Thanks for the great advice all ...

Lets say I did want to gear a pally as soon as the RAF -> 60 was done - so he had half-decent gear for boosting ... how long would it take with my team and where would you start?

Caspian mentioned getting the S2 gear as a start, but I have no idea how long that takes (quit 3-4 months before BC ... lots has changed). Thanks all ...