I've been riding a double for years, 50/34 paired with 11/34 rear. Not loaded touring - bike commuting with a pannier carrying 10-20 lbs. depending on the day. I could never imagine going back to a triple...too complicated.

My Mountain Bike is a 1x12 SRAM Eagle drivetrain 32 up front, 10/50 rear. It's the bomb. If I was buying a gravel bike, I would go with this setup like this. Maybe swap out for a slightly larger front ring. You won't need the top-end riding gravel, but you'll appreciate the shifting simplicity of a 1x drivetrain.