You can get some that are pretty light if you are concerned about carrying the extra weight. As for me I would much rather have it and never need it than need it and not have it. I would think that it would be next to impossible to improvise a pair of pliers or screwdriver in the wild and the file has served me well in several instances also. Before heading out the door, I usually grab my Leatherman first. The tools are like a fixed-blade or a pickup truck for that matter - you usually aren't going to need them all the time, but when you need them nothing else will do the job as effectively.