I don't mind the weight of the spray skirt; it's not really all that much.  The real trick is learning to peel the halves back before you portage & then putting them back on again after you get to the other side... efficiently & in a reasonable time frame.  When I'm portaging, I'm hustling.  So, I typically won't use my spray skirt during the summer months. 

Yeah, they're a bit pricey, too, but their value seems to rise proportionately with the size of those mid-lake rollers that can side-swipe you in mid to late May.  An added benefit is how surprisingly warm it can stay under that skirt, even when the weather is quite chilly.  Anyway, that's how I'm rationalizing all the dough I handed over to Dan Cooke and I"m sticking to it (at least when my wife reminds me of all of my play toys).

Jiimbo   8-)