Why was the continental congress unable to provide the army with proper equipment?

The Continental Congress was unable to provide the army with proper equipment because it couldn't levy taxes, as it was reserved only to the states.

Explanation:

The Continental Congress was ruled by the Articles of the Confederation, the first government charter of the United States.

The Articles supported the Continental Army and allowed the thirteen states to form a united front before the European powers. However, as a tool to build an effective government in times of war, it was a failure. Congress could make decisions, but did not have the power to apply them. Perhaps, the biggest setback was the requirement of unanimous approval of the 13 States to modify the articles. At the same time, the most important power that Congress lacked was the power to collect taxes: it could only request money from the States. These, for their part, did not always comply with the demands and Congress did not have the necessary funds for its operation, especially in the military, where due to this situation the Army was without the necessary provisions and weapons.