the gear you'll need for them.
Let us know if you have more questions.
Okie John