Welcome Byrd_Huntr. A nice list from a voice of experience. The other stuff we have suggested is for the "what-if" factor, otherwise known as Murphy's Law. Many, many people get by with carrying less gear than they should. When Murphy catches up and something goes horribly wrong, well, those are the stories you see in the nightly news. "Local hunter dies of exposure" or "Hikers lost in desert succumb to the elements" are the typical headlines. They could be easily averted by carrying just some very basic gear. FWIW and YMMV.