I too pray he is found alive. I think we all here can agree that, decisions made, viewing it in the present, may seem irrational to us, but may have been seen as their only hope for rescue. I agree 100% that he shouldve stayed on the road. However, I think that he did what he felt was the only thing he COULD do to save his family. Unfortunately, it may have been a poor one. I am not a praying person at all, but, I sincerely hope that he is found alive. I Dont know which decision would be worse; watching your family slowly die in front of you, or attempting to find help, leaving your loved ones behind, with the very real chance of never seeing them again. A hard decision, to say the least.
All that being said, I carry a ruck in my jeep with enough gear to walk out, if needed. Winter time, I put in a Wiggy's bivy suit (Brit puffy synthetic jacket, pants, & hood), a goretex bivy sack, a box of granola bars, and a Z-rest, as well as my PSK, which is usually in there. Granted, this enhanced kit is specialized for winter; I wear a suit to work, and, given the wonderful new england weather, it is not ideal for a "I ran into a snowbank in a blizzard 10 miles from home" type of situation.