I spend a lot of time reading adventure blogs and, as a self proclaimed backpacking/travel gear nerd, always find myself analyzing others peoples' packing lists.
I love a 2 burner Coleman stove and 6 person tent as much as the next car camper, but as an ultralight backpacker I also have spent the last decade minimizing my pack's weight. Travel provides me with a new challenge to also tame my pack's volume.
I have spent a lot of weekends on short trips and several 3 to 6 month stints abroad visiting countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America, with shorter trips in Europe and Australia. On most of these trips I carried a 24 liter liter pack, about the size of a school backpack. I found that a small pack:
Saved money on flights - goodbye Jet Blue, hello Spirit!
Lowered my anxiety on ground transportation - no more bags under the bus!
Let me walk a LOT more around new cities before my back/knees/feet hurt
Made me a much more flexible traveler
Made me ditch things, like a computer, that I otherwise spent worrying would be stolen
Brought me a lot of joy!
When I came home I went back to my trusty blogs to find out ways I could keep cutting down on my pack weight and volume. I found that most "lightweight" or "minimalist" packers were still bringing things that are really important for them and unnecessary for my style of travel, like multiple pairs of shoes, swim suits, and fancy electronics. I would get excited to find videos with names like, "10 Months With a 20 Liter Pack in South America!" Only to find that their 20 liter pack held everything except their yoga mat, which came in a bag that had 2 extra pockets for their chargers, sandals, toiletries, etc.
I LOVE that other travelers have found systems that work for them, and I am NOT claiming that my style is better. However, I enjoy the process of minimizing my gear almost as much as I love the trip! So, I decided to create a minimalist travel series to share what I have learned by posting trip gear lists, reviews, and reports. I hope this series will push my own minimalist approach to travel and provide a resource to others on the journey to reduce both pack weight AND volume.
I am not sure where this series will end up, but Im excited for the journey!
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