At my age I am happy to get my boots on without soiling myself. I wear a Scottevest windbreaker year 'round, using it as my outer shell in cold weather. I like that I can load it up with the essentials and not even have to think about grabbing anything else when I leave my tent.

The few times I've helped-out with SAR where the target had no gear were either starting-out unprepared (just going on a day hike/trip), getting turned-around answering the call of nature, or taking a wrong turn coming back from visiting another campsite. Discouragingly, alcohol was often involved in the latter case.

And you don't need to be in the middle of the back-country to get lost. The places where I've helped-out all had established trail systems and established, communal campsites. A few wrong turns without noticing and a lack of sufficient training or experience to stay put once you realize your lost can make for a cold, damp night under the stars.

I'll also admit that in my pre survival-minded days I managed to lose my tent after watering the flowers. The problem is that by the time you realize you are lost you can't even be sure which direction is which. I was fortunate that there was a stream nearby I could follow back to the trail and then from there found my way back to camp. Thereafter I never wander out of view of my tent to take care of business, unless I'm at a communal campsite with an established latrine. I figure 50' from my campsite might be smack in the middle of where the next fellow might setup camp, so why bother? The resident animals don't.