all this talk about 22% jumps being ok, Ive toured a lot over 30 years and when touring on a heavy bike, 20% jumps are a pain in the keester. Heck, on my commuter theres a 20% jump and its annoying.
Over the years, 9 spd touring cassettes, 11-32, 11-34 sort of thing, generally dont have bigger jumps than a one or two in the 16-17% range, and thats my limit of what I prefer to live with.
Heck, even 10 spd 11-36 have the max of a bit under 16%, which makes for a nice touring cassette.
* Yes, some of these cassettes have a slightly bigger jump between the 11 and 13 tooth, but frankly this doesnt count in being a factor, we are always going downhill going into a 11t, so not the same as more used % jumps we use all the time.

to the OP, you ride these IH bikes, but you would have to ride a derailleur bike with a closer spaced cassette to see how nice it is to ride, even touring.
Even commuting, a 20% jump just isnt necessary. even today on my commute the 20% jump I have between the 15t and 18t is niggling to me on a daily basis, depending on how much weight I have in my panniers.