I have the Kaibab HD and Razor HD, the Razor HD is MUCH better glass in my opinion than what is in the Kaibabs. I think if you are trying to cut weight, I'd go with the Razor HD 12x50 and not look back. For me, I don't feel like the edge clarity is there on Kaibabs so I have recently upgraded to...
I've been using Core 4, which has been very impressive. I recently picked up a complete set of Sitka gear, and it's NICE! Between the two I'd give the nod to Sitka, but Core 4 is not far behind.
I've got a couple different tripods I use. The Slik Sprint Pro II is a good tripod, I just don't like the short handles it comes with, but it is pretty light. I also use the Culmann Magnesit but it's rather heavy, but very stable.