Equipment for wards
Fortunately there are not that many pieces of equipment you will need. As a general rule, this is what intern-level residents in most fields will need to carry with them most of the time.
Before you get anything, make sure you place ID bands or stickers on all your things. Odds are you will leave something behind eventually, but if they are identified you have a chance of a good soul finding it and returning it to you.
A good stethoscope - there is a growing trend towards the digital stethoscopes. I have a regular one, but the quality of sound with the new digital stethoscopes make a big difference. Expect to pay a hefty price, though, and carry replacement batteries with you. Treat this as an investment. If you do not have a stethoscope, this may pay off but hearing subtle murmurs that will be unnoticed to other people, and make you a star.
A Personal Digital Assistant - even if you are not a computer-savvy person, PDAs are very easy to use. And they keep a lot of weight off your pockets. Learn how to use the calendar, tasks, and there are many free applications with calculator, drug information, guidelines, algorythms and such. More on PDAs for medical staff on medPDA.
A small flashlight - I like the mini Mag Lite ones a lot. They are very durable and their light beam is decent. Those drug-rep flashlights have a very limited lifetime and they fail when you need it the most.
Reflex hammer - unless you are a Neurology resident, you can use the cheap hammers.
Cheap pens - no need for that nice fancy pen for your residency. If you are like me, you will lose at least 2 pens per week, so just buy a 100-pack of cheap pens so you can feel ok about losing them.
Things you will not need to carry unless you are a resident in specific areas:
Ophtalmoscope
Otoscope
Peak flow meter