J_Brown,
As a hunter first, you might also consider some Dokken Deadfowl bumpers for your dog. A teal or quail size is good for young dogs and you can graduate to duck, pheasant and goose sized ones as your dog grows. They aren't as cheap as standard bumpers, but they offer added realism.
Concerning bumpers, I prefer a wide variety of styles so your dog will generalize that "if you throw it I'll get it" and not be put-off if something isn't the same as the type he is accustomed to.
Wayne gives you a nice list and many, if not all retriever trainers, use a lot of what's on his list. However, I'll share a story I found amusing. I got a great catalog in the mail this week called "Dogs Unlimited". There are over 80 pages of the coolest dog training equipment you can find. Pages of electronics, leashes, collars, bumpers, vests, crates, bells, dog boots, game bird crates, dummy launchers, bird launchers, and on and on. It seems a guy who has a retriever could fill a small building (or maybe a large building!) with training equipment. If he happens to hunt waterfowl he might need another building for all of the gear that duck hunters need (or want). So, long story short (yeah right!), I got to the end of the catalog and I think there were only three things I thought I might need. More .22 crimps for the blank gun, a mendota slip lead (as a back-up in case I lose the one I've got), and a Dokken's Power Throw Grip (which is just a small plastic ball) because last fall I was throwing a Dokken for my pup in a rocky field and the power ball hit a rock and broke! That totals about $38. It's not because I already have all of the cool stuff that I didn't need anything else. I just don't see a need for most of that gear it in my situation.
I've had Labs for 26 years and have trained them for upland hunting and UKC HRC HT's. I'm a minimalist I guess because I don't have 8 of the 11 things on Wayne's list! No electronics at all, no check cord, no heeling stick, no holding blinds, no stick men, no pigeon coop, and I haven't used a choke collar since my son was in 4-H dog obedience over 10 year ago. I don't like to haul around a bunch of gear. To me, these are the essentials: a good flat collar with your name and phone number on a riveted metal plate, a 6' leather leash, a 4' slip lead, a bucketful of assorted bumpers, a whistle and lanyard (I prefer the Roy Gonia special w/pea), a duck call, some decoys, a blank pistol, and some training land.
Also, as an upland hunter I figure you need good boots, a good gun, good legs, and a good dog. In the upland field most of the dog work occurs before the retrieve. It takes some birds and the dog to do their dance and if you can do your part the retrieve is almost an after-thought. That said, I do appreciate a well trained retriever and think mine aren't too bad, but in no way do I train for FT's.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you might not need most of the things on Wayne's list. I am saying it depends on what you want to do with your dog and what you expect from him. You need to decide that first, then you will know what you need. Before you buy thousands of dollars worth of equipment maybe you should join a club or a training group and get a chance to see them use these thing. Then you will be better able to decide what it is that you really need and what you don't!
Good Luck with your new pup!
Swack