Let's start with Canon's latest consumer SLR, the T1i. It's a good camera that will last you years. The lens that comes with it is a decent lens (basically a 0.8x-2.5x zoom) - but it's up to you to figure out in what situations it works or doesn't work for you. If you can't afford the T1i, then look at the next two cheaper cameras - the xSi or xTi.

If you're new to SLRs, there might be a decent amount of terminology that will confuse you: f-stops, aperture, shutter speed, etc. I've had a SLR for 5 yeas and still refer to books when I have questions, so there's no shame in them. Honest!

Having a spare battery for your camera is always a good idea. Murphy's Law happens a lot in photography - you'll see that once in a lifetime shot and have a dead camera battery. The Canon-labeled batteries are more expensive than third party batteries, but the Canons are the more reliable ones although third party ones work just as well.

The Canon 70-200mm f/4L lens is the best bang for your buck. The images that you can take with this lens are amazingly crisp. It's pricey but if you can afford it, it's worth it. It's effectively a 3.2x to 9.1x zoom. Don't forget the UV filter!

Camera bags are an individual choice. You'll always grow into the bag, so you might want to leave some room for growth. I like the SlingShot 200AW because it has room for the camera, accessories and fits comfortably. This kit also comes with a starter tripod and a cleaning kit. They're fine for getting started, but you might want to replace them later if you're unhappy with their performance.

This is a good lens if you want to have the most flexibility - but there's a compromise. Any sort of lens that has this much relative zoom will have some image quality issues that you might need to spend time with in post-processing.