foggles types and screens.
It never occured to me to buy my own foggles during my PPL or IMC training. There was always a pair in the training aircraft. However, some did used to be a bit scatched and since I wear glasses it might have been better to buy my own. It just never occured to me or anyone else I met while training.
Screens are much better in my opinion. They certainly aren't all black. In fact they have been made of white translucent plastic in all the aircraft I have used for IR training and renewals. I can't understand the instructor lookout problem, because they are all angled to be edge-on to the instructor's field of view.
Screens are not that difficult to make. I have flown in a C177RG with a home made set of plywood (painted white) screens which worked well, and I know of others who have used cardboard screens for IFR practice.