Well, okay, there's alternative redundancy and then there's outright duplication. If given the choice, the preference should always lean toward multi taskers, although bear in mind that also almost always means a compromise in functionality.

As I learned in Baghdad (origin of the parable about the straw and the camel's back??), after donning 50+ lbs of armor in 100+ degrees, the weight of the gear bag is so critical I would consider breaking my wooden pencil in half or more to lighten the load.