I would agree heartily, if we are talking only about recreational activities. Sometime, as in SAR, that option may not be available.

Some years ago, three of us were assigned a search task that involved climbing upward in deep snow (we used snowshoes) starting about 10 PM and lasting all night. I had packed a complete liquid fuel stove set with adequate fuel, along with bivvy gear. My pack weight was actually lighter than my typical summer rescue load, since much less water was packed.

One of my companions inquired if I had a stove; I said yes. He still carried his stove, remarking that the redundancy and extra weight made sense in this situation. As it turned out, neither was utilized on this particular operation.

Although this was a demanding assignment,I would argue that we were not exposed to any significant risk (contrary to Doug's assertion in his comments on this event). Experience, which facilitates good judgment and decisions, along with appropriate equipment for the task at hand, makes a huge difference and a happy ending - at least for us. Our victim, whose companions made a whole string of very bad decisions, perished.