Want to get more intense with your light traveling? Here are 5 more tips …
It has been an awesome couple of weeks during the How To Live Anywhere launch. Thank you for being a part of it! Let’s switch gears from all the business focused articles for at least a day, huh?
Last year, I wrote an article on ZenHabits called The Beginner’s Guide To Minimalist Travel. If you haven’t already read it, go ahead and check it out after we’re done here.
We’re going to take minimalist travel to the next level.
As an ultra light traveler (ok, technically not) my goal is not only to pack as little as possible, but everything I pack should have multiple uses.
As an example, I use the Dr Bronner’s soap I mentioned in The Beginner’s Guide as body wash, face wash, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. I stopped washing my hair with hair products almost a year ago so I don’t use it as shampoo, but it can also be used in place of your shampoo.
1) Use USB Rechargeable Electronics
If you’re traveling it’s a given that you’re going to bring electronics with you. Especially if you’re like me and you’re working as you travel. I’ve got a laptop, an iPod, a digital camera, a Flip Video camera, and a small flashlight (torch).
But I’ve cut my chargers down to the bare minimum.
While my laptop is charging (or I’m working) I charge most of my electronics.
My iPod charges with a small iPod cable and not the big iPod charger and the batteries to my Flip and flashlight charge using a small USB AA/AAA battery charger.
You can buy a USB battery charger almost anywhere that sells rechargeable batteries. If you can’t find it locally, Amazon has them.
Unfortunately, my digital camera has it’s own proprietary charger, but thankfully it’s very small.
2) Stick To One Credit Card and One ATM Card
The rationale for traveling with more (what I’ve heard from people I’ve met) seems to be “well, if something happens to one, I still have a back up.”
On the surface that seems like a great argument, but it’s completely unnecessary.
Let’s pretend you fall into the unfortunate situation of getting mugged. If you get mugged all of your credit cards will probably be taken. If you lose your wallet the same holds true. Having a backup in either of these worst-case-scenarios will be utterly useless. (Unless you happen to keep your cards in different places.)
Instead, stick to one credit card. Either one that gets you the most points or cashback or one that doesn’t charge international fees (my preference).
If you’re in the U.S. get a Capital One credit card. They don’t charge international fees so you never have to worry about being hit with the industry standard 3% fee for the “privelege” of using your card in another country.
Along with your no fee credit card, find a bank that offers no fee ATM withdrawals. Many online banks with corresponding stock trading accounts offer ATM cards that refund your ATM fees worldwide.
Additionally, sometimes banks in your home country will have an association with banks in other countries. For example, with my Bank of America ATM card I get fee free ATM withdrawals from any Westpac bank in Australia or New Zealand or Deutsche Bank here in Wroclaw, Poland. :)
Confession: I also travel with an Amex Platinum card so I have access to their benefits. Completely worthless card to actually use for transactions outside of the USA though.
3) Replace Your Shaving Cream or Foam With Shaving Oil
Shaving oil is a shaving cream/foam replacement that packs up much smaller than even travel sized shaving products. It’s also good for both men and women.
Shaving oil is not the same as pre-shave oil. Pre-shave oil is a conditioning oil used before your shaving cream/foam. Shaving oil, on the other hand, is used in place of shaving cream/foam.
I personally use Pacific Shaving Oil and love it more than any other shaving product I’ve ever used. One tiny bottle is good for 50-100 shaves depending on how many drops of oil you need to use. I use 8-9 drops per shave.
Just as important as being a minimalist product, shaving oil provides a very smooth, close, shave. I have horribly sensitive skin and Pacific Shaving Oil is the only product I’ve ever used that keeps me from getting razor burn. (I think it’s the only company I’m a fan of (err, I mean Like of, haha) on Facebook.)
4) Pack Your Own Towl
That’s not a misspelling. I’m referring to the MSR Packtowl. It’s a highly absorbent towel that packs up like a deck of cards. It may not be luxurious, but it’s small, light, dries incredibly quickly, and gets the job done.
It’s a must in the bag of any minimalist, ultra-light, traveler.
If you’re staying in hotels this isn’t relevant for you, of course. But the PackTowl is indispensible if you’re camping, hosteling, or CouchSurfing.
5) Vapur-ize Your Water
I forgot to write about this in my updated packing list because I didn’t use it in India or Thailand. Been using it daily here in Poland. Speaking of Thailand, on the streets all around Chiang Mai there are purified bottle refill stations for big 5 liter water bottles. It costs only 1-2 Baht (2-6 US pennies) for a refill. I do have video of the process and will post it some day. :) Tangent over …
The Vapur anti-bottle, available through Vapur.us or Amazon ($7 more expensive on Amazon), is one of those products I can’t believe I didn’t come up with myself. Not only is it BPA-free, but it rolls up tiny.
Let me repeat that last part: the Vapur water bottle rolls up. It rolls up! Which means you can take a reusable water bottle with you anywhere.
You might be thinking “Doesn’t buying a new water bottle go against what minimalism is all about?”
Not necessarily.
Minimalism isn’t only about not buying stuff. It’s about living with the essentials and not overconsuming.
If you regularly buy bottles of water you now have no excuse not to take a reusable bottle with you everywhere. The Vapur fits anywhere.
And if you already have a bulky reusable water bottle give it to a family member or friend.
Traveling with a 16oz (almost half liter) water bottle that folds or rolls up simply makes more sense than any other option.
I hereby declare you ready to travel the world with the bare minimum. The absolute essentials. When you have the best time of your life thank yourself for having the courage to be a minimalist.
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I’ve had lots of new friends visiting here in the past few days. Is that you? Hi! I’m Karol (Carl not Carol). Thank you for stopping by. I write about fun things like traveling the world, minimalism, challenging authority and ourselves, and working from anywhere via a laptop. I don’t know how many thing I own (I’ve never counted) but I live out of a 32L backpack and own 3 t-shirts. :) Welcome! I hope you stick around.
This post has been in the works for a while and I’ve received a few e-mails and in person requests for it so I think it’s time. :)
I actually wrote the original draft after a trip to Germany earlier this year. My gear list has changed a bit since then so here is my updated light packing list. This is all the equipment I have with me on my current 100+ day trip. (Note: I’ve now been traveling like this for well over 500 days.)
Some of my gear I bought specifically for travel and some of it I’ve had for years and it may not really be good for travel. I have trouble throwing perfectly good items away until they’re ruined (like the fairly bulky Nike shorts in the first picture below).
When packing light it’s important to know your destination and your general plans. Obvious, right?
It’s about preparedness. You might visit somewhere warm and then go on a side trip to the mountains (for example) where it’s cold.
So know your destination and your general plans. Will you need really warm clothes? Do you plan on swimming or hiking? Do you plan on traveling from a warm destination to a cold destination without stopping home to change gear? The more climates you’ll be exposed to the more clothes you may need.
The packing list works from about 5° C to 40° C because of layers. That’s cutting it close on the cold side since I’m a naturally cold person. Any colder and I’d definitely need warmer clothes.
But I made a decision to never travel to cold climates so what I have here will suit me for almost any destination I choose. To some people deciding not to travel to cold places means I’m missing out. That’s the beauty of travel and life. To each their own. There are enough warm places to visit on Earth to last multiple lifetimes. Focusing on those places just makes it a little bit easier to choose where to go.
Before I get into it you should know that I’ve included affiliate links to Altrec and Amazon in this post. If you don’t want to support this site don’t click on the links, no worries. :) (That’s not a guilt trip, I’m serious, don’t click the links if you don’t want to.) If you do want to buy something and support the site, click the links. Simple as that…
My Complete List of Clothing
Every last bit of my clothing.
Starting from the top left quadrant and working my way around clockwise:
1) Marmot Ion windbreaker / light rain jacket
In the picture you see it folded into itself. Before packing it I wrap it with 2 rubber bands to make it even more compact.
This jacket is perfect when it’s 14° C – 20° C or when there is a light rain or wind. I use it often as an extra layer under my Outdoor Research jacket.
This jacket isn’t waterproof, but it’s fine in light rain. It’s surprisingly warm and isn’t bulky at all. It also looks great, which is always nice when you’re focused on function, but are rewarded with form as well. I love the pocket on the front left. It’s where I usually keep a camera so it’s always at the ready.
I use this strictly for robbing banks. How do you think I fund my journeys? Purchased at K-Mart 10 years ago for $5 and has been used consistently since then. ;) It always gets a laugh or a scared look.
4) Patagonia Capilene 3 Zip-neck Long Sleeve
Light, warm, and breathable. This is an awesome baselayer when the temp starts dropping.
5) Icebreaker BodyFit 150 T-shirt and Icebreaker BodyFit 250 T-Shirt
I’m not perfect and I didn’t make the connection before buying these that they’re not vegan. My brother actually pointed it out to me. These Icebreaker T-shirts are made of merino wool in New Zealand. Supposedly the company treats their sheep well, but any animal used as a slave isn’t OK in my book. That said, it would be far more disrespectful for me to get rid of these than just wearing them.
(Tangent: My being vegan is about respect at the core. If, for example, I’m at a restaurant and they accidentally put some dairy product on my food I will eat it instead of sending it back to be thrown away. It’s more respectful to eat the food at that point than get rid of it.)
With all that you’d think I’d tell you not to buy these shirts. The truth is, they are well made, they don’t smell (I’ve been known to wear them multiple times between washes), and they dry quickly. They do make me itch though. I’ve read that this wool isn’t supposed to make you itch, but I have sensitive skin and it does itch.
This is the synthetic equivalent to the Icebreaker T-shirts. It feels great (doesn’t itch) and dries quickly, but it attracts odors moreso than the Icebreaker. I bought mine on sale for $25.
Nothing special about these. I’ve had them for 5 years. They are pretty bulky (especially the waistband), but I need something to workout in while I’m on the road.
8) Adidas Originals Superstar II
They’re leather, and I bought them before being vegan. They’ve lasted a long time, look pretty nice, and are very comfortable.
The Vibram FiveFingers have been getting a ton of press lately. Unfortunately, all I’ve heard is positives. There is one glaring negative to these shoes: they stink. The stench that emanates from them still lingers after a wash.
They are great shoes though. I absolutely love how they feel, but because of the stink I mostly use them for working out or hiking.
10) Smartwool Men’s Adrenaline Light Mini Crew Socks
Bought these at the same time as the Icebreaker shirts, so also didn’t make that wool connection. They make my feet sweat, but they don’t smell bad, are easy to wash, and dry quickly. I wouldn’t buy them again, but I’m going to get as much use out of them as I can now that I own them.
Similar to the Smartwool socks, except they’re 60% synthetic and 40% wool. They don’t make my feet sweat so I hope I can find a 100% synthetic pair similar to these when the time comes.
I’ve had these for a few years and used to only use them when playing basketball. They’re really comfortable, easy to wash, and dry quickly. I was going to replace them with 2 pairs of ExOfficio, but I probably won’t do that for another year. At ~$20 per pair they’re not cheap.
14) Columbia Titanium Omni-Dry Silver Ridge II Convertible Pant
It took me months to find convertible pants I was even a little bit happy with.
The shorts don’t look great, but with a 10″ inseam they are decent. Being that I’m 6’5″ I would like them to have a 12-13″ inseam, but I’ll deal with it.
I really like the zippered side pocket. The zipper closes down. Which is unnatural so I feel like a pickpocket would have trouble with them.
The insides of the pockets feel weak so I hope they last.
I couldn’t find these in a darker color (the color Shade was sold outeverywhere, in stores, and online). While we’re on the subject of color: why do no manufacturer’s make black convertible pants? Come on people, step up your games!
I sure bought a lot of wool in one day, didn’t I? These things clock in at $60, but they are warm and work well under my very light convertible pants.
No real complaints. They’re easy to wash, dry quickly, and do the job I bought them for. I’ll find synthetic long underwear when it’s time to replace them.
This towel is outstanding. It packs up small, soaks up water well and dries in a few hours. It also comes with a mesh pouch that you can attach it to the outside of your bag and keep everything in your bag dry. (Assuming you have to use the towel and then pack up and get a move on.)
2) Earplugs
Nothing special, just a bunch of ear plugs, including a pair of EarPlanes in case I have crazy sinuses and need to fly.
3) Pack of facial tissues
4) Light My Fire Spork
This spork is awesome. Includes a “knife” edge too. It’s heat resistant (doesn’t melt in high heat), small, light, and durable. You can pick these up at any outdoors store.
5) Plastic comb
6) Mach 3 Razor + 4 blades
7) Pacific Shaving Oil
This, my friends, is the greatest invention ever made for light packers. I’ve been using it at home for almost a year too. No need for shaving cream as this oil softens the hairs and doesn’t cause razor burn. Seriously. I have the most sensitive skin in the world. Touch my face and my skin gets red and itchy. Shaving has been a nightmare since I was 13. While it’s still a nightmare, at least I don’t get razor burn very often. (Sometimes, when my skin is being especially irritated and I shave it gets even more irritated. I can’t blame the shaving oil for that though.)
Each tiny bottle of this oil is supposed to last for 100 shaves. I’ve found it lasts about 50 for me, and I’m cool with that.
For when you cut yourself shaving. Which I do often because if you touch anything sharp to my aforementioned sensitive skin it breaks open and bleeds like blood is going out of style.
This little tool says it makes razor blades last up to 10 weeks. If you use disposable razor blades it saves you a lot of money. I’ve been using these for almost a year, and while they don’t make my blades last 10 weeks, they do last about 1 month each instead of just 1 week. Well worth the few dollars the tool costs.
This stuff is awesome as it doesn’t make your face all greasy. Unfortunately, it does dry out my already dry skin even more. Sometimes you gotta roll with the punches.
12) Tea tree oil
Oh how I love you dear tea tree oil, let me count the ways. Use this antiseptic oil to clean cuts and for blemishes (i.e. acne). I go through 1 bottle per year.
13) Nail clippers and small scissors
14) Three 3 oz bottles of Dr Bronner’s Baby Mild Organic Fair Trade Liquid Soap
I buy the Baby soap because my skin is more sensitive than a baby’s. 3 oz will last about a month. This soap is highly concentrated and I use it not only to shower, but to brush my teeth and wash my clothes. It’s the ultimate multi-use product. It’s also biodegradable so using it out in the wilderness is less stressful on nature.
I replaced Baby Powder with Gold Bond. I can use it to help with stinky shoes AND for itchy skin. Thanks Gold Bond. I smell like old people and I love it.
16) First Aid Kit
I got this kit free somewhere. The SouthLake Hospital packet above it has some aspirin and bandaids. I don’t plan on cutting myself, but I guess if I do I can do something about it.
17) Pepto Bismol tablets
Just in case.
18) Hand sanitizer
I keep this on me at all times because nothing sucks more than getting sick while you’re traveling. Killing the germs on your hands helps with that so if I can’t wash my hands before eating I use this.
19) Triple antibiotic ointment
Again, in case I cut myself. Honestly I wouldn’t have packed this normally, I just didn’t want to throw it away during my downsizing.
20) Saline nasal spray
I didn’t have room for a Neti pot so this is the next best thing. Actually, it’s not even close to as useful as a Neti pot, but it does help with dry nasal passages when you’re flying.
21) Vitamin E Oil
Holy wow is this the best moisturizer ever discovered by mankind. A little goes a long way. If it was possible to get a Bachelor of Science in Moisturizing I would have it. What I’m saying is, I know my moisturizers. If you have dry skin, use this stuff. It’s oily, but it actually works. Not like all that Jergens, Cetaphil, and other garbage that’s advertised on TV. You can pick this up in the vitamin section of any store that sells vitamins.
22) Dental Floss
23) Another Gold Bond
I love smelling like a medicated old man, ok?!
24) Folding tooth brush
I don’t know where you are on the love/hate scale for WalMart, but this tooth brush is awesome. The bristles are anti-bacterial and it’s a full sized travel tooth brush when you unfold it. And they only cost $1.47 at WalMart.
25) Tom’s of Maine Sensitive Skin Deodorant
Made with soothing camomile. Mmmmmm. This deodorant rules. Each stick lasts about 2 months. I was only going to pack 1, but I didn’t want to throw away the stick that was 2/3 gone so I packed it. Available at most health food stores like Whole Foods. I’ve also found this at a lot of chain grocery stores like Publix.
My Electronic Items
Because I Need To Work On The Road
1) Asus Eee 1000HE
This is a great laptop, but it’s not perfect. 10″ screen. Extraordinary long battery life. Built in 1.3 mega pixel web cam. Almost full sized keyboard. And it’s light, of course.
Dislikes: I wish it was flat. The shape makes it a little cumbersome to pack.
Although I love this laptop I think the ultimate travel/work laptop should have at least a 12″ screen, a full sized keyboard, and still weight 3lbs or less. The Apple Macbook Air would almost work if it didn’t suck. ;) Seriously, just one USB port Apple? WTF are you thinking? Also not worth paying 4 times the cost of the Asus Eee (or any other netbook for that matter), unless you actually need extra processing power (for editing video or photos for instance).
2) Western Digital Passport 250GB hard drive with Kroo case
For backups of my important work documents and pictures/video of my travels.
3) Unlocked Motorola RAZR V3xx
I got this free from AT&T. I don’t buy phones. AT&T was also nice enough to unlock it for me and not charge me an early termination fee for canceling my contract a year early. (Of course, I’ve been with them for 9 years, so I should hope they’d be nice about everything.)
I’m now using Virgin Mobile in Australia and it’s working out well. (Even though Virgin Mobile has spotty coverage.)
4) Flip Ultra Video Camera
I’ve had this for over a year and I love it. Almost every video on my YouTube account (youtube.com/karolgajda) was made with this camera. That includes the concert videos. Normal cameras distort audio in loud situations. Not the Flip Ultra. Here you see it packed in a water proof aLOKSAK. I pack all my clothes and toiletries in aLOKSAKs too. (aLOKSAKs are also my secret to cleaning clothes virtually anywhere. That video is coming soon.)
I bought this literally a week before I left on my trip. I debated long and hard whether I need an extra bag. I got along fine on a 16 day trip earlier this year with just a backpack. I decided that I should have something like this because it makes going out in the city with my laptop and book much easier. No need to lug around my whole pack.
The Pacsafe brand is full of theft deterring features. I could explain them, but it’s easier if you simply visit this link and see what it’s all about for yourself.
Not a fan of this thing for any practical use. It is, however, good for keeping dirty clothes separate from the rest of your stuff. I’ve also used it to carry all my clothes/toiletries from dorm to bathroom while staying in hostels. For $10 you can’t expect anything spectacular.
2) iPod Mini – 4GB
I’m an old school G. I almost cried when the battery on this thing died early this year. (I lie, if it died I’d be quite alright.) I went on eBay and bought a replacement for $7 shipped. Booya! Back in business baby!
3) Organic Vegan Raw Food Bars
These are tasty treats when you’re starving and all you see is meat. That wasn’t supposed to rhyme, but I have been known to be a lyrical gangsta.
4) Rayovac USB battery charger
I don’t really like this charger, but I didn’t want to use disposable batteries for my Flip video camera. I have 2 gripes: 1) It takes 8 hours to charge a battery. 2) It doesn’t tell you when it’s done charging. The light doesn’t change color. Come on Rayovac, that’s amateur shit right there. It was less than $10 at WalMart.
5) Pacsafe 55L
For locking up my bag in hostels, bars, or wherever I might need to lock up my bag. It’s 4 lbs so it adds quite a bit of weight, but I’m happy with it. I don’t use it much, but when I do need it I’m glad I have it.
6) Flip Camera Stand
This works with any camera or video camera. Good when you want to take a steady shot. Honestly, not necessary and won’t gettoo much use. But I will need it for at least 1 video I plan on making (the aforementioned How To Wash Clothes While Traveling vid).
7) Sleep Mask
There is nothing like sleeping in absolute darkness. I guarantee it.
8) Gymboss
Interval timer for my workouts, of course.
9) Books
Brida by Paulo Coelho and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Gregory Hays translation).
10) Jump rope
For use with the Gymboss. :) This is a speed rope from Lifeline USA. It can possibly double as a whip if you’re looking to be Crocodile Dundee in the Outback.
11) Braided Stretchy Clothesline by Rick Steves
This triple braided clothesline is pretty sweet. Attaches to almost anything and keeps clothes on the line by pinching them in the braids.
These are fairly low cost earbuds and do a fine job of keeping background noise out.
The Carry On Backpack
My bag at LAX on Sept 01, 2009. (Mental Floss magazine in the pocket.)
Deuter Futura 32
This backpack has a netting/rib mechanism that keeps the bag off your back, lets air flow, and keeps your back from getting soaked in sweat. I love that. But the ribbed frame makes packing the bag a little cumbersome. It’s a tradeoff I’m willing to live with.
At 32 liters, this is a pretty small backpack by most standards. Walking around Sydney I see most backpackers in 55-90L backpacks and they look miserably loaded down. :)
Whew! For whatever reason, writing this post took longer than any other post. All that bolding, describing, and linking I reckon.
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Coming soon: What it’s like to tour the country (the US, that is) with a rock band in honor of my friends The Swellers, whose new record Ups and Downsizing is coming out next Tuesday. :) My how to hand wash your clothes while traveling video is coming soon after.
If you travel light and for extended periods of time your shoes are going to stink. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Here’s how I got rid of that rancid stench wafting up from my feet…
“Those are rank!”
“What?”
“Your shoes man!”
“Oh, right.”
Here’s the thing: if you only take 1 pair of shoes on a long trip and wear them for 12-18 hours/day they’re going to smell.
Really. Badly.
In an effort to pack light, taking the bare minimum of what I need, and find multiple uses for every item, I never bothered with shoe deodorizer.
I mean, come on.
How could I possibly tell people I pack light if I’m traveling with freakin’ SHOE DEODORIZER?
But I had to do something. Even I was embarrassed by the smell emanating from my shoes. That’s coming from a guy who once wore the same 2 shirts, 2 socks, and 2 underwear for 8 days in Germany without washing them. (haha, gross!)
Dr Scholl’s wasn’t going to do it for me. Although it does work well, it’s a single use product.
Same with Febreze. I’ll use the stuff in my home, car, or shoes when I’m not traveling. But taking a bottle of Febreze on the road just isn’t practical. I’d go so far as to say it’s outright stupid.
TSA Agent: “Sir, why do you have a bottle of Febreze in your backpack?”
ME: “My shoes smell.”
TSA: “Sir, this is no time for jokes.”
ME: “Seriously, smell ’em!”
TSA: “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to follow me.”
In an effort to keep myself from backroom strong-arming and demoralizing cavity searches I settled on a travel sized bottle of baby powder.
Baby powder is just talc and fragrance.
But what’s important is that it’s a drying/deodorizing agent. In other words, it soaks up foot sweat and stink.
That sounds all well and good but here’s what I’ve also found: if I load up my shoes with baby powder and put them on, my feet start to feel “weird” after a while.
Is that the talc eating away at me? (Could be, supposedlytalc causes cancer!)
So if you’re going to follow my lead then do what I do (hmm, that’s the definition of “following my lead,” huh?):
Toss the baby powder in your shoes at night before going to sleep. Really coat the insides of your shoes. Be sure to sprinkle some on your shoe laces because they absorb odors too.
When you wake up get rid of the excess powder.
What I’m saying is, don’t dump a bunch of baby powder in your shoes, then put them on and go on with your day. Or do it and then come back here and tell me I was right and your feet feel “weird and cancerous.”
In a pinch baby powder can be used for deodorant, a quick dry for clammy hands, or countless other awesome uses. (Good, there’s my multiple use requirement taken care of.)
Yes, yes I did just spend a whole RidiculouslyExtraordinary.com article writing about baby powder. You’re welcome. ;) And…
