Regarding skills that can be done with car camping or heck I practice fire building techniques on my acreage with either bonfires on the beach or just cleaning up fields after the winter storms. So can I really build a fire with what I carry with me on day hikes--yes--and even when it's pouring down rain. I'm somewhat doubtful that I could actually eat from the fishing kit--in a pill bottle--but let's face it most succumb from either injury, exposure or dehydration issues. While I agree that we all should actually practice fundamental survival skills it can be done without backpacking.
What I was trying to say is that backpacking is an exercise in minimalism in which you learn what is truly important and what is unnecessary and simply extra weight. A backpacker is comfortable with far less because what is carried is truly essential gear.
I would never suggest leaving a well stocked car and striking out on foot unless you are very certain of the situation. I can guarantee that cars are much easier to find in a SAR operation than individual bodies.
The thing that concerns me about cars is being stuck in a traffic jam during a mass evacuation. One of my options would be to unload the bike and start pedaling. That is essentially backpacking on wheels, and gives you much greater range and flexibility. I doubt I could backpack much more than 100 miles, taking at least four, more likely five or six days, depending upon terrain and weather. I could cover 100 miles on a touring bike in a day, camp and rest, and repeat the next day.
One of the essentials for backpacking is an adequate map or maps. I believe that was Mr. Kim's basic problem, or at least a major contributing factor.
With respect to safety, I think we show a basic east vs west difference in perspectives. In most western areas (not all!), get a mile from the trail head and human interaction is no longer a factor.
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