I tend to agree (perhaps not quite so bluntly as Jim) that you can go light without necessarily going to extremes. One of the things the "hardcore" UL'ers have done is to nudge traditional gear makers to re-think traditional gear and come up with lighter versions. I've never found true UL gear to be flimsy, but I have found that it takes more care and fiddling.

Nearly all my gear is either from Granite Gear, MSR, Patagonia, or Brunton - all pretty much traditional offerings pared down as far as possible. Depending on exactly which shelter system (tent v. tarp and bivy), filter (Miniworks v. Hyperflow), rain gear (poncho v. rain suit), and pack (Vapor Trail v. Virga), my summer weekend load ranges from 13 to 17 pounds. A week in the fall rarely exceeds 25 pounds, even with a couple extra quarts of water.

Like Jim, most of the lighter load comes from doing without and thinking things through. For example, I can use a short pad instead of full-length by choosing a pack with a padded back that can be used to extend the pad; by using a Dromlite that can double as a pillow, and so forth. I only cook supper, reducing the weight of my food and letting me take less fuel, as well as reducing my kitchen gear to a Pocket Rocket stove, single Titan pot, and a spoon.

I've also stopped taking a candle lantern (when it gets dark, go to sleep) and spare clothes on weekend trips (nylon shorts with mesh liners eliminate the need for underwear and dry quickly, and a single synthetic T-shirt is plenty for a weekend. Longjohns under the shorts accomplish the same thing as long pants. I eliminated anything I didn't know how to use from my first aid kit, and also eliminated some of the more extreme stuff (where I hike reduces the risk of broken limbs and other trauma to an acceptably low risk, I believe.)