Kits aren't a core aspect of 2E. They unnecessarily complicate character creation while simultaneously destroying whatever small semblance of "balance" 2E had between PCs. Unless you are inclined to create a VERY curated list of kit options, they aren't worth including at all.
I don’t use kits any longer and use a very pared down list of NWPs but I acknowledge that at the time people used them extensively. Regardless, I still think 5e character creation tends to be a little bit faster at first level. Inventory alone is less of a thing and that still takes time in 2e.
I mean, I never claimed 2E chargen was faster than 5E chargen, so no skin off my nose, but why do you think core 2014 inventory is any less fiddly than 2E? You are still.expected to count arrows, rations and torches by RAW. Sure, people play it looser than that, but they did in 2E as well.
You never used equipment packages in 2E?
Nope. Don’t even think that was a thing at the time, at least in the PHB. We also used encumbrance then but moved away from that in 3rd and never went back to it in 5th.
There were no such packages in the core books (PHB, DMG, MM). It has always been an issue at my table before I started designing them. Something that 3.0 and 5e did definitely better.
