This story is an an example of why people might want to do a just a little bit of research before setting out on their next outdoor adventure. The amount of bad decisions contained in this one story is mind boggling, even if you don't know the first thing about backpacking. If you read the article and watch the video it is obvious they have never been backpacking a day in their life and they decide to do a 10 day trip through the Smokies in January! They are lucky to be alive.
They started at Fontana and according to the ranger weren't even close to their intended destination of Mollies Ridge Shelter. That means they only made it in about 5 -7 miles. The guy had packed a propane torch! I wonder what their packs weighed? One article quoted one of them as saying they would walk for 10 to 20 seconds before having to stop and catch their breath which tells me they were grossly out of shape and had no idea whatsoever of what they had signed up for. Another said they checked the weather and they were only calling for rain on a couple of days and no snow. They probably got the weather from the local television station reporting from Charlotte or Spartenburg since they were from Gaffney SC.
I am consistently amazed that more people do not die from things like this every year. Credit the park rangers and rescue folks for doing a great job I guess.