On the topic of equipment, my only concern with equipment is that with PC deaths we'll get a big item creep ... (as in a glut of magic items brought in with new characters) and that new built characters will have advantage in that they will be able to customize all their magic items, while normal pcs will have to make do with what they find. I've been in campaigns where players would spend their wad on magic armor, knowing that their last pc just died with a magic axe, for example.
Don't let them do that. The party, without the input of the new player or now-deceased PC, decides what happens to the equipment on the deceased PC.
The player should be making characters without using any knowledge they already have from inside the game.
You are the DM. If you believe that they are incapable of acting without using information they should not be using, then hose them over. Teach them a lesson. Heck, with my players, the threat of screwing them over keeps them honest (it helps that they're generally pretty honest though

.
If they make a character that is specialized in axes conveniently after the party just found a sweet magical axe...then suddenly that axe turns into a backbiter axe, or better yet, a berserker axe.
An idea someone is using (can't remember who though). If a player loses his PC, then he can't make another PC of that type for the remainder of the module.
When a new player joins or a PC gets replaced, let him have the bare minimum equipment for a PC of that level.
I meant that. At level 1, give them the least amount of gold the PHB suggests.
At level 2, give them the avg gp for level 1 + a healing potion.
Level 4, a masterwork medium armor and 50 gp.
Now if your players are totally incapable of self control...then freely blast the daylights out of them. Something to the tune of a 50hp darkmantle with an XP value of ZERO.
They're your players. You know them best. And I'm just trying to give ya some ideas.