As far as the gear goes don't cheap out. Buy yourself a nice 3-antennae beacon (I like the BCA Tracker 2 and 3), get a probe that's at least 270 cm, and pretty much any shovel will work, although I do like the k2 rescue shovel with hoe mode. As far as packs, depends on what you're looking for. I normally stay pretty close the resort, so a 20-25L pack worked well for me. My two favorites are the Dakine Heli Pro DLX and Osprey Kode 22.
But equipment can only get you so far. Get educated before you go back there. Try to sign up for a level 1 avalanche course (there's tons around), or at least watch a ton of videos and get familiarized with your equipment. The most important thing is to know how to use your gear. You can have the fanciest and most expensive beacon out there, but unless you know how to use it, it's worthless.
Also, this kind of goes without saying, but don't go alone. Get a buddy to start learning at the same time. Just make sure he knows what he's doing too. Or find an experienced friend that will let you tag along.
