Simply bailing out as quickly as possible is not always the safest thing to do. And the keeping moving keeps you warm theory breaks down when soaked, wind is 60 mph, and the temperature is dropping and you are on a 12,000 foot pass. There are many places in the Wind Rivers where I have been pinned down for a few days because there is NO way out that does not involve high passes, without trails, some requiring crossing glaciers, and none safe in a lightning storm, heavy rain or snow. My fire-building skills have served me well over the years. The trick is knowing when to build a fire and when to hunker down in the tent. I have used many fires to dry my clothes after the storm. Maybe this did not exactly "save" me but it sure made the next few days less on the edge. Practicing survival skills will add to your "knowledge and skill" kit. I do not see how doing this has any down side. Not enough time? Well make time. And I find this kind of practice actually fun.

And I really believe beginners need to be put into tough situations, within a controlled environment, to actually experience what it would be like in a real survival situation. I do not think most beginning backpackers know how quickly they get drenched in a real heavy rain and how quickly you get chilled. I got caught in a surprise severe storm (storm quickly coming in on the other side of the mountain so I did not see it until on top) on the top of a 11,000 foot high pass in the Sierra. Although it was only a half hour hike to get off the pass, I got soaked and became so chilled that as soon as I got to timber, I got out the stove and cooked soup. It took that external warmth got avoid hypothermia. Had I continued to walk, I do not know what would have happened. You need to recognize when things are getting bad (and you need to have experienced this before to gain this judgment), and know what needs to be done, and have had enough practice to do it under stressful conditions. And, you do not wait until you are exhausted and soaked to build a fire- you stop before that point.

Practice builds confidence; confidence reduces panic; less panic allows you to make better decisions.

And I agree that proper planning and avoiding emergency situations is the first line of defense. Backpack enough miles, enough years, and I bet you will eventually find yourself in an emergency situation that will be helped by survival skills.