There are a few items I've seen pop up on packing lists over and over, so I've included them in my gear too, for the most part. But, I question if these will ever be used at all. Here's the ones I can think of off the top of my head:

* obscure repair items; gear repair tape is king, in whatever flavor you like - duck, Tenacious, Gorilla, ... I've started carrying Lowe's brand house wrap tape as well (similar to Tyvek tape), because it's waterproof and sticks to pretty much everything. So, is it really necessary to carry safety pins, zip ties, super glue, patch kits, a needle, spare cordage etc.?

* floss; I floss every day at home, but for short backpacking trips, I consider brushing to be enough. I still carry the floss for emergency repairs though, but I've never used it.

* fire starters (i.e. magnesium, vaseline soaked cotton, etc.); This one may be divisive, however I expect the best way to get out of an emergency situation where you need a fire for survival is to not get in that situation in the first place. That's easily done in East Texas and South Arkansas, my usual stomping grounds.

* more obscure FAK items; gloves (depending on group and likelihood of seeing other people), antibiotic ointment (depending on trip length), super glue, clotting agents, etc. For longer trips, I get that even minor wounds need to be properly treated and protected, but for overnights? For more serious injuries, there are alternatives to specialized items (spare clothes to stop bleeding, cap with a small hole on water bottle for irrigation, tape and guaze instead of bandages, trekking pole as a splint, etc.).

* TP; I prefer wipes, and in truth this, along with lots of warm clothes (because I hate being cold), is one of the few luxuries I insist on, but I list it here, because I figure there's lots of folks that are fine with leaves or grass or pine cones or whatever.

* a 2nd/backup lighter or matches; sometimes I go stoveless, in which case even 1 lighter is my "backup" lighter

* spare headlamp batteries; unless I'm night hiking, it's very unlikely I'll need these, especially since the lamp on my phone serves as a backup.

* power bank; depending on the length of trip and how I use my phone (usually as a camera only and left in airplane mode and power saving mode), I probably won't need this. In fact, I've never brought one.

* a compass; Yes, this is heresy, I know. But if you're in a small and/or easy area (i.e. a state park), a place you know like the back of your hand, following a really well marked trail, or if you're in any situation where you're extremely unlikely to get lost or the consequence of getting lost is less than an hour of extra walking to get found, then why bother?

How often, if ever, do you use these items? What situations would you be comfortable without them? What alternatives have you come up with to carrying these items?