Thanks for the comments Glenn, I appreciate al the perspectives / viewpoints I can get!

I've always leaned to the extreme (in many people's minds!) regarding basic gear that we should all always have with us... As a former Scoutmaster / Venturing Crew Advisor, for years & years I preached the values of having the conventional "top-ten" kit components with you on a BP trip, so I just "assume" we're all going to have (1) all the clothing we need (2) an extra day's food, (3) all the 1st aid stuff we could reasonably need... etc., etc., etc! (probably more gear than we need... that's what I'm curious about... do we all carry all that gear with us or are we making more reasonable calculations?) Probably depends to some extent on where you hike... if you're on a frequently-used trail & 15 people are going to pass you by on the average day... then maybe you can "lighten up" on the "emergency" or "1st aid" stuff you carry?