The word is out. OP has been declared a heretic by the pannier zealots. He may walk on two wheels, but he's no doubt still dragging those knuckles. BTW, since we're on the topic of weight, I wonder if he's heavier than a duck? Burn him!!!

Seriously now, WO2W -- I hear you, 5 lbs matters to you, particularly given your bike-stairmaster bonus work. And running against the prevailing pannier winds is a good thing because nothing works for everybody and someone else out there needed to hear that, so good thread. As Chipcom says, whatever works for you. I won't be worrying whether my panniers weigh 3 or 4 lbs or sweating the fabric density (other than its durability), but those are points that came up along the way, not in your post, and you may not be either. Speaking of which, not every comment in here about weight being a secondary issue (mine included) was critical of your position.