John Muir was said to go into the Sierra Nevada with his wool coat, tin cup and some hard-tack in his pockets. I am sure he had a knife, some fire making tools and a few other items but probably not much more.

We as a culture have definitely learned to bring our "house" along with us into the woods; most of it we don't need but going from a mattress and boxspring in a house to a night on the ground is a stretch for many 21st century folks. It is just what we are used too.
Bill