I think you are on the right track, Bee.

Although I was intially put off by the staw-man argument at the beginning of the article: He reviews two clearly labeled "First Aid Kits" and comes to the shocking conclusion that "These commercial kits are actually Emergency Medical Kits" No kidding.

But the rest to the article is spot-on. When I step off the pavement for a day hike, I carry "gear", not a "kit". "Kit" implies something special, only to be broken out in an emergency.

The unwritten rule for a "kit" approach is that no item can be designed for its intended purpose and certain historical improvisations take on a whole life of their own.

For instance, if you can talk a casual hiker into putting a few garbage bags in his pocket because he already has them under the kitchen sink and they cost nothing, they might save his life someday. But now people go out of their way to buy bright orange bags online at a premium plus shipping and handling because everyone knows you need garbage bags in your survival kit. If you're going through that much trouble, just by a decent nylon poncho and be done with it.