7 Secrets: Embracing Minimalist Travel and Packing

Embrace Minimalist Travel Through Minimalist Packing

To become a minimalist traveler you’ll need to learn minimalist packing, but why would anyone want to do this? Easy. There are actually numerous reasons why you’d want to turn to a life of minimalism and especially minimalist travel.

First of all, it’s time consuming to compile and pack multiple bags and suit cases. How many times do you catch yourself staring at your luggage frantically going over and over in your head “I hope I’m not forgetting anything.”

Next, you have to move ALL of that luggage from one place to the next until you reach a place you can safely store it.

And don’t even get me started on airport frustrations with multiple bags! I’ll be diving into specifics in a bit.

To sum it up, packing too much stresses you out, hindering those otherwise incredible experiences and sweet memories of travel.

The simple solution is minimalist packing and travel.

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1. Start with a Minimalist Mindset

Minimalism boils down to living with absolute essentials. This is minimalism in it’s purest and most extreme form and many don’t abide by this wholly. Instead people use this as a guideline to help regulate their consumption of products and space.

This concept is better known as Minimalist Living, intentions that are set so one can focus more energy on living life rather than things.

If you think about it, much of the stress we feel is tied to objects with an emotional or financial value. For each physical item you can let go is one less thing to worry about now or in the future.

Here are some basic, yet powerful examples:

• Less Dishes – Less Time and Resources Cleaning
• Fewer Clothes – Less Time and Resources on Laundry
• Lighter Luggage – Less Weight with Cash Savings
• Less Valuables – Less Financial Burdens

So on and so forth.

It’s an incredibly freeing feeling to live with less. Quite simply, if you don’t use it you can afford to lose it. As a self aware gear enthusiast it’s too easy to get caught up in a buying, trying, and collecting mentality.

Especially with a “What if?” mindset.

We’re bombarded with opportunities to buy virtually 24 hours a day from TV, radio, billboards, bus stops, to signs, computers, and of course social media and our very own smart phones.

Being a minimalist doesn’t mean you can’t buy new things and enjoy all that brings you usefulness or joy, but it means setting ground rules to how you buy and keep things so you can stay focused on living life’s experiences.

So How Does This Correlate to Minimalist Travel?

Minimalist travel is probably one of the best scenarios to exemplify the benefits of being minimal.

When we don’t have a secure place for safe storage, such as a home or car, we have to solely rely on our person to manage and carry physical things. The more value each item has the more stressed we get about traveling with or keeping these things safe.

You can only carry so much before you become stressed about how you’re going to move your stuff from place to place.

Airport Frustrations with TOO MUCH Luggage:

• Waiting in lines to pay EXTRA for checked bags
• Having multiple bags searched and ran through airport security
• Needing someone to sit and watch your bags so they’re never left alone
• Continuing to wait in lines at the baggage claim after landing
• More opportunities for things to be stolen or forgotten

Fun way to start your adventure right?

You can’t fully relax or even begin your trip until you’ve stored all the extra weight in a safe place.

What I’m saying is that you should ditch the checked bags for 1 simple carry on.

No need to make your first stop a Hotel, but instead you can start hitting the city, grab a beer and bite to eat, start talking to the locals, and more.

So now that you know what being minimal is all about, let’s explore the elements of Minimal Travel!

2. Use a Smaller Pack for Minimalist Packing

A smaller pack? Crazy right? If you’re used to 2 Carry On Items and Checked Luggage this may seem impossible at first, but I promise you this idea of minimalist travel will change the way you experience the world.

It’s been internationally recognized that a 40 Liter Backpack will be accepted as a Carry On Bag on just about every airline world wide.

2 Issues with Bags Over 40 Liters:

1. Airline restrictions may require you to check the bag
2. A larger bag may be an outright burden to travel with

If you start with a smaller bag you have no room to bring extra things you don’t need and will limit the amount of weight on your back.

There are growing numbers of well thought out travel backpacks on the market catering specifically to Minimalist Travel.

After countless hours of research and video reviews we’ve found and fallen in love with the REI Co-op Ruckpack 40. Shelby and I both own and use this pack all the time.

This is our go to pack when we fly and travel minimally. You can read all about this packs awesome features along with a couple other worthy contenders under our post Top 3 International Travel Backpacks for Minimalist Travelers.

Showing up to the airport with nothing but a single backpack on just seems unfair when looking at all the people around us scrambling and stressing about their multiple pieces of luggage.

Why We Love Minimalist Travel with a 40 Liter Backpack

• Only 1 Bag to Keep Track Of
• Have Everything You Need on Your Back
• No Checked Bags Saving Time and Money
• Fly through Airport Security (pun intended)
• No Luggage Supervision Required
• Easily Move Around the Airport
• Boarding a Plane is a Breeze
• Easily Fits in Overhead Compartments
• In Many Cases, Fits Under the Seat
• No More Waiting at the Baggage Claim
• Land and Enjoy Your Trip Immediately!

The REI Co-op Ruckpack 40 has single handedly shaped the way we approach our travels and how we experience the world.

So how do we do it? How does one person live out of one 40 Liter backpack? Great questions and we’re going to break it all down for you.

3. Know Where You’re Going

You’ve picked the destination, but how do you adequately prepare for a place you’ve never been? The seemingly logical approach is to prepare for any scenario. This is where (myself included) people tend to go overboard with packing.

A mindset of “I have to be prepared for any situation” ensues and that means a lot of items you’ll end up never using or you might use just once.

So let’s skip these needless items by incorporating the following:

• Know what season your destination is experiencing
• Check the weather forecast for the dates you’re visiting
• Understand what types of terrain you’ll be traversing
• Have an idea of what activities you’ll be doing

Answers to the above will aid you in minimalist packing by eliminating items that are just extra. Do this and you’ll be well on your way to minimalist travel.

4. Minimalist Packing Involves Minimal Clothing

If your goal is to experience more than you’ll want to bring less of everything, including clothing. For many of us it’s natural to want to bring several garments and footwear to stylize and accommodate for different occasions, but the truth is we often wear much less than we bring.

To minimize the clothes we pack takes a slight change in travel routine. Many of us don’t think to wash our clothes while we travel, but this is a quick and effective way to bring less and experience more.

We make it a point to use earthy and neutral colors so we can easily mix and match the few garments we do bring.

Here’s what we pack for Spring, Summer, and Early Fall:

Nathan (His)

• pRana Stretch Zion Pants – Mens x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Columbia Grander Marlin Offshore Shorts x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Smartwool Merino 150 Base Layer T-Shirt x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Mountain Hardwear Canyon Shirt x1 – Dressy, Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Icebreaker Anatomica Boxer Briefs with Fly x2 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Darn Tough Synthetic Wool Blend Socks x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• REI Co-op Revelcloud II Jacket – Mens x1 – Casual, Active
• Merrell Ontario 85 Mid Waterproof x1 – Casual, Active
• Rainbow Sandals Premier Leather Single Layer Flip-Flops x1 – Casual
• The North Face Mudder Trucker Hat x1 – Casual, Active

Shelby (Hers)

• prAna Halle Pants – Women’s x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• The North Face Aphrodite 2.0 Shorts x1 – Casual, Active
• Icebreaker Siren Base Layer Tank Top x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Spaghetti Strap Top x2 – Dressy, Casual
• Icebreaker Siren Merino Underwear x2 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• Darn Tough Synthetic Wool Blend Socks – Womens x1 – Casual, Active, Quick Dry
• REI Co-op Revelcloud II Jacket – Womens x1 – Casual, Active
• Rainbow Sandals Premier Leather Flirty Braidy Flip-Flops x1 – Casual

Unless you’re into extreme diving you probably won’t need a bathing suit in the middle of an icy winter. A heavy 750 fill power puff jacket will probably never get worn in a hot place like Death Valley during Summer.

Being intentional about what you bring based on where you’re going will greatly impact how you approach minimalist packing.

Shelby and I use a lot of wool and synthetic fiber based clothing because they hardly pick up any odors, can be worn multiple times between washes, can easily be washed in a sink with some simple soap, and all dry very quickly.

All of these technical features mean we can go multiple days with just a wash in between using just a few garments.

It’s incredible!

HERE’S HOW WE PACK OUR CLOTHES

We use Compression Packing Cubes to minimize the footprint of our clothes and maximize the space in our packs. You simply fold and roll up your shirts, pants, underwear, and socks. If you have a puff jacket, that too will compress into virtually nothing.

Fit all your rolled garments into a packing cube and zip it up! Now use the exterior zipper to compress your clothes down into a much smaller package.

Regular packing cubes that don’t compress stray away from minimalist travel, so we’d never recommend cubes without compression.

Simply slip it into your pack and BAM, all your clothes are in one simple, compressed cube!

5. Only Choose Toiletry Essentials

Human’s can be “extra” with just about anything and toiletries easily get out of control between make up, product, sanitation, and other miscellaneous things.

We approach toiletries just like we approach all minimalist packing; start with a smaller bag. Believe it or not, I’ve spent hours researching the perfect toiletry bag and I was blown away by the sheer size of some of these toiletry bags on the market. We’re talking 12+ inches on each side, fitting full size shampoo and conditioner bottles.

NO THANK YOU!!

It’s no surprise I ended up with the Sea to Summit Travelling Light Hanging Toiletry Bag.

It comes in 2 sizes, small and large. And you guessed it, I opted for small. Working within constraints maximizes your efforts towards minimalist travel.

The bigger the bag, the more you can (will) pack.

At least that’s what we always end up doing.

TOILETRY ESSENTIALS (TRAVEL SIZE)

• Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
• Bar Soap/Body Wash
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Hand Sanitizer
• GUM Travel Toothbrush
• Tooth Paste
• Floss
• Deodorant
• Tweezers
• Nail Clippers
• Brush
• Sunscreen
• Lip Balm
• Ibuprofen

For us the items above are the bare minimum and will all get used in a single trip whether it be an over-nighter or a week long adventure. Of course some situational factors will add or subtract from this list so do follow your own personal health regime.

For Shelby, she needs allergy medication, contacts, contact solution, and of course occasional feminine care products.

6. Select The Right Tech

Screens, screens, and more screens! Smart Phones, Tablets, Notebooks, and Laptops can all be found in a single backpack or suitcase. But is all of that really necessary?

If you’re traveling to experience people and places than I’d say that you can probably survive with just a smart phone, but be intentional with your choices!

While our smart phones get larger and feel more like tablets, a larger screen is a larger screen and more can be done. Evaluate what kind of travel you’re doing, where you’ll be visiting, and where you’ll be sleeping.

If there’s no service or wifi connection then all you have is dead weight.

Putting your phone down and turning away from technology while you travel will help you interact with locals more and find deeper meaning in your experiences abroad. But we didn’t need to tell you that, right? Food for thought. And do eat the local food.

With that said we each carry our phones and have one laptop for information and entertainment at the end of a long day out.

When traveling you must be conscious of international rates, roaming fees, wifi charges, and other circumstances that may make the use of your tech expensive, difficult, or just flat out impossible.

MINIMALIST TRAVEL TECH LIST

• Smart Phone
• Dual USB Charger
• USB Cable x2
• Solar Power Bank
• Laptop Computer
• Laptop Power Block
• Anker Soundcore Mini Bluetooth Speaker

The Bluetooth speaker is a bit extra, but takes up little space and Shelby and I both love our music. Again, the whole point is bringing what you’ll actually use and/or enjoy.

7. Consider Less Glass for Photography

In short, shoot with your smart phone! Taking the time to learn the camera on your smart phone is invaluable. You’ll be surprised how far phone camera technology has come when you shoot within it’s limits.

Although, if you’re like me and shoot amateur or professional photography, you’ve already made up your mind and you’re shooting with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera setup. Doesn’t quite fit into minimalist travel, but hey guidelines right?

In this case, all I can say is what I’ve been saying all along.

Less is more.

It’s easy to get caught up in massive camera bag full of nifty prime lenses covering all focal lengths, but this is a cumbersome undertaking when it comes to travel.

REASONS TO BRING LESS GLASS

1. It’s a LOT of expensive eggs in one basket.
2. Constant lens swaps in the field can grab unwanted attention and potential theft.
3. Oh yeah, lots of Glass would be…not so minimal

Two notable lenses for travel are the 35mm Prime and 24-70mm Zoom. Each of these lenses can cover both your landscape and portrait shots alone. The prime is faster and will give you lower light capabilities while the zoom will give you the convenience of a wide to mid telephoto range.

Either way just bring one of these lenses mounted on your choice camera body and you’ll be a happy camper.

If you must have a full range of focal lengths than I highly recommend you look into my post on The Holy Trinity of Zoom Lenses: 3 to Rule Them All.

For photographers seeking minimal packing then these 3 lenses will cover just about any kind of shooting you can think of between 14 and 200 millimeter focal lengths.

If you’re a serious Travel Photographer then you’ll definitely want to brush up on this list of 16 Pieces of Gear You Need for Travel Photography. Don’t worry, all these pieces of gear fit into one normal size camera bag. Minimal enough, right?

Lastly, Don’t Forget Everything Else

We’ve covered Clothing, Toiletries, Technology, Photography, and now we’ll review Everything Else. Some of these items may be extra to you, but essential for me and vice versa.

Everyone’s list will look a bit different dependent on your rituals and routines.

NATHAN’S EVERYDAY CARRY

• Keys – home, car, locks
• Watch – time, date, alarms
• Wallet – cash, credit/debit cards
• Passport – international travel and ID
• Rite in the Rain Notebook – notes, directions, thoughts, etc.
• Fisher-Space-Pen-Miliatry-Pen – notes, signing
• Flash Light– hostels, night walks, looking through bags
• Hydro Flask – reusable water bottle, reduce plastic waste
• Handkerchief – multi-use – napkin, tissue, sweat, etc.
• Titanium Spork – reusable utensil, reduce plastic waste
• Multi-Tool Carabiner – tools for our camera, bottle opener

My extras are essentially tools I use almost everyday and collectively they don’t take up too much space. If you find yourself carrying things for days without use, it may be time to reconsider whether or not they’re worth traveling with.

Each item on this list is intentional and serves a purpose that is exercised regularly.

By Following These Tips, You’re On Your Way to Minimalist Packing

So there you have it! Being conscious about what you bring will dramatically affect the way you experience travel. Use a smaller backpack, bring less clothes, wash them abroad, minimize your electronics, refine your everyday carry items, and when in doubt, leave it out!

Also, just remember that being minimal is a mindset and there’s no concrete rules as to how to use bits and pieces of this strategy to benefit your life. If it feels right, then bring it!

A lot of this is just experience. The more you travel the more you’ll see the different pain points of different items. I used to convince myself that I’d read a book during travel or listen to music with headphones.

Turns out 9/10 times I’d do neither. Mainly because I have my adventure buddy at all times, but those are 2 real things that ended up being dead weight.

Be sure to weigh expectations versus reality and you’ll be good to go.

Are you already a minimalist traveler? Are there any minimalist packing methods or points we missed in this article? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

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