In line with the whole 100 item limit on dwellers in the wasteland, mixed in with the notion of "the longer a dweller is out, the better gear they will find", would it be then possible, as a thought, to be able to sell items a dweller has found out in the wastes so they can continue further with the chances of finding better loot? Exactly the same way as selling items a dweller has bought back that you don't have the inventory space for, for example.
If a dweller gets to their 100 item limit, they turn around. If you can manage your dwellers out in the wastes, and gear them for a long run, they can stay out for as long as their supplies will allow them. It's a little risk/reward scenario. Before the new patch I had a dweller out for 6 days 14 hours odd. While they are still finding mid to high end weapons, they were to busy carrying their 15 rusty bb guns... The same suggestion mentioned above could easily be used after patch also, allowing an overseer to sell off all the low end gear not needed back at the vault to create room to allow the dweller to pick up better gear should they find it.