Elm hit a good point that I started really started paying attention to this year-- check what your partner has. It sounds stupid, but so often, we would get to the base of a climb and my buddy had decided to grab piece of gear x "just because" so we had 18 screws, 4 or 5 which were dull but we packed in because, why not.
Also, try a smaller pack. A bigger one just gets filled with more and more. Some of the ultralight stuff sacrifices comfort for weight. So it may be worth the extra half pound if a bag is more comfortable and allows you to move more easily. But counteract this by getting a bag just big enough for what you need without space for lots of extras like a wardrobe of cotton t-shirts. I barely fit my gear with my helmet flopping around on the outside(I think this would be classified as a jerk alert and makes me unsafe according to an article in another post). I may have gone a tad too small, but I can't over-pack. I use that pack for a car to car trip like shoe-string or up willard and walking back to the car. I have a more comfy pack that allows me to haul anything and everything I could need pluis a big camera and whatever else. This gets pulled out for days when I'm doing multi-pitches but returning to my big bag. With it goes a $20 bag from REI that is basically a stuff sack with straps and a built in sleeve inside. I cram belay gloves, my poofy (I only own a huge one so that is a hit on space and weight), .5L of water, a bar, and a headlamp in there and use that for the climb. This system is super light for the actual climb and lets me sort gear in case I want a thermos of tea at the base or want to take a bit more in to the base.
LL- For us old guys who remember the show "In Living Color," there was a recurring skit of a guy in prison who tried to use a very large vocabulary, but never actually never used the words correctly. When you try to explain things in depth, you're that guy. Keep it simple as you can have good ideas on things.