The OP is well taken. However wilderness gear isn't only useful in the wilderness. When a hurricane slammed our state years ago some of the most popular items were backpacking stoves, since electricity was out and natural gas was shut off. A sleeping bag is a wonderful thing to have when you're in a hotel in Nebraska that doesn't have heat due to the situation. Being able to purify water is just as valid when the municpal supply has been contaminated with floodwater as when you're in the woods.

Myopia works both ways.