Hold on, what if the gear was actually fine but just totally wrong for his body type? Like, a backpack could be well-made but the wrong size for his frame, causing strain and wear. Even with perfect care, that mismatch would lead to problems quickly. So the issue might not be quality or maintenance, but poor personal fit from the start. We often overlook how individual anatomy affects gear performance. It's easier to blame the equipment than admit we chose badly...