Less Is Better?

Part of the appeal in backpacking for me is the getting out onto the trail with just my backpack, what I have in my backpack is all I have, all I’m responsible for, and if I don’t have it, then I deal without it. It is the minimalism of it that appeals, although I didn’t quite realise how much I liked the feeling until I spent 8 nights in London for my child’s operation.

I went up to London with my Osprey Farpoint Wheels 65 which was fantastic for around London and was the ideal size for an 8 night stay. I crammed in what I thought I would need for my stay with some additional extras ‘just in case’ but found I didn’t really need all that I packed, and there were some things that I hadn’t packed that I did miss.

For the duration of my stay I stayed at The President Hotel on Guilford Street in a room to myself, and over the time there I began to build new and simpler routines dictated on the very few things I had. It made me realise that one of the big ‘stresses’ in my life that makes me feel uncomfortable and unhappy is the sheer amount of clothes I own, I’d spend ages procrastinating, trying on different t-shirts, trousers, then having to put them all away. In this situation I was limited by what I had, it made it easy to grab what was in the wardrobe, put it on and be happy with what I’m wearing - because there isn’t an alternative. This became very evident to me one day when I was walking to Great Ormond Street Hospital, and I realised I was really happy, somewhat blissed by all those options no longer being a factor.

At home I have a multitude of different pieces of clothing, some in case I put weight back on, some in case I lose weight, some I never even wear, some that I thought were funny shirts, and an insane amount of socks that I rarely wear. I thought owning this much stuff would give me options to fit every situation, but the reality is that I tend to wear the same t-shirts and trousers all the time and further to this, the sheer amount of clothes I have make me feel rather unhappy with how much space it all takes up.

For my trip I packed inside my 65L bag;

Fjallraven Greenland Messenger Bag, Large

Laptop (charger & mouse)

Earbuds

Anker plug & USB C - USB C (didn't use plug, hotel had USB c points)

Anker Nano Power Bank 

Anker Zolo x2 (only needed 1)

Book (barely read)

Water Bottle (Sistema Insulated)

Water Bottle (Polar Gear 750ml)

Hot Water Bottle (useful during migraine attack)

Loops Quiet 2 (didn’t use)

Fjallraven Abisko Shorts

Fjallraven Abisko Trousers

5xT-Shirt

Arc’teryx Lightweight Fleece

8xPairs of Socks

8xBoxer Shorts

Baseball Cap

Harem Pants (Comfies for hospital)

Baggy T-Shirt (Comfies for Hospital)

Crocs (For Hospital - Flip Flops would have been better and lighter)

Toiletries Bag

Snack Bag (selection of Gluten Free cereal bars/breakfast pots; coffee for the morning; selection of herbal teas)

Inside my Toiletries Bag was; 

Lumin Daily Wash

Lumin Daily Moisturiser

Beard Shampoo 

Shower Gel (used hotels)

Toothbrush

Toothpaste (small x2, only needed one)

Nivea moisturiser (Small pot)

Deodorant 

Moustache wax (didn't use)

Travel beard brushes (small brush, comb, detangler)

Perfume 

Hand moisturiser

Flannel

Contact Lenses (didn't use)

Dental Picks

Nurofen Plus (one sleeve) 

Nurofen Express (two sleeves)

Compeed Blister Plasters (not used)

During this time away I have realised some of the things I tend to pack aren’t really needed, while some other things I have seriously missed. For one, I wish I’d packed my moustache scissors and nail clippers. A second thing of note is that my first aid kit (or a dumbed down version) would have been useful as I needed a plaster at one point. Lastly, and the big thing I really missed - my own kitchen! Or at the very least a fridge. There were plenty of places to eat, but being unable to eat gluten made things rather stressful. In hindsight it would have been cheaper and easier if I’d just taken some pre-packed expedition foods.

Since getting home I’ve started to add some of these feelings and realisations into my everyday life, to begin with I got rid of about 12 or so t-shirts I never wear, giving those to charity. With that cull in mind, my wardrobe is still full of stuff, but slowly I’m getting through it. Another thing I’ve done is watch The Minimalists movie, which really resonated with me in some areas. I don’t think I’ll ever go to that extreme - I love having things in my house that show who I am, have meaning to me, I have a decent sized house and I enjoy filling it with art and random quirky little things. But there are areas of my life that can be streamlined and can help me make my life a little more fuller, wholesome, and happy without heavy consumption of goods I don’t need.