Clothing Optional (Nice-to-Have Extras)
Thermal underwear, a buff, swim trunks that double as shorts, one nice shirt and a few other extras, with notes on when each one is worth packing.
Minimalist Travel
Minimalist travel is the idea this whole site grew out of: travel with as little as you can get away with, question every "need," and accept the trade-offs. For me that has meant traveling out of a 21L backpack with three sets of clothes, doing laundry in the shower, and buying the odd thing on the road when I actually need it.
It overlaps with one-bag travel (the packing method) and long-term travel (the trip type), but it's really a mindset, and it works for a weekend as well as a year.
What is minimalist travel?
The short version: packing only what you'll use nearly every day, and letting go of the idea that you need to look a certain way or own certain things to travel well. The long version, and the philosophy behind it, is in What IS Minimalist Travel?, with the practical side in Minimalist Travel (A Brief Overview) and How and What I Pack.
Why bother?
No checked bags, no lost luggage, no waiting at the carousel, and a lot less to think about every time you move. Beyond the practical stuff, it's a reminder that you need far less than you think. See Why Minimalist Travel? and 12 Major Benefits of Minimalist Travel.
Is it right for you?
Honestly, not for everyone. You'll wear the same few things, wash them most days, and give up some comfort and style. Is Minimalist Travel Right For You? walks through the questions worth asking, and The Realities and Limitations of Minimalist Travel is the honest list of what you give up.
Where to start
- A "True" Minimalist - the story that inspired this site
- The Five Types of Minimalists - figure out which one you are
- True Minimalist, Mostly Minimalist and High-Tech Minimalist packing lists - three levels, pick yours
- Laundry EVERY Day - the habit that makes a tiny wardrobe work
- No One Cares (Except Maybe You) - on wearing the same clothes all the time
Or start with the Getting Started page, then browse everything in the category below.
From the blog
Minimalist Travel
Recent posts in this category.
Jackets, Coats and Ponchos, Oh My!
Puffer vs down, rain shell vs poncho, and why three thin layers beat one heavy coat when you are living out of a small backpack.
Laundry EVERY Day (It's Not as Bad as It Sounds)
Why washing one set of base layers every day is what makes a three-set wardrobe work, plus the five-minute routine that makes it painless.
Shorts, Pants and Trunks
How to pick the two or three pairs of bottoms that will carry you through hikes, beaches, bars and long flights without filling your backpack.
Space Saving Toiletries (Minimizing Your Pamper Pouch)
Bars instead of bottles, one soap for everything, and buying the rest on arrival: how to shrink your toiletry kit down to a sandwich bag.
The High-Tech Minimalist (Packing List)
Packing recommendations for the high-tech minimalist: lighter, warmer, faster-drying gear so the same tiny pack works in cold and variable climates.