Struggling to keep walls straight when building with lumber

Yeah, engineered studs can be a lifesaver for sure. But honestly, I've built a couple places now using regular kiln-dried lumber and haven't had too many issues. The trick for me was being super picky at the lumberyard—like annoyingly picky—and rejecting anything even slightly twisted or bowed. Takes more time upfront, but if you're careful picking your boards, you can still get pretty straight walls without the extra cost. Just my two cents...

Interesting approach, being picky definitely helps. I remember one project where we did exactly that, but still had some minor bowing after a few months. Wonder if humidity or storage conditions play a bigger role than we realize...?