JohnE's question was not as simple as it appeared at first, and when I thought about it I just ended up with more questions.
I don't even know if a simple or even partial answer exists which was why I just posted it as a discussion topic.

I think everybody posting on this so far had interesting things to say.

I don't think you need to worry about Susan, Cauldronborn.
Don't take it too personal either. She was not calling your idea stupid, just disagreeing with it.
You both have great points.
Forcing people to carry a load of gear is not the complete answer and teaching people how to deal with getting lost or hurt is not a complete answer either because there are some folks who just won't get it. (Susan states it a bit more eloquently than I do.)
I liked the point Todd made about how rare rescue situations are in relation to the number of people out there a lot. It is something we often forget.
I wish I could find numbers for it.