I don't see it that way at all. I have been trekking for about 40 years give or take a few "off" years of not doing it at all. I don't think that my traveling lighter has any thing to do with neccesity. I think that it has more to do with effeciency. The reason that I say that is that I get the same things done, with better gear, trekking that I did 40 years ago, I just do it with about half of the weight.....sabre11004...