Well they survived. What was it three days with heavy snow? Thats pretty good for someone with no planning or preparation.

I think this is an excellent and two-fold lesson: First poor planning will nail you, maybe not every time but when it does get you it gets you hard; second they would have been much more comfortable if they'd had even minimal gear, but their survival didn't depend on it. The father (and oldest son, he's 18 therefore old enough to shoulder adult responsibility) messed up. They should have let mom know exactly where they were going. Dad should have made sure everyone had good snow boots and warm clothing. Matches or stove would have made them down right comfortable. But they survived and did a lot right once the situation had gone south. They found shelter. They set up a signal (evergreen branches on snow is in many of the survival manuals). They kept feet warm and prevented frostbite.

So the lesson for the ruck of unprepared people is plan better and carry some kit. The lesson for those of us who read this forum is don't rely too much on equipment. Absolutely carry it , but remember you can survive with out it.