A few things that come to mind, i'm just going to put them all down, in no particular post order.
Item descriptions can be adjusted, to give a hint on what influence they have on temperature. Don't expect them to be flat out numbers, but rather something cryptic witch should help out.
Survival packs have a compass in them, if you're lucky. It's also not really hard to make one, and in all honesty if you put up the argument that it is basic survival gear, then that argument can be undone by the fact that a map is also something basic but isn't simply there. The main but difficult purpose for Sam, as well as admins, is to find a balance between keeping the game a challenge for old and new, while at the same time not spoon feeding creativity to everyone.
As for hunger and thirst rising too fast while you're warm: that can certainly be true, but keep in mind that temperatures can mean seasons, and that a paper fan isn't the only way to cool down. Maps with temperature influence are in progress, some areas still need adjusting, but we're slowly getting there.