"I got respect for anyone who can go into the wild alone even if they're not properly equipped."

I don't.

Would this guy have done all this, even for just cash money, if he knew there were no fly-overs, no one picking up his videos, no Twitter, no one watching for him?

Try this: "I'm a college student and I'm going into the White Mountains of NH. I'm dressed in shorts, tank top and flip-flops, and I don't think I'll need more than that, even though it is late fall, as it's nice and sunny today. I'm carrying a 16-oz bottle of water and a granola bar. My cell phone doesn't get a signal here, but I'll take it with me in case it works farther up the mountains. I also have a PLB, so even if I do get into trouble, someone will come and get me."

Just because this fool had someone else paying the bill and backing him up didn't make him any smarter than thousands of other dorks who depend on SAR to get them out of trouble.