It is always about trade-offs and wants vs needs. Comfort on trail vs comfort in camp. Food as gormet vs food as sustanence. In most cases, more expensive gear to save weight vs cheaper gear that weighs more. I also think attitude has a lot to do with it. How much of your psychologic comfort (safety zone) is tied up with material things. Do you panic if you do not have "emergency" food or always extra water? Do you have enough experience to know your real survival needs? Are you able to fully engage in the wilderness 24-7 or do you need electronic gagets or reading material to stay engaged? One thing is for sure-- no matter what your age, size, sex or physical shape-- a lighter pack on your back will allow you to walk more comfortably and go farther each day. You may be "comfortable" with 50 pounds, but you will be MORE comfortable with 20 pounds. It is not All about gear be it big "three", "Four" or whatever. I think a good starting point is the old rule of thumb "1/3 your lean body weight" . Then with experience you can begin to cut that down. Whether you ever become an "ultra-light" backpacker is an individual matter.