Here is a report on a couple who got lost for a couple days in the desert. A day hike that turned into a near-death ordeal.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/missing-reporter-rescued-nightmare-hike-article-1.1479604

Seems from other reports they had a couple granola bars, a couple water bottles and a canteen.

It was the classic recipe seen over and over.

1) inadequate gear

2) inadequate map

3) a series of miscalculations.

My major thought: When you are lost in the desert and find water (which another report states was in a grove of trees) don't abandon the two things in short supply -- water and shade.

Mostly inadequate sense.

Concur. I'm surprised they survived at all.

Those hikers had some issues.

Probably thought they had to carry on as there would be no searchers since the government was shut down like they did in Idaho.

I suspect serious heat stroke. The article says the woman was found naked.

probably would have been fine if they had stayed in the shade and drank the water instead of wandering around.

One of the characteristics of severe hypothermia is shedding the clothes you're wearing. I've never heard of a heatstroke victim pulling off their clothes; though I can't claim a lot of experience in this theatre. I have successfully rescued a victim of anhydrous heat exhaustion; a young marine reservist who had failed to drink his mandatory quart an hour while sitting in a tank's turret. He had ceased to sweat and became faint. I and a couple of Marines got him out of the turret, stripped him to his skivvies and pour5ed water over him on the medevac chopper to cool him. His core temp was 98 even when we arrived at the Battalion Aid Station. A close one.