As far as the subject is concerned though, we don't see much choice in starting gear.
There are a few types of neurohelmets aesthetically, but except for the SL and Clan models, they all work alike and a low-budget alternative like the neuro-crown/circlet described in some novels probably won't do for a battlemech. I mean, you could do it with a big piloting penalty, but I suspect the hookups are totally different and for the time and cost of the work, you could just get a normal neurohelmet.
The plasteel boots are optional and the shorts are almost a setting trope.
Coolant vests are the norm, but we've never seen rules for the ice-pack vest for low-tech and cheap alternative.
My idea of using a tanker smock makes sense to me, but there could be a down-side I haven't seen. in ATOW, it was even more expensive than a vest, but I just felt it to be a good thematic fit. For close detail it does provide more protection though, and I also wanted the advantage of more protection for my risen-infantryman when he inevitably gets frustrated with the impersonal feel of mech combat, or just need to get up close and personal and climbs out of his 100-ton behemoth to mix it up as a foot soldier again.
Coolant suits have kinda become lost in the fiction shuffle. They are mentioned so rarely in the fluff that they show up much less often than they should; IMO they should be standard issue for the clans and phone companies. The Mechwarrior Combat suit is the logical next generation, but I'd only see SLDF, lucky Lostech prospectors, maybe RAF and WOBM using them.
At current, to the best of my knowledge there is no in-game advantage to any kind of coolant suit and the added protective values only come up in ATOW. If it was me? I'd let you ignore some pilot damage from heat or head hits or both if your PC had a suit vs a vest, but that's just me.
Maybe a vest and Neurohelmet is the stock for the rules.
The ice vest maybe degrades over time? Pilot damage for long games?
The Neuro-circlet/bandana/crown gives you a -2 penalty to piloting.
The Tanker Smock works as well as a vest and *maybe* gives you the ability to ignore 1 or 2 head hits, but probably gives you a -1 piloting roll.
The cooling suit allows you to ignore pilot damage vs heat to a certain extent and the Combat Suit does the same, but also ignores head hit and falling damage to an extent.
The advanced neuro helmets give you +1 piloting or +1 gunnery, possibly both, but it would vary by type and I am not sure which would go to which.
Now an ASF pilot's suit would work like a cooling vest and neuro helmet, but be lighter and more comfortable, but seal vs vacuum. The SLDF Exo-suit would provide additional protection and a piloting bonus and the neuro interface could give an extra +1 to piloting and +1 to gunnery.
All this extracted from my thinking-nethers and in no way official.