A minimalist’s guide to packing: 4 months in 40 liters

Traveling the world should be more about what experiences you bring back home rather than the stuff you bring with you. Packing minimalist frees you of weight, worry about keeping track of your stuff, the extra carbon footprint, and allows you to focus on what’s in front of you.

I’m embarking on 4 months in South America, by air, land and sea, and I’ve got a layer to survive single digits to triple digits (pretty much), the ability to work remotely, shoot high-quality photo and video, and enjoy some simple pleasures along the way. 

Want more info? Check out the What’s In My Bag page for gear details and links

The western world is increasingly a materialist one. More is always better. Someone is selling a gadget or article of clothing for every occasion, and many times there’s a fabrication of need that you can’t go hiking without these specific shoes or camping without this must-have down jacket. I understand; I’m a recovering gear-head who loves walking through REI and drooling over all these things that could make my next hike or run that much lighter, or drier, or faster. In some cases, these things like the ones I’ve mentioned above add value, create peace of mind, and enhance an experience. But anything to an extreme is not a good thing.

I’m trying to adapt a life with more quality and flexibility over quantity and really evaluating what I will need and use most. Can I use one pair of shorts for running and everyday wear? How often am I going to use a 75-250mm zoom lens? (I chose to leave that one behind) How many pairs of pants does a guy really need?

The bulkiest items in my bag are my computer, camera gear, and clothes. I need a bigger computer for my photography, and am not ready to invest in a smaller (mirrorless) camera with the same power as my current one, so clothing was the big area where I could skim down to the bare essentials.

I did this by investing in a few, quality, merino wool clothing products that will last me, that I can wear multiple days without smelling like a foot, and wash easily.  Merino wool is naturally anti-microbial, it stays warm when wet, wicks moisture, and is easily hand-washed. My underwear, long-sleeve shirt, one t-shirt, hoodie, and socks are merino wool from Icebreaker.

As humans, economically we tend to live on the margin: essentially to get as much utility as we can out of the resources around us. In travel terminology, that means we have a natural inclination to fill whatever bag we choose. So pick a bag smaller than what you’re comfortable with, and force yourself to fit all of your travel items in that bag.

When I test-packed my bag, I made sure that ALL of my clothes fit in it, including any that I would be wearing at a given time. That way, there’s always a little bit of leeway and empty space for odds and ends you might acquire on your journey.

Remember, it’s not the end of the world if you forget something. You can usually pickup the extras along the way as needed. Just make sure you have the major stuff: backpack, passport, camera, phone, money, unique power cords, etc.

Save your back, your feet, and your worry for more important travel decisions. Bring less with you and you’ll end up getting a lot more out of your travels!

Every pound of clothing and gear that you bring with you on any form of transport makes you a little less efficient. When it comes to transport, a pound here or there doesn’t contribute to sea level rise marginally, but in the aggregate it makes a huge difference.

Flying

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has a carbon footprint calculator that goes into great detail about not just the number of miles flown, but the type of planes generally used, the average amount of fuel used by those planes on certain routes, first class vs. business class vs. coach, and more. The ICAO looks at the total weight in the aircraft, and allocates an average of 100kg (220 lbs) per passenger, not including checked baggage.

[((No. Passengers*100Kg) + (No. of seats * 50 Kg))/1000] (tonnes) + Freight (tonnes) + Mail (tonnes)

For all the details on the ICAO’s methodology into their calculator, see the full 23-page description here. You can also calculate your aviation carbon footprint yourself on their website, or also measure your total carbon footprint on the Sustainable Travel homepage.

Driving

Adding weight to a vehicle increases fuel consumption. You may have experienced this firsthand if you’ve ever towed a trailer or even gone on a long drive with a car full of people vs. empty and watch your gas tank expire with frustrating speed. The Canadian Department of Natural Resources has an interesting fact page that describes the specifics of how weight affects fuel consumption.

…for every 100-kg reduction, the combined city/highway fuel consumption could decrease by about 0.4 L/100 km for cars and about 0.5 L/100 km for light trucks (MIT 2008). Today’s cars and light trucks weigh between 1,000 to 3,800 kg.