This has been an interesting thread and I will contribute my "mite" based on my experiences and the philosophy I have derived from them. Where I live it is extremely wet and also very cold with heavy snowfall, severe winds and temps. to -40*; the relatively small population, minimal emerg. services and weather all combine to make rescue in winter quite problematical.
So, since this is the situation, I have always felt that having a certain level of gear, skills, mental preparedness and foresight is really the best way to approach this problem and it has worked for me. I think that depending on one's ability to make a fire is not wise as some emergency bivys result from an injury such as a fractured leg and you will NOT move around to gather fuel or find tinder with such an injury, so, you need to succour yourself with gear you have with you.
If, someone carries a basic weatherproof bivy-bedroll plus hydration capability plus enough dry clothing to change out of any wet items they are wearing AND stays where they are, with simple signalling devices, they have an excellent chance of survival-rescue. However, failure to recognize the potential for injury that will preclude traditional "survival" skills being employed, such as those shown in a myriad of books on the topic, can and usually will end in the slow death of the person involved, happens here all year 'round.
My younger brother is an Emergency Med. Tec. aka "paramedic" and has flown in and helped pack out the corpses of quite a few "outdoorsmen" who would not carry adequate survival gear, broke an ankle ski-mountaineering and couldn't make a fire, so, they froze to death, slowly....not fun.
I do not take chances with minimal gear and my emerg. camp weighs about 25 lbs. all up, pack included. I can survive, easily, for a week with this and after seeing the corpses of personal friends, some VERY experienced BC wilderness enthusiasts, including professional guides and park rangers, I will not leave my transport without this gear, or, depend on a minimalist pocket pack. YMMV.
