Because it has no learning curve.

To rehash something I already posted:

Matches- everyone knows how to use them. The Sparklite requires thinking.

Duct tape- it has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

Compass- points north

Mirror- flashy-shiney

Whistle- noisy

Fishing stuff- without, a lot of people don't think it is a survival kit. I don't care how good your gear is, if the user doesn't have confidence in it, it doesn't matter.

Heatsheet- superhigh tech garbage bag, if you crawl in it you'll be warmer.

This is super KISS. And honestly, the signals and the Heatsheet are the important parts. Shelter to keep you warm and scare away the boogie man (the fire does this even better); something obnoxious and unnatural to help you get found. A lot of people die because they panic and make bad decisions, or they feel overwhelmed and give up. That is magnified if you don't know how to use your kit. Everything here is practically instinctive to anyone who owns a television.

The lack of shelter in the PSP has always been a downside for the less experinced user. That is why I haven't been as comfortable with it as AMK's only kit. Yes, there are directions- and most things ship with a manual, but having worked call desk help support, I can tell you that people don't use them. This has a shelter, which covers most things that a casual outdoors person is likely to encounter.

Neither kit is perfect, but for the user with a complete lack of skill, I'd point them to the SOL. The PSP is designed for a more experienced user. We sometimes miss that becuase most of us have our core skills and many of our more advanced skills down. We've forgotten what is like to be without a clue, and while my (I won't speak for anyone else) knee jerk reaction is to say "if you don't have the chops, get out of my woods" while chasing them in a ghille suit doing my best swamp thing impersonation, it also isn't realistic. So people should have at least a cellphone/GPS combo, or better a PLB.

If I was selling PLBs, I'd have an SOL in every box.