Sort of in the same boat. I was originally considering the HPI Venture, but I've determined I'm not willing to spend that much since I don't know how much I'll end up liking crawling in the long term.
Here the easiest decent-seeming budget one to get would be the FTX Outback 2. My understanding is that the receiver-ESC-combo is pretty bad, and the servo is of course very weak. I'm thinking a Hobbywing 1060 brushed ESC, a receiver I already have, and also putting in a stronger servo (possibly waterproof just in case, even though it's unlikely I'll be diving into any water). I wonder if there are any absolute musts otherwise to get started with? Really not looking to spend a whole lot.