If you use the ‘e’ command to have your followers equip items from your own inventory (instead of through dialogue) it will give the NPC the item but not remove it from your inventory.
An error message is provided;
maybe in this moment game think what we do what we need to do with OUR inventory?
–INFINITE MUTAGEN ABILITY ACTIVATE! Wait, I don’t have anywhere near the ability to have mutagen in the first place… (dramatic pause) NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Breaths deeply for a moment then continues to say ‘no’ for a very long time.)
–This very well might be useful in my wilderness survival if it wasn’t for the fact that the NPC needs an American Flag to be my buddy while I am in the middle of a massive forest. He really doesn’t care much for my default speech-craft, which while is still crappy, it is better than what I normally have. (as in 0 skill)