The bad thing about some flying jobs is that pilots have to deal with marginal weather, max gross loads, and strong crosswind conditions to keep their jobs. As this forum concerns mostly recreational flying, marginal weather need not be an issue and backcountry pilots can safely deal with occasionally having to land in strong crosswind by angling across the runway.

Astronomers, archeologists, biologists, and geologists tell us that the earth gradually cycles through much colder than now and much warmer than now extended periods of time. Weather reporting points show two degrees average increased heating since first systematic collection in 1880. Young pilots might think about waiting out the next cold cycle, but that probably won't work out. Even recreational pilots will face more heat, more wind, and lower average normally aspirated engine power. Not too significant for me at my age, but for younger pilots perhaps so.

I have estimated doable load a zillion more times crop dusting than camping so I will leave those calculations to others. In the interest of safety will there be more splitting of loads in the future? I do have lots of experience flying small high time and tired engines in the high desert and mountains using every bit of ground effect, gravity, ground speed (wind direction) management, thermal lift, and orographic lift I could find. In the interest of safety will there be more glider type education of pilots concerning the management of all available energy?

Heat is energy. Extra heat is extra energy, even after yeilding some engine performance. The flexible pilot makes use of, manages, total energy available. Mental engine power only orientation may put a pilot between a rock and a hard place. Significant power to weight can lure a pilot into discounting all natural energy available. Let us rather manage this increased heat which has given us increased wind. Let us own ground effect and gravity by staying in both longer on a down drainage takeoff. Let us own slower ground speed, not only on landing but also in the base leg and in the canyon turn back and in low altitude reconnaissance. Let us fly slow in updrafts and fast through down drafts. Let us seek out orographic lift to be there in case engine power doesn't get us over the pass.

The crux is making total energy management, just in case we might need extra energy, default. If we default low ground effect takeoff for instance, that extra free energy will be there when we need it. Looks silly most of the time, but no more than using all the runway. And the benefit is identical. Why power pitch short final to touchdown slowly and softly on the numbers at a regular airport? Ask the piles in the bone yard what happened. Why follow a ridge up to the pass when already higher than the pass? Is higher altitude a given in the mountains? Why let the nose go down naturally in all turns in the pattern? Just think about that a bit. Let it swim around in your brain. What causes stall? I mean why it happens not when it happens.