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The amount of safety gear a person wears shows how much risk they are willing to take. I once rode with little gear a few decades ago. A Helmet, gloves, any jacket and boots. Oh yeah, sun glasses to fend of bugs and an open face helmet.
After a few potentially crippling mishaps off road I clued in quite a bit. In one instance I could not bend my left knee very much for a year and a half after doing a 12 foot fall off a cliff with my bike. The bike survived the fall better than I did.
Fast forward to my return to riding in 2005. Much more gear and the money to buy it. That said, protective gear that will meet your needs is relatively cheap.
At present I have a Shoei flip face helmet, Joe Rocket jacket with an optional and somewhat expensive back protector that is better than the original. I have settled on Red Wing leather gauntlets for all my riding. They are not armored but are comfy and fit well. AlpineStar riding boots for my one and only pair of feet. They have to last my lifetime. I have had a variety of riding pants with armor but they never fit right after I gain or loose weight. I just tried jeans which are not real safe but I had shin/knee protectors under them. They were dirt cheap and recommended by webBikeWorld under jeans. I think they are a Shift product.
I once had a pair of armored riding jeans but rarely wore them. The hip armor worked well when I fell off my stool while working on my bike. I was surprised to fall and even more surprised that the hip armor cushioned me so well on concrete.
Over the last 12 years I have bought and given away a multitude of gloves, pants and jackets that weren't comfy for me but were better than nothing to other riders with no gear or cash to buy it.
I had a really nice all weather jacket that did everything but fit well. I gave it to a friend in need and he was thrilled with it. It fit him very well too. That made me happy.
Safety gear is a must and I won't ride without it. I can't. I trained myself to never ride naked sort of thing. It is the same as a seat belt in my Ranger, I can't drive without being buckled in. I have used seat belts since 1966 since I happened across a rolled car with an arm sticking out from under it. The young gal flew out and the car landed on her.........it was a lasting memory.
Protect yourself as best you can all the time. Life can be a lot more lasting and pain free with some gear that works. And if you do have a mishap be sure to get checked out even if you don't feel hurt. The next day may be a bad day with an injury making an appearance just for you.
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