There’s a dish my grandmother used to cook, and my mom after her. We called it Grandma Helen’s Hash Brown Casserole, and you probably devoured some version of it if you grew up in the Midwest before “organic” was a thing.
Made with two pounds of frozen hash browns, two sticks of butter, a pint of sour cream, 12 ounces of cheddar cheese, half a box of cornflakes, and the obligatory can of cream of chicken soup, Grandma’s casserole was a staple at holidays, family reunions, and church potlucks. It was also so popular at memorial services that my Indiana in-laws still refer to it as Funeral Potatoes. Sure, it was an artery-clogging cholesterol bomb, but it soothed the soul like no kale salad ever could.
What does this have to do with outdoor gear, you ask? After 25 years of testing all sorts of tricked-out technical apparel, I have come to appreciate the simpler things in life. Like durability. Reliability. Ease of use. And comfort. On backpacking trips, I wear Lowa boots. My go-to pack is an Arc’teryx. My new bike is a titanium throwback. And the most frequently worn fleece in my closet is Melanzana’s…
