Oh, but it can be much easier. For example, every item is either small or big; just mark the big ones with a * in the equipment list. You can carry an unlimited amount of small items (subject to DM veto if you try something really silly), and you can carry an amount of big items equal to your strength modifier. Done.
This means that not everybody is going to carry a tent, rope-and-grapple, and so forth, but that's not basic equipment anyway. I find the notion rather silly that every adventurer would always carry "a mirror, crowbar, rope, grappling hook, lantern, waterskin, tent".
Most people are going to ignore encumbrance rules anyway. That means that (if they still do the "module" thing that we've seen no sign of in playtest) encumbrance should be an optional module. However, for the sake of people that like encumbrance rules, this module should then make sense; otherwise there's no point in having it.