Matt,

I think that with some progressive practice (i.e. you bring the gear with you but use it only if you fail on the primitive stuff), you'll find out that "roughing it" is not that hard. Of course, it all depends on the season, your condition/health, etc. It's all about thinking ahead and not pushing yourself so hard that you ever reach your limits in anything (dehydration, hypo/hyperthermia, fatigue, lack of sleep, etc.).

I'm teaching that stuff to people right now, and we use that very simple approach: we all carry the essentials, and we try to use them as little as possible. Doing so, people find out what gear they really need. The items you wish you could get out of your backpack the most often are the true essentials... and they are a personal thing (yet there are many similitudes on the required tasks : collecting and purifying water, cutting stuff, making fire, cooking/containing, tying/building, and waterproof shelters... and taking care of blisters <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> -- the rest of the jobs are just not appearing often <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />).

Cheers,

David