I went light once. Skirt, sneakers, utility vest, modded purse so that it was zero enc. and lower storage than a vest (so I could have done better with another vest), tank top, holster, cotton hat, eyeglasses, ski goggles (to protect the glasses). I learned to run very light. Weapon in-hand, bottle of tequila, Adderall (always carry it, always), strongest painkiller available, first aid kit, one bottle water, one MRE-Beef, and sometimes one handgun, with or without spare ammo. That leaves a few extra volume slots, especially once you get some CBMs and can get internal storage. I got to end-game just fine, I was hitting electronics stores, piling all the stuff on one tile, and crafting it all into CBM: Battery, and carry a few rarer components if I felt like it to the next store. I got some pretty good power rating and hundreds of kills, until one fast zombie rushed me and exploded a landmine on me. I raged so hard...
The trick to traveling light is to realize that military surplus stores will keep you alive for days at a time, and that gas stations are a godsend. Hold up for the night/day, drink toilet water, vomit food poisoning, wait until dawn/dusk, and you're good to go with the poison wearing off and full thirst! Pop some pretzels before you drink the toilet as well. Your bottled water and MREs are mainly for emergency use and when you're diving into labs. Although for labs, just bring an MRE or two, they always have tons of water.
The main thing, I guess, is learning how to forage. Don't store, just eat and move on. You can get along perfectly well without carrying a single food item if you're smart. Just remember where the stores are and what your schedule is.