Travel and Minimalist Living
How much stuff do you really need? Probably not a lot. I got to find out how little I could get by with over 18 months of travelling and being nomadic.
What’s “essential” varies from person to person but most people’s basic day-to-day needs are likely to be met with clean clothes, toiletries, a smartphone and a few other bits.
Here’s what I had with me:
- Large travel backpack with detachable daypack. This was my checked luggage. Around 15kg
- Large holdall. Hand luggage, around 8kg
- Small camera bag (more a day bag than for just camera)
- Enough clothes for a full week including layers for colder climates.
- Waxed cotton jacket
- Hiking boots, walking shoes and canvas trainers
- Waterproof outer shell, hiking trousers, thermal mid layer
- Compact umbrella
- Running shoes, top, shorts and belt
- Phone and old phone in luggage as backup
- 13” laptop with charger
- 2 x universal adaptors with USB ports
- Cables, including HDMI to plug laptop into hotel/Airbnb TVs
- Kindle
- Power banks (large one and a pocket sized too)
- Headphones.
- Compact travel towel (important)
- Toiletries bag with medicines, first aid items, beard trimmer, razor, scissors, comb etc
- Travel wallet on chain
- Wet wipes and tissues
- Wax shoe polish, small brush and cloth
- Sketch pad and pencils
That was spread across the 65 litre backpack and holdall. That’s all I took and all I needed. Here’s how I got on with all that and what I learned.
Comfortable and practical clothing, pieces which worked in various combinations and could be layered. I’d packed for all seasons since the trip was open ended and I only knew a few weeks in advance where I would be next. Hiking boots and walking shoes doubled as smart casual footwear in cities/towns. Wore jeans or shorts depending on weather. For colder climates I had a thermal mid layer and a Fair Isle jumper — I’d left London during a cold snap, mid December 2022. Flew to New Zealand where it was the start of summer, so I didn’t need it again until Melbourne in May for winter. The coldest days averaged 5° (with windchill). The state of Victoria has a comfortingly European climate — I didn’t go to Australia for beaches.
Here I am in Melbourne with my waxed cotton jacket, Fair Isle jumper and hat. The first two folded in my backpack for five months. The green felt fedora I obtained on the road in Sydney. Hard to remember a time before the hat.
Hiking gear was useful in New Zealand (Abel Tasman, Tongariro Alpine Crossing), also in Australia’s red centre (Macdonnell Ranges), and many other places. The waterproof outer shell helped when I decided to venture out in the middle of a typhoon in Osaka (also used during a cyclone in New Zealand). Sadly I’d stashed my water repellent hiking trousers in Melbourne so only dry from the waist up!
Laundry always felt pressing. I’d need to do it weekly, sometimes more in hot and humid places. Usually based on how many pairs of clean underwear were left! Depending on how much I wanted to spend and where I happened to be, I’d either use a laundry service (drop off and collect), or find a launderette and do it myself. A good excuse to slow down, do some reading or research places to check out. Hobart, Tasmania has a great laundry cafe. Most hotels offer washing services but usually priced per item which works out very expensive. When I had my own place, Airbnb etc, and it came with a washing machine, I’d fall to my knees and give thanks to the laundry gods.
I also had running gear — shoes, belt, tops, shorts and socks. Apart from the shoes it didn’t take up much space. Running is a great way to explore new places, a run/explore on the first day was exciting! You never see a place the same way as that first time. Also let me get a new place “under my feet” quickly. Of course it helps with keeping fit too. I did three runs a week and bodyweight exercises (push ups and squats) on alternate days. On top of that I’d average 20 km of walking while exploring, sometimes cycling too depending on traffic conditions and availability of bike rental/sharing. All this helped burn off all the food and drink while keeping me fit enough to carry my luggage around between places. Useful for when I had to dash for a connecting flight or train after a delay! Also why a trolley suitcase was a no-no — slow and unwieldy.
Post-run in Taiwan.
My day bag was the Billingham Hadley Small, a camera bag I’d had for a few years. It fits into the holdall when travelling. “It” isn’t right. “Him.” I named (and gendered) him. “Billy.” My constant travel companion. Sitting opposite me in cafes and restaurants, wearing my hat (he’d say his hat). Staring at me with his little beady eyes. Billy featured heavily on my Instagram story feed, usually glowering or sulking at me for anthropomorphising him. On the move, Billy was crossed over my shoulder as we went adventuring — walking or cycling around cities or quad biking through waterfalls in Bali. When I had a car accident in Australia and climbed vertically out of the wreck, I dragged Billy out along with me without a second thought.
Here’s Billy having a rare quiet moment.
Billy carried my camera (Fuji X100T), headphones, Kindle, power banks, clip-on sunglasses and other bits I needed on the go. Power banks were crucial especially since I took so many photos and videos and frequently posted almost real-time. I made sure to keep them charged up overnight, the universal adaptors with USB ports were invaluable.
I read a lot on the road (love reading on trains). My old Kindle was loaded with hundreds of books. I still prefer paper books and would occasionally get one but then leave it somewhere for someone else to enjoy. There was a limit to how much I could comfortably take with me and lug around.
Items acquired on the road weigh you down, figuratively and literally. I’d be carrying them with me, or trying to figure out where to leave them, whether to post them somewhere (I did this once after a few months in Melbourne. Costly). Keeping an eye on luggage capacity and weight is crucial to keeping light. I stuck to 15kg for the backpack and around 8kg for the holdall. Adjusted properly it wasn’t uncomfortable to walk with both for up to 30 minutes at a time, even with hills — Wellington comes to mind!
By far my most important item was my phone, an iPhone 14 Pro. For all the usual stuff — messaging, email, maps, photos etc. Has a great camera and I used my actual camera less and less as time went on. I also started doing more of my travel planning on the go on the phone. Initially I’d been doing that on a laptop, sitting down somewhere, consulting my travel planning document. I kept a Google Doc where I would add trips — lines added chronologically with dates, booking reference numbers and other important information. Updated at the point of booking or making changes. The idea was to have a single at a glance reference for everything. I would also save accommodation and other important locations in Google Maps beforehand. Upon arrival at a new destination I could easily find the address of where I was staying, paste it into a ride hailing app or navigate via public transport. A bit of discipline and rigour around this and it felt like someone else had done all the hard work in advance. I’d also make sure my calendar was updated and that I’d taken time zones into account. Also important to know the local emergency services number. Preparation pays off.
Installing apps for local public transport can be useful, but these can vary and I found Google Maps was fairly well integrated with local public transport everywhere I went — some places even showing real-time passenger levels (Tokyo). Trying local ride hailing or bike sharing schemes is also a good idea. The YouBike app used across major cities in Taiwan worked great and was an easy, quick, cheap way to get around.
Having a phone which supported eSIM was a must, saving the time and hassle of dealing with physical SIM cards. I used the Airalo app to purchase an eSIM for the country I was heading to just before flying. Upon landing I’d have full data — connectivity and data were not things I wanted to have to think about or ration. Similarly, for easy payments in different currencies I used Wise — virtual cards, low conversion fees. I had a few physical cards too for ATM withdrawals. I’d go cashless whenever possible depending on country (in Australia I didn’t see any cash at all until I started volunteering in a charity shop!). When I did get cash it would be about £100 worth at a time, usually upon landing and kept in a travel wallet on a chain for added security. Wise also let me top-up money from my current account within moments and also let me receive money in different currencies with “pots.” Those acted like local bank accounts with details I could pass onto people. Handy when I needed the deposit returned on the place I’d rented in Melbourne. That took care of all my international financial needs. Additionally, I’d made sure that my current account and credit cards were with internet-first banks making it easy to resolve any issues online. Asynchronous chat beats waiting on real-time phone calls.
Being on the move so much, sometimes a week a place or less, I knew the importance of a system for packing and unpacking to save time and stress. Some people recommended packing cubes/organisers but I found I didn’t need those. I decided on where everything went and stuck to it — items went back into the same pocket or compartment they’d been taken out from. Clothes were always packed in a certain order. Unpacking and packing became something I could do in under 10 minutes, everything back in its place and ready to go without any anxiety about anything being left behind. No last minute confusion or searching around for that one cable or adaptor. The key is to have a system, stick to it and be consistent. Same goes for how things are laid out when unpacking.
I also packed with some redundancy between my two large pieces of luggage. The backpack would be checked in on flights, the holdall would come on the plane with me. Essential items would be split between both, i.e. adaptors and cables. Valuables would stay on my person or in the holdall, e.g. laptop. I had a Tile tracking device in the holdall. The spare backup phone would be in the checked luggage. Main phone had cloud backup turned on so if it was lost I could restore onto the spare phone.
It helps to do some scenario planning ahead of time, imagining if luggage or individual items are lost or stolen (luckily neither happened to me).
All the items I took with me were things I already owned. I didn’t have to buy anything new. They were high quality items made to last. That matters, especially with luggage and footwear. Especially when maintained and taken care of — take care of your things and they will take care of you. I had a few repairs done on the road, the backpack had its straps repaired twice. Jeans had a tear patched up. All easily done in most places. The key is to research and get the best you can, the extra money will be worth it. It’s an investment, see Vimes boots theory.
I took my watch with me too. I was a little reluctant at first, being overprotective, but it’s meant to be worn and used. The Omega Speedmaster Professional, or “moonwatch”, used on the Apollo missions and worn on the moon. I’d had mine for 5 years and loved winding it every morning. It had to come with me! I kept it on a simple NATO strap. It made a great conversation piece in many places. I have yet to wear it on the moon.
For accommodation I looked for places that were private, quiet and had a fridge and microwave. A washing machine or laundry facilities nearby too. That was my minimum. If I was staying longer I’d want a bit more, for short stays a small hotel room would suffice. My hostelling days are long over.
Grooming was important and I had my full beard maintenance kit with me. I don’t have sensitive skin and didn’t need shaving cream or lotions, just using whatever hand soap or wash happened to be there.
I was a nomad, not a bum. If you’re going to have a beard then maintain it.
I got back to the UK around four months ago but kept moving around, coming and going. I was finally able to access the rest of my possessions again for the first time in 14 months, giving me the opportunity to repack and leave some things behind — took some short trips around the UK and Europe. My initial packing had been pretty sensible but I found I’d hardly worn the canvas trainers and the boots weren’t actually needed that much either. So the walking and running shoes were fine for most situations. The rest of the packing list remained mostly unchanged.
Times when I’ve had a base have allowed me to leave things behind, travelling lighter with just the backpack and Billy, ditching the holdall. I got very good at repacking quickly based on a number of “configurations” I’d developed depending on the type of trip, climate etc. Kind of like quick changing equipment sets on a video game character.
Being back and having access to all my possessions hasn’t really changed anything. I’m still mostly sticking to what I had on the road. I still put folded laundry in the backpack and until I decide on somewhere more permanent to settle there’s no need to change that. I like living minimally and the mindset that goes with it. Although I currently have no plans, knowing I can be on the road again within 15 minutes is quite liberating. It’s also good to know that when I do move into a more permanent place all I need to take is what I’ve had the last 18 months (to start with).
There were a few times on the road when it might have been nice to have one of my jackets, or a pair of loafers or oxfords, e.g. a nice cocktail bar (I did end up buying a nice jacket and shoes for a wedding in the Sydney Opera House). But I didn’t really miss anything and quickly became comfortable with my “adventure kit.” I’d forged a new look and identity. I was an adventurer. A nomad.
I wonder if this minimalist outlook will change if I stop adventuring? Whether it’s a state of mind or more just a necessity of travel. Time will tell. I’ve never really had that much stuff anyway, always being a bit of an anti-hoarder. Not wanting to be weighed down by things, having regular clear outs. Available space can and does fill up. I’ve also preferred accommodation as an all inclusive service, one of the reasons why I’ve always rented fully furnished and not bought my own place (that may change).
Minimalism is about keeping only those possessions which enrich and give meaning to your life, as well as utility. The items you build a relationship with, that go on your journey and become a part of your story. Each of mine bring me joy.
The mindset shift to living minimally also extends to my writing. I’ve become comfortable writing long posts, like this one, while sitting in a cafe or on public transport. Drafting and editing on my phone, making notes while walking. The phone, Kindle and headphones are all I need to keep me occupied anywhere these days. I noticed this change while in an Airbnb in Margate a few months ago. Looking around and realising I didn’t need a whole flat as I was spending all my time either outdoors, sitting in one spot in the flat or sleeping. Although a TV is nice occasionally. I’ve rarely needed a full kitchen either, preferring healthy ready meals or eating out.
I hope these habits remain. Being able to organise or do admin on the move and find focus to read and write virtually anywhere. I was already quite good at some of that but it’s better now. Effortless.
In many ways the internal journey I went on is far more interesting than the geographic one. But then that was the point.
I’ve always been a bit nomadic and minimalist. So this wasn’t too much of a stretch for me.
How would you fare? How little could you get by with? What would you miss?
