It's only the Master Sword which is just an optional key-element in the game whereas the rest of weapons are just there to be used and tossed away. They throw a huge amount of weapons at you, so you are actually never in the position of having no weapons at all.

Who knows why the choose this way. Maybe it would be too much of a pain to loose clothing during hot and cold environments, running around naked and then die because of it. Again, weapons lie everywhere around, maybe they could do the same with clothing, I don't know. There are a lot of stuff to wear already in the game. I just don't really think about it and take the game as it is. I can probably take an unlimited amount of arrows with me seeing I have over 120 arrows already and materials also have no real limit. Maybe 999 for each. There are also bows which can shoot 5 arrows at once by only consuming one. Those are certainly questionable design choices, but I personally have no real issue with them.

So what you're saying is that the lack of durability works just fine for armor, and thus you probably wouldn't miss weapon durability if it wasn't in the game.  Thanks.

Now give the carts tires items that wear out while racing and forces you to stop racing and find new ones.

Now give the guns ammo that runs out encouraging you to find more.

Now give the magic staff manna that runs out encouraging you to find more.

Looks like we're getting somewhere.

1. They cannot acommodate to every single one out there. There will always be someone who will nitpick or don't like certain features in a game. I and most other people on the other hand don't see this mechanic at an issue at all. If you don't like it, then I can't help you. It is like it is. If they would change it to something different, I will bet my ass that other people will still complain about it.

1. Except that the previous system was done, for decades. And worked fine.

2. The old Zelda games had 1-2 swords at most and a few games had some upgrades to it. It is still and foremost an adventure game and not a RPG.  But again, what's the point of exploring if most of the strong weapons are hidden behind not accessable parts of the game and appear later at certain locations you already visited before. This would ruin the exploration aspect. Nintendo wanted to get rid of most limitations you had like linearity. Without breaking the game you had to adjust and add certain mechanics to keep the motivation of exploration in the game high. And for me, it did it. The moment I've acquired a really strong weapon I was full of joy, because the journey was a bit more easier from now on, even if it is only temporarily, but this doesn't have to be the case. You can use the stronger weapons for stronger enemies, and attain their weapons as well. If you waste your good weapons on poor enemies, well, then I can't do much about it. It's your choice.

2. So you're saying you didn't explore every other Zelda game, in the past. Soley because it was gated off? You didn't try to find heart pieces, ruppes, push objects. Us the rumble pack, to find hidden rooms. Get the candle, or find the raft. These are all present in the past games. And makes you explore just fine. BOTW is still linear. Because certain shrines can't be beaten. Unless you have certain health levels, or enough/good weapons. Which would require the inventory upgrades. So it's still forcing to tackle it later. And not when you want to do it. You could tackle these shrines. If, we didn't have the weapon durrability. Because we could last out the entire fight. 

This also causes cumbersome problems that past Zelda games didn't have to worry about. What is the primary role of the game. To figure out puzzles and fight patterns. A lot of these puzzles, you gotta test things. Take statis: You try out boulders in the shrine. But you where doing the wrong thing. You just wasted weapons. You reach the final section. You're out. Now, you're forced to leave, and farm stuff. This breaks pace of your game. In the past Zelda games. This did happen. But, only to arrows and bombs. Pots mitigated force leaving, to help. I'm not complaining that it makes it harder. It doesn't. What BOTW really does. Is a mastery, to waste your time. That's the key to the frustration.

Same goes for boss fights. You first have to figure out what it does. And what to hit. When you finally do. I have to end up dying. So I can get back my weapons. Than reload. Or have to leave and get stuff. Whenever I get into a main fight. And see the heath bar move very little. I abadon the battle. Because, I know I can't win. I don't have enough weapons. So I force a death. I don't even care that I have only 4 hearts. Once I memorize the pattern. I can dodge the one hit kills. I can't dodge weapons being used up. This game design basically wants you to pull up a walkthrough up. Than I know what shrines, to not attempt. Till I have X amount of slots and hearts.

My point was that they already put up "barriers" and  other"levels requirements" for some weapons, so there's no reason to say the game wouldn't work if it had barriers" and  other"levels requirements" for all weapons. The game itself demonstrates a system where a weapon isn't lost due to durability, and it works just fine.

And yes, I know that you have to pay for armor. I'm about 10 hours into the the game. Curious question though. How come armor doesn't have durability and is permanently destroyed like shields are? What is it about Hyrule that blacksmiths can make armor that can withstand thousands of blows, but only make shields that can handle  a few dozen? How come link doesn't have to find new armor everywhere he goes just like he does weapons? How come no one is complaining that armor doesn't degrade like weapons do if it's such a great mechanic?