I look at it from the “reasonable man” test.
what would a reasonable man carry into a winter day hike into the mountains, a boater carry into the ocean on a cold and windy day, what should a kayaker carry.
Its kind of like we all know we shouldn’t use a cell phone while driving however most people still do it anyway even though they know better.
Each sport has a minimum set of equipment for “conditions” and “time of year” and even if only going out on a 3 hour cruise you should always have that minimum complement.
If you don’t then you need to be paying for your rescue, let’s call it a dumbass tax.
If I paddle inland water in the summer I carry PFD, Skirt, Whistle, Light and dry clothes. for even something as short as a 30 minute paddle, where I’m less than a half mile from any shore.
If I’m inland more remote, I also carry a emergency shelter, and firestarting gear as well as water processing gear and snacks.
If Im coastal, on juat a play day. I’ll carry my PFD Skirt Whistle, Light, Flare and VHF marine radio. (required by law, well not the VHF) and a change of clothes.
however if I wind up on a bigger paddle I’ll also add in my emergency shelter water processing gear fire-making tools and some snacks maybe a MRE or two.
same goes for hiking, If I’m in a snow zone even if it’s not snowing I’ll carry snow-shoes, E-shelter, firemaking etc…
as they say it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
but for any sport there is a “minimum” gear load out and if you don’t have that and get yourself in over your head you should pay the “dumbass tax” because you ought to know better.
And you don’t know how many times I’ve gone camping (wilderness camping) and run into people who are also camping with “less than minimum load out” only to come wandering into my camp asking to “borrow” something or other. These dumbasses, were lucky they were doing this in the summer time so the impact of their unpreparedness was minimal. They usually leave the next day because they were having a miserable time.
