Im starting this experiment at level zero so any and all advise is appreciated.

1) Should I buy a starter kit (as I have zero equipment)? If so should it be 1 gallon or 5 gallon?

Northernbrewer kit but it says its for cider? Will it work for mead?

Higher price kit but says its 2 stage?

1 gallon kit

2) I see places offering "kits" with honey and stuff. Do I want to start with these?
example kit

Thanks in advance.

Don't buy a kit that comes with honey- find your own.

You'll want a two-stage kit. You ferment in primary with the bucket. This also allows for really easy fruit addition (since it has a big lid).
After 2-4 weeks of primary, you will rack into secondary, this is the glass carboy.  The tricky part is getting the initial volume right so that you fill the 2nd vessel full (not a lot of headspace).
You add potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate to "stabilize" your mead so that it doesn't referment later even if you add more honey (this only works once initial fermentation has ceased)

It'll sit in secondary for one to six months. Then you'll use an auto-siphon to siphon off the top back into the bucket.
Then you use a bottling wand and a small piece of tubing to bottle from the bucket (gravity fed).  You should also see if you can find an additional 5gal glass carboys which will allow you to have multiple batches aging at once.

The best two pieces of advice I can give you:
Yeast needs free nitrogen, and honey doesn't have it. You need to add yeast nutrient for a stable and healthy fermentation. (fruit has some in varying amounts, but a handful of raisins isn't enough)
Use good quality, real honey. Local honey is a great place to start, but you need to find someone who will sell you (at a minimum) 5 lb containers, or better yet, a gallon or more.

Here's a great place to start:
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/BOMM5gallons/

To really make it right, expect to spend a little bit of money.
The best tool ever is this:
https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Bottle-Express-8D-G21Y-SRPZ-DeGasser/dp/B007RT8U1S/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=wine+whip&qid=1601004370&sr=8-5

I love this fermenter but it's a bit spendy:
https://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/brew-buckets/products/brewbucket

It's really, really helpful to have a good homebrew shop that is fairly close to where you live. You never know when you might need something.
Bonus tip- I use spring water from the grocery store, and not tap water.

You can use a chest freezer and an inkbird for temperature-controlled fermentation.

Read some of the previous mead threads already in this subforum.  Here's one


https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/Joe-s-Ancient-Orange-Mead/171-2171349/

You should post more. One of the few of us making a run of this.

Thanks! I try, but my time is kind of divided amongst a bunch of stuff right now haha.

Tagged

Got Mead

Edit: I didn't know gotmead went to a "patron" system.  

Man, I gotta get back into mead making...and apfelwein!

The fundamental problem with making mead is that honey does not contain free nitrogen that yeast needs to be healthy. Healthy yeast = good mead.

The best solution is either:

Add fruit to primary fermentation- grapes, raspberries, etc. Raspberries in particular are great.

Add a source of Nitrogen- DAP is popular, but can also ruin mead if overused. Fermaid K and Fermaid O are very popular.