This is my feeling as well. My rack weighs under one pound and in exchange gives me the option of carrying a wide range of loads when desired. I consider it well worth its small extra weight even if it were only used on some occasions for carrying some bulkier food items from a nearby town to camp, some wood for a campfire, extra water for crossing a barren stretch, etc. And once I have the rack on the bike I may as well use it to carry as much of my gear as possible instead of having any weight on my back.