For me there has always been a weight bounce. I could reduce my base weight to X, but it would bounce back up to X+15%. But the X+ weight has always been less than the orginal. Expect the bounce.

Some light weight gear has less fiddle factor than the heavy gear. My whoopies hammock suspension system is lighter and more convenient than the webbing it replaced. My alcohol stove is lighter, cheaper and more convenient than the MSR Dragonfly it replaced.

In Colorado the water is clear so I seldom use a filter, but when I do I use a Coghlans bucket to gather the water then hang it from a tree and filter in camp. I never learned the skill of sitting on a stream bank without getting wet.

Use what ever gear you need to create the experience you seek.