@Daaark: Yes, sorry. But as soon as you accept that you don't need to carry that much items around (and spend some skillpoints on strength) it's not so bad anymore.
The interface, especially the handling of the inventory, is of course something that I would change in a version 2.

The only issue here is that my fights are lasting so long that several of my items are wearing out over the course of the fight, and I have to eat multiple food items. It seems that most of my fights go 60 turns, with 50 of them being misses.

@Daaark, perhaps you can "flee" from such tedious fights and try to find better weapons (or even magic) before coming back? May not work always, but long fights come from bad dexterity (so the chance to hit is low), and knives and swords usually add some points to dexterity.
And some enemies are harder than others in this regard. Monstermoles seem to be some of the easiest at the beginning, while goblins and hyenas can be very dangerous. Try to find a bow or even a magic missile and use it as long as possible (i.e. as long as the enemy isn't near or even can't reach you because of obstacles and abysses). Magic scrolls, even if you cannot identify them because of low intelligence, are always positive; while a potion may be poison, so be careful.