Some of these practices you mention are just plain silly and really don't save any weight!

I gave up cutting off labels when I discovered that (1) the weight difference doesn't even show up on my scale (to nearest 0.1 oz.) and (2) by cutting out labels, information on size, fabric content and laundering instructions are permanently lost. That makes a big difference if I decide later on that I don't want the item and want to sell or donate it! I do notice that more and more companies are printing this info on the fabric instead of using tags. A lot more folk than lightweight backpackers hate tags rubbing the backs of their necks!

I use a travel toothbrush in which the case becomes the handle, no heavier than a regular toothbrush with sawn off handle, but far more effective in reaching my back teeth (the few I have left). Considering the many thousands of $$$$ I've spent on dentistry, I consider any shortcuts in dental hygiene to be pound-foolish! My main weight saving in this area is to use baking soda as a dentifrice--far lighter than toothpaste, doesn't leave residue on the ground after spitting/rinsing, dentist-recommended, and a multiple use item--antacid, paste for insect bites/stings, deodorant.

I have never tried shortening shoelaces or drilling holes in gear. I just wish shoe manufacturers would make shoelaces of a material that, once tied, wouldn't loosen up in the next hour! I don't have any gear items into which I could drill holes even if I wanted to.

I certainly do make weight comparisons when shopping. I get dirty looks whenever I go into REI with my scale! I never rely on manufacturer weights because they are so often understated. On the other hand, there are other factors than weight to consider when making gear choices.

I never was very good at sewing, and since my detached retina surgery I don't have binocular vision closer than 3 feet, so no sewing beyond crude repairs for me. I would love to be able to sew a few items, though! I'd especially like to make packs for my grandkids using the frame and suspension of a Deuter Fox 30 or REI Comet, but replacing the heavyweight bomber-proof bag and gewgaws with a lightweight Dyneema pack bag. While kids need more support structure for their packs, they don't need a pack that is a third to a half of their total load! Kids' gear is an area that the lightweight manufacturers have almost completely neglected.

I always understood the TP argument to be an LNT issue, not a weight issue. I certainly do take TP (although I use paper towel sections, far more absorbent so I need less weight and bulk) and wet wipes. I have medical conditions that require their use. I pack out every scrap. IMHO, yanking up vegetation in sensitive alpine areas to wipe one's posterior is definitely not LNT--almost as bad as leaving the TP behind!

I'm far more concerned over the reflectivity of my guylines than their weight, having tripped over non-reflective guylines in the dark numerous times. It's Kelty Triptease or Gossamer Gear EZC2 for me, even if they are a little heavier. They make it easier to find the tent in the dark, too.

Actually, we do get into a lot of discussions about weight and similar topics here. Sometimes this doesn't happen until several posts down in a topic, but it happens--a lot! You will see more comments from some of us older folks that in some areas we've had to add a little weight to be more comfortable. It does get harder to be comfortable with aging joints!

In some areas, though, the manufacturers really are reducing their weights to meet us--as witness all the insulated air pads under a pound that have come on the market in the last two years (NeoAir, POE Peak Elite AC, the new Exped UL mat, Klymit [speaking of "drilling" holes!], custom mats from KookaBay--even Big Agnes plans to join the fray next year). On the other hand, other manufacturers keep getting heavier (such as GoLite, which needs to change its name to GoHeavier). Those are offset by the "cottage" manufacturers who are consistently making the innovative stuff. Unfortunately, in the race to reduce weight, the really lightweight stuff made now is mostly of cuben fiber, which is too pricy for many of us.

One thing I'd really like to see here is more discussion of the new gear and new "cottage" manufacturers that keep emerging. Much of it is excellent gear that deserves more publicity than it gets on the "other," more extreme lightweight backpacking forum!