Well, the one doesn't preclude the other. Depending on conditions I'll sometimes bring my gatewood cape as rain gear and emergency shelter, and I do bring a couple of garbage bags and a candle, and of course general 10 essentials stuff, plus reasonably warm clothing to wear on breaks and at least a sitpad. Not sure that 50' of cord is required, but I do bring quite a bit.

Comforter: my 32F rated WM Summerlite weighs 20 oz; for winter day hikes I think that would be as good an option as any to carry for emergency. I think this and other options are situational, based on what I know of the trip, just balancing risks against weight.



Indeed, but my point here is thinking through the trade-offs ahead of time and having a credible set of kit, offset by weight and bulk to carry. A 6 oz snowclaw for when I'm not in snowshoes, and a couple oz worth of folding saw isn't much against the possibility of saving a life (possibly my own).
Again, the thing about an enclosed snow shelter is that apart from blocking wind, you can get significantly higher temperatures inside. The snow cave I slept in last weekend stayed in the 30's F, while temps got into the single digits just outside. I imagine that a good snow trench could approach that, and without me necessarily getting all that wet or tired or taking literally hours in the construction.

I'm not meaning the above as argument or dispute, just wanting to thoroughly air the ideas in case I or anyone else is misunderstanding something. I certainly agree with the idea of bringing some other things to help survive, such specifics depending on anticipated conditions.