Totally agree with WD about the greater utility of smaller pieces of pro. Use natural pro whenever feasible. There are some amazingly light climbing strength biners available now. Climbing primarily in the Southwest (especially Arizona) I found bivvy sacks to work very well, even on those "non-solo" occasions.

When I began climbing, the standard rope length was 120 feet, and some of that disappeared in the waist tie-in! Shorter ropes might work very well, although that is one area where I have gladly accepted the weight. When working in Canyon de Chelly, I always carried 20M of 9mm rope, even when just "hiking." It was long enough to be useful on many occasions.