Portable Minimalism — Part 1
Lessons from decades of one-bagging
I like simplicity. Aside from electronics, hiking gear, and sports, I could be a hardcore minimalist.
Unfortunately, my significant other and young child love “stuff” so much, they accumulate it everywhere. They are my universe and I love them without boundaries, so I embrace the quirk.
Conveniently, I also travel regularly. This allows me to be as minimalist as I want when I’m abroad. I pack the bare essentials, sometimes challenging myself to be creative in getting by with less and less.
Since I tend to forget and lose things, keeping track of fewer possessions has virtually eliminated the problem. It also takes me less time to pack and get ready. A win-win situation.
Tools of the trade
The Container
The main one-bag travel enabler is, as you may have guessed, the bag. My portable life fits in a 45L Peak Design Travel Backpack, but there are plenty of other options out there.
Packing Cubes
Lightweight packing cubes make my life easier. I carry 3 of them (M, S, XS), for general clothing, underwear, and dirty laundry. For business trips, I also carry a lightweight garment folder for the more formal outfits.
Capsule Wardrobe
I’ve seen plenty of carefully curated capsule wardrobes online. All the colors match, very business and elegant, made for the beautiful shape of a supermodel. If that’s what you are looking for, there are plenty of resources online. I’m not a supermodel, and I just do not like the style. I’m quite pragmatic about my clothes. If they don’t have a USP, they don’t belong in my closet.
That being said, the wardrobe still has to be office & meeting fit. It must be built in a way that it can be dressed up and down for specific occasions.
In general, I wear mostly Merino wool. It doesn’t stink, washes easily, and dries super fast. I’ll usually carry a dress, leggings, two shirts, a cardigan, and pants. Depending on the trip length, I’ll either carry 2 dresses or 2 pants.
Scarves have contributed dramatically to the reduction of my wardrobe size. I can wear black every day, and use a scarf as an accent. A few scarves do not take up a lot of space and provide the missing puzzle piece of clothing permutation.
As for the underwear, it’s Merino wool as far as my wallet will let me. Smartwool socks and Falke silk & wool panties are my favorites. I recently found some Tencel boxer shorts which are also super comfortable. Tencel stinks more, is heavier, and doesn’t dry as fast as Merino (took 2 days to air dry on my last trip!!!), but it’s a whole lot cheaper.
Worn Clothing
For traveling, I usually wear a pair of lightweight Mountain Hardwear pants, with an Icebreaker Merino shirt and a Patagonia hoody. The hoody is one of the most versatile travel pieces. It acts as a good mid-layer if the weather drops, and it is a flight essential. I’m always cold on a plane and this solves 100% of my problem. Additionally, for Apple AirPods pro users, the hoody ensures that the earbuds will fall off inside the jacket instead of in the airplane seat or floor.
I’m wearing a sleeping mask over the hood. I’m sure it looks incredibly stupid, but I sleep 1000% better when I can’t see the light bleed of a neighboring science fiction movie. “Why over the hood?” you may ask. It simply keeps a harmonious relationship between long hair and AirPods under the hood. I don’t have to worry about it. Sweet dreams.
The Convertible Shirt
This is an interesting one. I sometimes carry a convertible shirt (roll sleeves and button them). It provides an additional top layer and is both short+long sleeve option. Multifunctionality for the win. My favorite is a Columbia Silver Ridge, but there are plenty of options out there.
Shoes
I’m a barefoot shoe fan, and almost exclusively wear Vivobarefoot. Not the cheapest brand out there, but the comfort and build quality are worth it.
If I plan to travel across a wide range of temperatures (i.e. winter in Montreal to Brazilian summer), I’ll wear the Gobi Hi (I’m currently on model IV) in black. They are fairly warm with the insole and quite adaptable without them. That being said Brazilian summer is hot. So packing sandals could be a good option (I just purchased a pair of Xero Z-Trail EV Mens and I’m very happy so far). I’ve done without and survived, but again, I’m a special animal in this regard.
Sports Gear
I’ve been running on and off throughout the years. The “off” part was mainly due to long office hours, tight schedule travel, and more importantly, family life. You will tell me that’s no excuse for not staying fit and you would be right. Nonetheless, it happens. Thankfully, I’m back on track now and run regularly again. So I travel with my running pants, shirt, bra, socks, and shoes. Worn on travel days: running shoes running bra.
Washing
Washing depends a lot on my travel schedule. If I stay at the sample place for a few days it’s a no-brainer. Then I’d need 2 pairs of underwear and that’s it. Wear one, wash one. If I’m traveling constantly, then this becomes more difficult. Depending on the humidity level at the destination, it may or may not be dry the next day. so I’ll pack more for the drying rotation. On travel days, if they are not completely dry, then I pack it humid or, my favorite, I just wear it. That’s suitable for merino wool and most synthetics. By the time I get to where I’m going, it is usually dry. However, I suggest avoiding wearing humid jeans and cotton. The “human drying process” is long and not agreeable at all with those. If you wonder how I know, I can tell you countless stories of wearing soaking-wet cotton clothes.
To be continued!
If you made it this far, you may be interested in Part 2, where I will cover my favorite travel electronics, hygiene, and some bonus travel tips & tricks.
I’m at the airport and boarding for my next destination. See you there!
