Yeah, I carry only what I need to be comfortable. I could survive on less, but at much under 12 pounds of gear and clothes the law of diminishing returns starts to set in. And yet I keep trimming the list...

The thing is that while I could probably get down to some really crazy light gear weight, like under 5 pounds, I would miss things and the difference between 12 pounds of gear and 5 pounds of gear is pretty small as far as how it impacts the ride. I figure that at 12 pounds I have everything I need for comfort and while I could still drop a bit more, I am pretty close to a sweet spot for me. A couple items could still be replaced with lighter ones, but we are not talking much reduction without skipping things I would miss.

On the stove thing...
I can't see leaving the stove home and scrounging one. While I am sure that works fine, my stove and pot stand weigh 0.5 ounces, so I don't really see it as worth bothering to improvise one to save half an ounce. Going "no cook" on the other hand saves a lot more weight because the whole 9 ounce cooking and eating kit can stay home and there is no need to carry a 12 ounce bottle of Heet.