One bag to rule them all
January 9, 2025 9:19 PM Subscribe
Indefinite Backpack Travel. "In 2015 I got rid of everything I owned that didn’t fit in a laptop backpack, and I’ve been living at this level of minimalism since. The idea is to only own what I need, which allows me to focus more, spend less, travel spontaneously and simplify my life." Jeremy Maluf posts yearly summaries of his backpacking adventures. In this overview, he lists the contents of his one travel bag.
"Onebag travel is unquestionably the best way to travel. Traveling without luggage removes just about every pain point associated with flying, such as checking bags, overhead compartments, bag fees, waiting in line, and needing to drop off luggage before an adventure. Just stroll into the airport an hour before your flight, and walk off your plane directly to your destination. I’m not here to sell you on this. r/onebag is a community built around this and a good place to learn more.
As to how I got here, I’ve never really owned much at any point in my life, so once I started traveling frequently this seemed like the natural evolution of my lifestyle. Because it’s so ordinary to me, it’s really not something I think about often.
Of course, I have taken the time to optimize each thing to be the best possible: I’d much rather pack a 4oz jacket over a 1lb jacket. However, it’s worth mentioning I don’t take part in the consumerist side of the travel/hiking communities, which focuses more on expensive brand names than practicality. Buy only what you need; a $100 setup is nearly as good as a $10,000 setup. Sometimes spending more will get better quality or versatility, but it’s never worth obsessing over. Remember, the perfect travel bag doesn’t exist (relevant XKCD)."
"Onebag travel is unquestionably the best way to travel. Traveling without luggage removes just about every pain point associated with flying, such as checking bags, overhead compartments, bag fees, waiting in line, and needing to drop off luggage before an adventure. Just stroll into the airport an hour before your flight, and walk off your plane directly to your destination. I’m not here to sell you on this. r/onebag is a community built around this and a good place to learn more.
As to how I got here, I’ve never really owned much at any point in my life, so once I started traveling frequently this seemed like the natural evolution of my lifestyle. Because it’s so ordinary to me, it’s really not something I think about often.
Of course, I have taken the time to optimize each thing to be the best possible: I’d much rather pack a 4oz jacket over a 1lb jacket. However, it’s worth mentioning I don’t take part in the consumerist side of the travel/hiking communities, which focuses more on expensive brand names than practicality. Buy only what you need; a $100 setup is nearly as good as a $10,000 setup. Sometimes spending more will get better quality or versatility, but it’s never worth obsessing over. Remember, the perfect travel bag doesn’t exist (relevant XKCD)."
I try to travel in a single bag when possible, minus all the weird techninja stuff in this article. I can generally go 4-5 days if I use one of those big zip-lock vacuum storage bags that can be used to compress clothing so it takes less room.
posted by migurski at 9:52 PM on January 9
posted by migurski at 9:52 PM on January 9
I like to travel Jack Reacher style, ultra-minimalist: my wallet and a toothbrush.
posted by zardoz at 9:53 PM on January 9 [5 favorites]
posted by zardoz at 9:53 PM on January 9 [5 favorites]
And then there's this guy (youtube) Watch from
7m38s where they demonstrate their self styled clothing, which stands in for a laptop bag.
posted by BrStekker at 9:56 PM on January 9
7m38s where they demonstrate their self styled clothing, which stands in for a laptop bag.
posted by BrStekker at 9:56 PM on January 9
For work I travel internationally about once a month, generally for about a week at a stretch with a 20 l underseat backpack. Wool shirts from Pendleton or similar, a wool cardigan or blazer, and wool boxers and undershirts (yeah just wool everything I guess) makes this easier. Everything charges with a single usb-c hub now, or via a powerbank. I generally miss having a pocketknife with me for picnicking and will sometimes pick up an Opinel or something and mail it home before departure. Besides dressing professionally my trips often require being prepared for outdoor sportiness which is where all the wool stuff really comes in handy. Luxuries include a Ricoh pocket camera and little satchels of instant coffee, just in case.
Next week is a bit of a challenge as I will need to have an especially professional wardrobe and also be prepared for winter activities, which includes studded shoes, but I am committed to my 20 l bag so will make it work somehow.
posted by St. Oops at 10:05 PM on January 9 [3 favorites]
Next week is a bit of a challenge as I will need to have an especially professional wardrobe and also be prepared for winter activities, which includes studded shoes, but I am committed to my 20 l bag so will make it work somehow.
posted by St. Oops at 10:05 PM on January 9 [3 favorites]
I took off on my 2-week Japan trip in 2023 with just the typical Tom Bihn backpack and it was fine but with the prevalence of IC card lockers (you can boop your watch to get a locker and boop it again to open it, no keys or coins required) at train and subway stations I'm thinking one of those compact rolling suitcases all people in Asia seem to have might work equally as well.
I'm going again in April, staying in 4 different locations around Kanto so I think I'll get one of those suitcases and try that approach. Worst case it'll hold my Bic Camera haul when flying back.
posted by torokunai2 at 10:06 PM on January 9
I'm going again in April, staying in 4 different locations around Kanto so I think I'll get one of those suitcases and try that approach. Worst case it'll hold my Bic Camera haul when flying back.
posted by torokunai2 at 10:06 PM on January 9
Every pack list is a lie, and I despise knolling, but I love posts like this.
A fun things about games like Dungeons and Dragons is filling out the character's inventory, preferably with a limited budget. Ten foot pole, 50 feet of rope, rations... How much can a person carry anyway. I like that stuff. I have always liked when computer games include inventory tetris, or similar constrained inventory management systems.
One of the unexpected pleasures of living out of a single pack how much it is like inventory management from one of those games. It's true even if you only do it for just a few days, and it only gets more enjoyable the longer you do it, and each item becomes tested, and either deserves a place, or gets replaced. It's fun to see a list that's not for backpacking, complete with explanations about every single thing.
posted by surlyben at 10:42 PM on January 9 [5 favorites]
A fun things about games like Dungeons and Dragons is filling out the character's inventory, preferably with a limited budget. Ten foot pole, 50 feet of rope, rations... How much can a person carry anyway. I like that stuff. I have always liked when computer games include inventory tetris, or similar constrained inventory management systems.
One of the unexpected pleasures of living out of a single pack how much it is like inventory management from one of those games. It's true even if you only do it for just a few days, and it only gets more enjoyable the longer you do it, and each item becomes tested, and either deserves a place, or gets replaced. It's fun to see a list that's not for backpacking, complete with explanations about every single thing.
posted by surlyben at 10:42 PM on January 9 [5 favorites]
I neglected to mention that a secondary type of packing is utlized when traveling by train, when suddenly a folding bike gets thrown into the mix. The logistics of packing with and on a bicycle render this immediately not a "one-bag" travel solution but still very down-to-basics. I no longer pack cycling-specific clothes, for example, helmet excepted.
posted by St. Oops at 10:58 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Oops at 10:58 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]
There is a large hostel in the tiny village Roncesvalles in the foothills of the Spanish Pyrenees. It's the first stop on the Camino [Frances] de Santiago. In one of the rooms a large dresser is filled with clobber which pilgrims have discarded after the first 20km stretch of their 700km journey.
posted by BobTheScientist at 11:15 PM on January 9 [6 favorites]
posted by BobTheScientist at 11:15 PM on January 9 [6 favorites]
Please understand I am not criticizing this guy for extravagance, but I must say that it is funny to me what some people consider "frugal."
posted by praemunire at 11:19 PM on January 9 [4 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 11:19 PM on January 9 [4 favorites]
Whilst backpacking in Malaysia in '96, I met someone called Daisy.
She'd been travelling for 6 years (was 23 at the time), primarily just following solar eclipses around the world.
She'd left her 'main rucksack' with a friend in another country, and her entire carried possessions at the time was a small fabric bag with a long string to carry over her shoulder. It was smaller than most handbags.
From what I remember, inside was a plastic plate, a folding sharp knife, a spoon, a toothbrush, a vest top, and a change of underwear. Her sarong was her skirt, dress, towel, and her blanket.
She worked for food and accommodation. Always had a flight ticket back home to the UK (flexible dates), but otherwise saved for a flight to the next country.
If you do happen to recognise Daisy, who'd be about 51 now? I'd love to connect again.
posted by many-things at 11:22 PM on January 9 [10 favorites]
She'd been travelling for 6 years (was 23 at the time), primarily just following solar eclipses around the world.
She'd left her 'main rucksack' with a friend in another country, and her entire carried possessions at the time was a small fabric bag with a long string to carry over her shoulder. It was smaller than most handbags.
From what I remember, inside was a plastic plate, a folding sharp knife, a spoon, a toothbrush, a vest top, and a change of underwear. Her sarong was her skirt, dress, towel, and her blanket.
She worked for food and accommodation. Always had a flight ticket back home to the UK (flexible dates), but otherwise saved for a flight to the next country.
If you do happen to recognise Daisy, who'd be about 51 now? I'd love to connect again.
posted by many-things at 11:22 PM on January 9 [10 favorites]
I'm surprised they have a notebook computer, a tablet computer, and a smartphone computer when traveling so light.
posted by fairmettle at 11:46 PM on January 9 [3 favorites]
posted by fairmettle at 11:46 PM on January 9 [3 favorites]
^ and an apple watch, LOL.
I did the same in Japan, my 2020 MacBook Air and a 2021 iPad mini carried in their own Sleeve Case, which also holds the separate 100Ah USB-C power bank, and my AirPods and cables.
I also have an iPhone 15 Pro tying it all together when traveling (the mini is on its own annual Mint data plan so serves as my mobile hotspot when traveling in T-Mobile areas).
The MacBook is so light and thin I don't feel it when I'm carrying it. In 2023 when upgrading from my 2018 iPhone XS I decided to downsize to the smaller Pro and use the mini instead as my middle screen : )
posted by torokunai2 at 12:09 AM on January 10
I did the same in Japan, my 2020 MacBook Air and a 2021 iPad mini carried in their own Sleeve Case, which also holds the separate 100Ah USB-C power bank, and my AirPods and cables.
I also have an iPhone 15 Pro tying it all together when traveling (the mini is on its own annual Mint data plan so serves as my mobile hotspot when traveling in T-Mobile areas).
The MacBook is so light and thin I don't feel it when I'm carrying it. In 2023 when upgrading from my 2018 iPhone XS I decided to downsize to the smaller Pro and use the mini instead as my middle screen : )
posted by torokunai2 at 12:09 AM on January 10
and a smartphone computer
Didn't they even mention a backup older smartphone? All these electronics took me by surprise too. I did have my phone crap out on me on a trip once, but managed to get my small Android e-ink tablet to show all my necessary tickets and boarding passes and the like, which was a relief. I chose my laptop for its low power consumption and diminuative charger, which also charges everything else. But sometimes will leave it and pack a folding keyboard instead, which is more useful for answering emails on the go and the like.
posted by St. Oops at 1:03 AM on January 10
Didn't they even mention a backup older smartphone? All these electronics took me by surprise too. I did have my phone crap out on me on a trip once, but managed to get my small Android e-ink tablet to show all my necessary tickets and boarding passes and the like, which was a relief. I chose my laptop for its low power consumption and diminuative charger, which also charges everything else. But sometimes will leave it and pack a folding keyboard instead, which is more useful for answering emails on the go and the like.
posted by St. Oops at 1:03 AM on January 10
Don't forget your towel.
posted by conifer at 2:08 AM on January 10 [9 favorites]
posted by conifer at 2:08 AM on January 10 [9 favorites]
"Minimalist and frugal" apparently means a bag full of expensive computers and accessories, video-taking sunglasses and costly gewgaws. Good for him but we have different definitions.
posted by conifer at 2:16 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
posted by conifer at 2:16 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
I’m not sure if I quite buy this - it’s the camping section that does it for me. Where are the camping things when not in use? Is he buying new camping things every time? Does he take something out of the bag to put the camping things in? He gives the allusion that he travels constantly using this ultra minimalistic setup, but he has to file his taxes like the rest of humanity.
posted by The River Ivel at 2:53 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]
posted by The River Ivel at 2:53 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]
One of the things that was pointed out to me, and honestly made me look at things in a very, very different way, was the trend towards minimalism, towards getting rid of clutter, is, in a really insidious way, incredibly aspirational. Most of the people whose homes are breathlessly profiled as having nothing unnecessary are just doing without a thing until the time they need one, and then, because they have the money for it, they can just go buy one and get rid of it again when they no longer need it. It's a way of thinking that relies on essentially everything being disposable simply because you've got the money to get another one.
Meanwhile, clutter is likened to hoarding. It's the difference between having something that you only use once a year, and needing to find a space for it, vs a wasteful cycle of purchasing, use, disposal, only to purchase again. If your income is at the level where your lifestyle is being profiled, that's probably not going to be a financial issue for you, but damn, it can be a pretty poisonous aspirational lifestyle to glamorize.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:37 AM on January 10 [24 favorites]
Meanwhile, clutter is likened to hoarding. It's the difference between having something that you only use once a year, and needing to find a space for it, vs a wasteful cycle of purchasing, use, disposal, only to purchase again. If your income is at the level where your lifestyle is being profiled, that's probably not going to be a financial issue for you, but damn, it can be a pretty poisonous aspirational lifestyle to glamorize.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:37 AM on January 10 [24 favorites]
Ghidorah is on point: it's expensive to be minimalist. You can see this directly in his shirt habits: "Six when I’m on the move, twice that if I’m staying somewhere for a while." This implies that he's buying an extra six shirts for longer stays and then dropping them when he's back in travel mode. He's not obsessively replacing his computing gear on a yearly cycle -- that's a six or seven year old iPad, for example -- but he's also able to afford gear that will last a while. He's frugal within a specific context.
I wish he'd said more about the reasons for carrying phone, laptop, and iPad. On earlier versions of this he notes that the iPad is his drawing and sketching device, which makes sense. I'm curious about why he needs the laptop; I imagine it's because he's coding a lot, but I'm curious as to whether or not he's tried to switch to something like GitHub Codespaces.
I'm tempted to generate some sort of gear changes over time from this and his past articles. The reasons people shift gear choices tend to be interesting and informative for me. (While looking through a couple of older versions of this, btw, he mentions that he keeps the outdoor gear he mentions in storage most of the time. I wonder if he mails it to himself for outdoorsy trips?)
posted by Bryant at 4:04 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
I wish he'd said more about the reasons for carrying phone, laptop, and iPad. On earlier versions of this he notes that the iPad is his drawing and sketching device, which makes sense. I'm curious about why he needs the laptop; I imagine it's because he's coding a lot, but I'm curious as to whether or not he's tried to switch to something like GitHub Codespaces.
I'm tempted to generate some sort of gear changes over time from this and his past articles. The reasons people shift gear choices tend to be interesting and informative for me. (While looking through a couple of older versions of this, btw, he mentions that he keeps the outdoor gear he mentions in storage most of the time. I wonder if he mails it to himself for outdoorsy trips?)
posted by Bryant at 4:04 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
Ghidorah and Bryant are on point: it's expensive and wasteful to be minimalist. What happens to those extra six shirts after he's moved on? More than that, almost every thing you end up needing on your travels will get thrown out. Formal events? You'll need formal clothes, but you're not going to take those with you. How about a hat and water bottle for that nice little hike? Maybe you're at a seaside resort where you'll need a swimsuit, towel and snorkel. Maybe you're in the mountains where you'll need gloves.
It's fun to think about traveling light, but I don't think I could do it for more than a few days. Or maybe, travel light and return heavy is more my jam.
posted by fuzzy.little.sock at 4:27 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
It's fun to think about traveling light, but I don't think I could do it for more than a few days. Or maybe, travel light and return heavy is more my jam.
posted by fuzzy.little.sock at 4:27 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
I've done some middling backpacking trips and bike tours, and I do love the feeling of only carrying exactly what is needed and knowing right where it is in my kit. That said, I can be pretty gross by the end of those trips. After a week of bike touring especially, the less thought about the condition of my clothes the better.
People who live like this for longer periods of time, just a couple outfits or whatever, I always wonder about how they manage laundry. If you only have two pairs of pants (or one), what are you wearing when you're washing those? How often are you washing shirts and underwear? Are there hotels with in unit laundry where you can wash all of your stuff while you sleep? Do you go to a laundromat and sit on your laptop and code wearing a pair of sleep shorts and t shirt like some ultra efficient psychopath? So many questions!
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 4:27 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
People who live like this for longer periods of time, just a couple outfits or whatever, I always wonder about how they manage laundry. If you only have two pairs of pants (or one), what are you wearing when you're washing those? How often are you washing shirts and underwear? Are there hotels with in unit laundry where you can wash all of your stuff while you sleep? Do you go to a laundromat and sit on your laptop and code wearing a pair of sleep shorts and t shirt like some ultra efficient psychopath? So many questions!
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 4:27 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
Interesting experiment. He does hit on one immediate question I'd have:
The most difficult part about traveling with backpacking gear is keeping it airport-friendly.
I'm maybe a bit surprised that the 'keytool' he's carrying is making it through security? I'm not super familiar with the particular item.
just doing without a thing until the time they need one, and then, because they have the money for it, they can just go buy one and get rid of it again when they no longer need it
This is spot on. Popular media narratives like to frown on "clutter" and "hoarding", but if you've lived in precarity, your attitude is going to be different. If I throw this thing away, will I be able to get another one if I need one? This guy is living "simply", not sure if he's living "frugally".
(And, if he's buying new clothes in a new city and then throwing them away, he may be contributing to the trash mountain that fast fashion generates.)
posted by gimonca at 4:34 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
The most difficult part about traveling with backpacking gear is keeping it airport-friendly.
I'm maybe a bit surprised that the 'keytool' he's carrying is making it through security? I'm not super familiar with the particular item.
just doing without a thing until the time they need one, and then, because they have the money for it, they can just go buy one and get rid of it again when they no longer need it
This is spot on. Popular media narratives like to frown on "clutter" and "hoarding", but if you've lived in precarity, your attitude is going to be different. If I throw this thing away, will I be able to get another one if I need one? This guy is living "simply", not sure if he's living "frugally".
(And, if he's buying new clothes in a new city and then throwing them away, he may be contributing to the trash mountain that fast fashion generates.)
posted by gimonca at 4:34 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
those Uniqlo Airism boxer briefs are great, until I sweat, at which point they smell absolutely awful. he can have mine.
posted by entropone at 4:36 AM on January 10
posted by entropone at 4:36 AM on January 10
Things I realized about him from his list:
- He doesn't shave
- He doesn't have any health/medical/physical issues that require being treated with stuff
- He either never experiences anything resembling extreme weather (anything particularly hot, cold, or wet), or is content to be pretty unprepared for it
Things I realized about me from my list:
- I like stuff that my ancestors touched
- I'm glad I'm not a snail
- I like clothes
posted by entropone at 4:47 AM on January 10 [10 favorites]
- He doesn't shave
- He doesn't have any health/medical/physical issues that require being treated with stuff
- He either never experiences anything resembling extreme weather (anything particularly hot, cold, or wet), or is content to be pretty unprepared for it
Things I realized about me from my list:
- I like stuff that my ancestors touched
- I'm glad I'm not a snail
- I like clothes
posted by entropone at 4:47 AM on January 10 [10 favorites]
Also, he lives a life where wearing a black t-shirt and outdoorsy pants every single day is acceptable. If one has a job that requires another wardrobe, or one has to meet societal beauty standards, that gets a lot harder.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:37 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 5:37 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]
I've found that a wallet is unnecessary. All my clothes have pockets, all my cards fit in one pocket. I've also noticed some men struggle to get their head around this.
posted by biffa at 5:40 AM on January 10
posted by biffa at 5:40 AM on January 10
just doing without a thing until the time they need one, and then, because they have the money for it, they can just go buy one and get rid of it again
I'm always confused by the lack of tools in any minimalist's arsenal. OK, they'll have a laptop. But as soon as something needs repairing or general maintenance or some creative task involves a specialty tool they're stuck paying for the service instead. Which in a sense is great: our craftspeople need clients. But it certainly positions the minimalist in a position of privelege to always rely on the services of others.
Also: a hoodie as like the only outer garment? really? And everything black. Ugh.
posted by St. Oops at 5:57 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
I'm always confused by the lack of tools in any minimalist's arsenal. OK, they'll have a laptop. But as soon as something needs repairing or general maintenance or some creative task involves a specialty tool they're stuck paying for the service instead. Which in a sense is great: our craftspeople need clients. But it certainly positions the minimalist in a position of privelege to always rely on the services of others.
Also: a hoodie as like the only outer garment? really? And everything black. Ugh.
posted by St. Oops at 5:57 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]
Frugalism and Minimalism can be the result of obsession or a disorder, can cause a jeavons paradox-like rebound of other consumption (more air-travel because you saved on luggage) and can be an obnoxious virtue signalling peacocking. But it can also free you to put your resources to things that you care about, can make it easier for you to share and help others by escaping a scarcity mindset, is a necessary but insufficient component of the lifestyle changes that high-consumers must adopt to return total consumption and pollution to sustainable levels and redirect resources to the materially needy. Thst most minimalists don't do those things is sad.
The head is less flexible than the body. A person can adapt to great changes in lifestyle and circumstance and environmental conditions, but the fear and anticipation of unwanted change and loss are very powerful.
1) it helps reduce the psychological barrier if this mandatory and not self-imposed (you aren't the cause of your discomfort, there is nothing you can do). For example when cooking we all have knicked our fingers with a knife and had the shock and sting of a small wound. No big deal, you cuss and get over it. Yet go to your kitchen now, take a clean knife and try to make even the tiniest cut to your hand and discover how much bigger the fear of a thing is, compared to the thing itself. minimalist lifestyles are hard for those who think they have a choice and are imposing a loss on themselves. Just like " giving up" meat, alcohol, cars and flights, the internet." When its done to you, a few days in you are back to a new equilibrium. When its self impossed, you will grieve and bargain for a few months of saying "but today could be an exception".
2) you had practice. camping, povery, prison, homelessness, being an ascetic, they are not all the same, but it is much easier to go back to sleeping rough than to do it the first time. You never forget how to ride the bicycle.
3) you have company. self explanatory i hope.
4) it doesn't alter your goals and identity, or aids them. Instead of loss of accumulation, it is gaining an identity as a practicioner of frugality or asceticism or a hard survivor. Find the movie or novella trope that fits best and adopt it as progress toward that identity instead of defeat in the game of status and affluence.
5) Many affluent folks substitute inventory for purchasing power and the security of knowing their cash will get them through the unforseen. But most of the stuff middle class folks hold onto is nostalgia and aspiration and status markers (just like the rich hold too). I can't give lifestyle advice to the poor, they know their needs and strategies better than I do, and a vow of povery is very different than no-options poverty.
I urge folks to consider what can become more abundant when we become lean.
posted by No Climate - No Food, No Food - No Future. at 6:16 AM on January 10
The head is less flexible than the body. A person can adapt to great changes in lifestyle and circumstance and environmental conditions, but the fear and anticipation of unwanted change and loss are very powerful.
1) it helps reduce the psychological barrier if this mandatory and not self-imposed (you aren't the cause of your discomfort, there is nothing you can do). For example when cooking we all have knicked our fingers with a knife and had the shock and sting of a small wound. No big deal, you cuss and get over it. Yet go to your kitchen now, take a clean knife and try to make even the tiniest cut to your hand and discover how much bigger the fear of a thing is, compared to the thing itself. minimalist lifestyles are hard for those who think they have a choice and are imposing a loss on themselves. Just like " giving up" meat, alcohol, cars and flights, the internet." When its done to you, a few days in you are back to a new equilibrium. When its self impossed, you will grieve and bargain for a few months of saying "but today could be an exception".
2) you had practice. camping, povery, prison, homelessness, being an ascetic, they are not all the same, but it is much easier to go back to sleeping rough than to do it the first time. You never forget how to ride the bicycle.
3) you have company. self explanatory i hope.
4) it doesn't alter your goals and identity, or aids them. Instead of loss of accumulation, it is gaining an identity as a practicioner of frugality or asceticism or a hard survivor. Find the movie or novella trope that fits best and adopt it as progress toward that identity instead of defeat in the game of status and affluence.
5) Many affluent folks substitute inventory for purchasing power and the security of knowing their cash will get them through the unforseen. But most of the stuff middle class folks hold onto is nostalgia and aspiration and status markers (just like the rich hold too). I can't give lifestyle advice to the poor, they know their needs and strategies better than I do, and a vow of povery is very different than no-options poverty.
I urge folks to consider what can become more abundant when we become lean.
posted by No Climate - No Food, No Food - No Future. at 6:16 AM on January 10
I both hate and (I have to admit) like this. I don't want to defend him really, but there are a *ton* of comments here that didn't read the list, e.g. he has a swimsuit, he has a jacket, he has gloves, he has a travel towel (modern technical travel towels are actually amazing), etc. This is, for its flaws, an incredibly evolved list I think. But also, definitely a wealthy, young-ish, tech guy's list. As someone who has bought a bunch of cognates to things on this list and also has seen some genuinely frugal relatives in action, I wouldn't consider this lifestyle frugal. Over xmas a relative was wearing a sweater that they had had for longer than I have been alive.
I guess one main practical issue I have is that I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell, and based on short term trips with vaguely similar stuff, I still can't quite envision the laundry cycle here that doesn't leave me smelling bad a lot of the time. E.g. any one hoodie I wear on a reasonably long airplane trip is toast after that until washed, no matter how technical the material, so I can't bring just one on a trip. Does he really only have one pair of pants (similar issue to the hoodies for me, even with modern materials)? Maybe he's just doing a lot of laundry all the time?
posted by advil at 6:28 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
I guess one main practical issue I have is that I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell, and based on short term trips with vaguely similar stuff, I still can't quite envision the laundry cycle here that doesn't leave me smelling bad a lot of the time. E.g. any one hoodie I wear on a reasonably long airplane trip is toast after that until washed, no matter how technical the material, so I can't bring just one on a trip. Does he really only have one pair of pants (similar issue to the hoodies for me, even with modern materials)? Maybe he's just doing a lot of laundry all the time?
posted by advil at 6:28 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
Traveling without luggage removes just about every pain point associated with flying, such as checking bags, overhead compartments, bag fees, waiting in line, and needing to drop off luggage before an adventure. Just stroll into the airport an hour before your flight...
Yes, tautologically, traveling without luggage removes just about every pain point *associated with luggage*, but if that's the worst part of flying for you, you are probably flying first class and have enough money that you could have just flown with nothing and bought it all again at your destination, and have a private driver.
For example, how does the size of your bag reduce time waiting in the TSA line? How does it shorten the line for a taxi or wait time for an uber or a bus? How does it quiet the baby whose vocal protests at the altitude change are boring through your earplugs? How does it prevent the muscle cramps and unwanted contact from neighbors from a too small seat ? How does it let you sleep while sitting up, or prevent the nausea from when you try to actually get work done but your inner ear doesn't agree with staring at a laptop screen?
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 6:32 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
Yes, tautologically, traveling without luggage removes just about every pain point *associated with luggage*, but if that's the worst part of flying for you, you are probably flying first class and have enough money that you could have just flown with nothing and bought it all again at your destination, and have a private driver.
For example, how does the size of your bag reduce time waiting in the TSA line? How does it shorten the line for a taxi or wait time for an uber or a bus? How does it quiet the baby whose vocal protests at the altitude change are boring through your earplugs? How does it prevent the muscle cramps and unwanted contact from neighbors from a too small seat ? How does it let you sleep while sitting up, or prevent the nausea from when you try to actually get work done but your inner ear doesn't agree with staring at a laptop screen?
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 6:32 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]
As a teen-ager I was on a long vacation with someone who traveled lightly, and...it wasn't great!
Like, he washed the previous day's socks & underwear in the hostel sink and hung them -- but sometimes he laid the socks on the dashboard as we drove, to dry in the summer sun. WTH? You're a grown man! A grown man with a car, so you can carry a third pair of socks! We can spare one afternoon per week of sight-seeing to do laundry!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:32 AM on January 10
Like, he washed the previous day's socks & underwear in the hostel sink and hung them -- but sometimes he laid the socks on the dashboard as we drove, to dry in the summer sun. WTH? You're a grown man! A grown man with a car, so you can carry a third pair of socks! We can spare one afternoon per week of sight-seeing to do laundry!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:32 AM on January 10
MeFi: there are a *ton* of comments here that didn't read the list
posted by fairmettle at 6:36 AM on January 10
posted by fairmettle at 6:36 AM on January 10
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I do confess that I spent most of the weekend feeling like I was forgetting something; the phantom suitcase always seemed to be just in the other room, just out of sight.
posted by fuzzy.little.sock at 9:38 PM on January 9 [2 favorites]