I agree that "emergency rappelling" is a bit of an oxymoron. That said, I've done quite a bit of scrambling where I really wished I'd had, at least, rope. Yet I never bring any because if all I'm doing is tromping around the woods for a week with a 25 lb pack, I don't want to lug around my climbing equipment "just in case".

I also get accused of being reckless if I mention that I'd like to bring just a length of rope for those times when I get stuck at steep inclines during off-trail hikes. I see rope + a body rappel as a huge leap forward in safety, but most people seem to think that the lack of a harness, etc., is an automatic sign of irresponsibility.

A few years before I joined this forum I'd compiled a list of the lightest equipment a person would need to do a bit of rappelling. It was centered around a Camp racing harness & the idea that 20' of rope can get you out of a lot of off-trail hangups. I never bought any of that gear, though, because I discovered that trail hikes could be fulfilling & challenging in their own way.

I'm not sure how I feel about those belts with a built-in clip for climbing. I could see how they could give under experienced users a dangerous sense of safety. I wouldn't trust one as a primary safety device, but I'd clip into one in tandem with a harness. By themselves I suppose they'd be safe for moderate inclines, but I'd sooner build a rope seat than use a belt for free hanging.