Daily thread: gear recommendations I keep coming back to [v3]

Maybe an unpopular opinion but here we go.

There is a lot of conflicting advice online and most of it is from 2019. Maybe an unpopular opinion but here we go.

Quick context: I am relatively new to this and trying to find my footing. Looking for honest feedback, not validation. There is a lot of conflicting advice online and most of it is from 2019.