Seeing this right now also in the "bikepacking"/"gravel" community. Sure, custom bike bags and nice performance wear are comfort-increasing costs, but very quickly things skyrocket away from functional/utilitarian toward things like brand fealty, collective hype, etc. If you drill down, you will usually not be able to justify an expensive part vs a cheaper alternative (esp. used!), except for things like electronic derailleurs, etc.
In the hiking community travelling light has become an obsession for some people. Some going as far as cutting their tooth brush in half just to shave of a few grams. I get spending a fortune on a lightweight tent and gas burner which can save you several kilograms in your backpack, but when you go down to shaving off 10g and less I think it has moved away from the practical over to a hobby in and of itself. Nothing wrong with that of course, just saying.
A late friend of the family was a Presbyterian pastor and an avid hiker. He'd do things like cut the covers off his palm-sized Bible to save a few grams.
