Sounds familiar... how many times have you heard stuff like, "hey, we're just going out for the day", "what's all that stuff for?", "which pocket is the kitchen sink in?"

If I'm with friends in an unstructured activity, when it starts raining, snowing, or someone needs a FAK, or they want to start a fire to warm up, my pack is the go to place for the group? I guess I don't worry about what they think. I don't feel comfortable going out unprepared, so I just try to act responsibly.

Incidently, if I'm the one leading the group, I make sure that folks bring the essentials, or the don't go with me in charge. (Which gets into the whole area of outdoor leadership, but, that's probably another thread.)

Shelter and warmth are so vital, I think everyone here is hitting on some key points.