You made one VERY important comment in your post, "Don't copy, think"!
I normally consider writings like this as downright dangerous because too few people actually THINK, they just blindly go out and buy stuff, stuff it in a kit, and believe they can survive. Survival isn't about your stuff it's about the person. If the person isn't prepared then no amount of gear will change that.
So the question is:
How do you know if your person is prepared ?
A simple test is to have a friend drop you off for a 24 hour hike from point A to Point B in terrain you've never hiked before. Take only a hunting knife and maybe something that will let you drink. When you get to point B you will know two things: 1) If your person is prepared and 2) Exactly what you'll take with you next time. Twenty-four hours shouldn’t kill you unless you really haven't thought about it. Good luck!
PS - Think of this as a thought experiment as I'm not encouraging anyone to do something; but then again if you think your a survivor then ... ;-)
Amen. Gear you don't know how to use is dead weight.
I like your test, but only for those with some basic skills and clothing suited to the environment. There's a lot of wind and rain here and temperatures, even in summer, can get into the hypothermia zone. I prefer to build up skills by trying things out in less risky situations: I didn't actually need a shelter in that storm - my clothing was sufficient for me to remain warm even though I allowed myself to become wet through (yay for merino wool). It was more of a "can you do it - what challenges will you face?".
I just wanted to get the point across ;-)
Besides, here in Florida we have alligators, not weather, unless you try it during a hurricane.
Point is, following good advice will get you killed if you don't know why it's good advice.