I think safety and comfort are often sacrificed to save weight. To me carrying a Swiss Army "classic" knife is a good example of sacrificing actual utility for weight saving. Indeed, you can open packaging with a classic or cut a length of cord. What you cannot do with a SAK classic is split wood to get to the dry parts to start a fire in an emergency. True, could be a rare occurrence and may never happen to you but it has happened many, many times to other hikers that either survived after some misery or expired to hypothermia because their shelter was inadequate for conditions and they could not start a fire in less than ideal conditions. Of course opinions on this item will vary. I carried a SAK Camper model for years as my only knife but to me, a classic is pushing the limits of actual usefulness.

Lots of other items can fall into this minimal category. Sleeping pads, bags, tents and so on. Often they are at the limit of their capability with little to no margin for weather changes and such.

Balance is the real key and getting it all right is a fine line usually based on lessons learned over multiple trips and years. Myself, I prefer a margin of safety and comfort while trimming some fat from the pack without giving too much up.

Taking a list of recommended ultralight gear and relying on it completely could be a serious mistake for some. It may work for years until that one time the weather does not cooperate or an injury changes the itinerary abruptly.

Good to share thoughts and hopefully stimulate some thought. There is certainly no perfect way to do things but there should be a comfortable and safe solution without packing like a mule.