I think that's it. Louise and I have camped in Death Valley a few time over Thanksgiving, but we never leave the roads, we carry a satellite phone and our HF transceiver, and we have more food and water than we'll need (so far).

We read the Death Valley bulletin boards about conditions before we go. Those guys have 4WD and tires with more plies than I've ever heard of, jacks, winches, and think they're having fun. :-> It's a scary place if you know enough.

I really feel sorry for the woman. She's learned a very harsh lesson at her son's expense. That's something she'll live with every day.

I think you're right - it's almost always not one mistake that kills you. It's an accumulation of poor choices plus some other factors you don't control. We all do those dumb things, but mostly we don't pay this hard a price.