She had the survivor's mind - nothing to do with tough, everything to do with acceptance of the situation. She followed a pattern Laurence Gonzales talks about repeatedly in Deep Survival. Acceptance of the situation, of impending death, and then methodically making decisions that resulted in her survival.

People who can't shift gears the way she did don't make it. They start to make bad decisions really fast. The cumulative result of all those decisions will be the killer.

People have died within a mile of a trailhead in freak accidents. Being prepared for an overnight wouldn't have helped them much... sometimes things happen. I've noticed they tend to happen when you are not paying attention due to complacency - I have gotten hurt in parking lots at trailheads, never on the trail. The only broken bone that's happened on one of the group's hikes was on a four mile hike within 20 miles of town - not out in the wilderness far from the trail. He was an experienced backpacker who failed to take seriously a short day hike, and did not bring a whistle, or other basics.

Those 10 essentials we talk about would have helped the lady - she had some of them, she used the poncho for a shelter of sorts. She could have been warmer if she'd been able to build a fire, but she survived.