Good topic! But I'm a little too over-the-hill for any backpacking although I still go camping a couple times a month. Some of this gear could come in handy even on a regular campout although no worries about weight when hauling stuff around in a truck! Just the same some of this stuff would have been nice to have back in the day!
Ultralight Camping: How to Minimize Your Pack | Get Out: A Guide to Adventure Keeping the weight down makes a lot of sense, but it also means not much in the way of comfort.
Other explanations are just desperate attempts to avoid the truth of the matter. This guy has a different perspective from many hikers, but he has a bunch of useful ideas!
ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING GEAR LIST 2020 | 9 lbs | It's hard to believe that the basic gear could come out to under ten pounds, but it goes to show what can be done with careful gear selection. Of course, you still have to add in the weight of food and the bear spray and any water you carry with you, but even at that you'd stay well under twenty pounds for a two night trip!
Hiking Thru Holland: Ultralight Gear List (2.5 kg/5.4 lbs) It's a good idea to keep it light and this video has a bunch of ideas for how to keep it light!
sierra_jim: I think the problem with ultralight is that it is also ultra expensive and a bit on the flimsy side, but I definitely see why people want to keep the weight down!
Most of it is pretty expensive, but there are lots of hacks to keep the weight down which don't cost much at all and there are lots of websites and videos out there to help you too!