Grant's research deep dives, Linda's trip reports, and honest gear regrets.
Grant on the $3,000 sleeping bag that never left the room: performance specifications, Linda's response, and May 2026 field test results. Gear Made Simple — 2025.
Read more →Eighty percent of blisters come from boots that fit fine in the store.
Read more →Grant on his first multi-day backpacking trip — two days in the Olympic Peninsula, what he brought, and the honest gear performance report. Gear Made Simple — 2026.
Read more →Grant on the gear purchases he regrets — what he bought, why it was wrong, and what he has now. Gear Made Simple — 2026.
Read more →Honest retrospective: of everything in the gear room, here is what Grant would repurchase if starting over.
Read more →Eight hundred dollars buys you a tent that leaks. Here's proof.
Read more →A side-by-side comparison of the gear Grant would carry versus the gear Linda actually carries. With cost comparison.
Read more →Grant packed for a March backpacking trip. The trip was postponed. The pack remains assembled. Here is a complete inventory.
Read more →Grant researched thirteen hiking boots before selecting the Merrell Moab 3. He has not tested them outdoors. He has tested them extensively indoors.
Read more →Grant's gear room did not start as a gear room. It started as a corner of the garage. Here is the full origin story.
Read more →Linda and Grant both got caught in the same rain. Linda had her regular jacket. Grant had his fourth and best rain jacket. Here is what happened.
Read more →Linda completed a four-day Yellowstone trip. Her gear list was four items. She was fine. Grant documented everything.
Read more →Linda went backpacking with one jacket, one pair of boots, and a 20-year-old tent she borrowed from her sister. Grant processed this for weeks.
Read more →Grant on Linda's minimalist gear list — what she carries, why it works, and what her approach means for everyone else's gear decisions. Gear Made Simple — 2026.
Read more →The June gear audit. Current recommendations, what Linda told Grant, and the May trip report.
Read more →Grant's performance comparison from the Olympic Peninsula trip: his kit vs Linda's kit, same two days, honest outcome comparison. Gear Made Simple — May 2026.
Read more →Five rain jackets evaluated. The technical case for and against each. Linda's opinion included at the end.
Read more →Grant researched the MSR Hubba Hubba NX2 for six months before purchasing it. Here is the complete research summary.
Read more →Grant on the ultralight versus comfort debate — where his gear decisions land, what Linda thinks, and the outcome of the May 2026 trip data. Gear Made Simple — 2026.
Read more →Grant on evaluating 11 water filtration options for backpacking and how he chose the Katadyn BeFree — which Linda had picked first. Gear Made Simple — 2026.
Read more →Grant researched it. Linda actually took it outside.
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