57 things: that’s how many things I’ll be carrying with me as I travel the world.
To travel around the world, I knew I was going to have to pack light. Some people class it as minimalism… and I suppose that it is… but rather than wax philosophical about it, the reality is that the less I have, the less I have to worry about, keep track of, and carry.
I’m inspired in part by the many people who have gone before me, carrying so few items to so many faraway places.
Here’s a list of the ones that stuck with me:
- Colin Wright’s All 55 Things I Own
- How to travel the world for 9 months with 1 backpack (about 100 items)
- Leo Babauta’s 50 things
- Radical Minimalism: My 43 Possessions
- Travel Light, Travel Anywhere: The Ultimate Light Packing List (about 60 items)
So, in the interests of accountability and for future reference, I have listed what I will be carrying with me. But first, some rules:
- An item’s cables/attachments are counted with the item. e.g. My laptop’s power adapter is counted as part of my laptop
- Consumables are not counted. Examples of consumables are toiletries, cash, and paperwork.
- Others count all socks or all underpants as one. I don’t (though sometimes I’m tempted to think of them as consumables)
All 57 things I own:
- Vintage wool blazer
- Wool cardigan
- Vintage wool vest
- Handmade wool scarf
- Saba blue hoodie
- Smart shirt
- Smart shirt
- Fleece vest
- Green long-sleeved t-shirt
- Light-blue graphic t-shirt
- Blue t-shirt
- White graphic t-shirt
- Wool trousers
- Smart trousers
- Blue jeans
- Black jeans
- Pyjama top
- Pyjama bottom
- Light-blue underpants
- Blue underpants
- Black underpants
- Green underpants
- Striped socks
- Striped socks
- Brown socks
- Striped socks
- Black leather belt with steam engine belt buckle
- Tree belt buckle
- Essendon Bombers belt buckle
- Camper casual shoes
- Smart shoes
- Small satchel
- Black leather carry-on bag
- Prescription sunglasses with case
- Prescription spectacles
- Wallet for cards
- Wallet for money
- Passport
- Apple MacBook Air 11-inch with power adapter
- Apple iPad (1st Gen) with felt case
- Apple TV with cables
- Apple iPhone 4S with USB cable and charger
- Apple 1TB Time Capsule
- Apple Magic Mouse
- Apple Airport Express
- In-ear headphones
- WD 1.5TB portable USB hard drive
- 4GB USB flash drive
- Nintendo DS Lite
- International power plug adapters
- Moleskine notebook
- Curtin Alumni pen (it’s got my name on!)
- Electric razor
- Comb
- Business cards
- Paperback book: Paul Theroux’s Riding the Iron Rooster
- Paperback book: Paul Theroux’s The Old Patagonia Express
Carrying but not included in the above list:
- Apartment booking paperwork
- Foreign currency (I have some HKD from last time, not to mention РУБ and GBP)
- Toiletries
As you can see, there are lots of items I could do without in that list — I can count at least 7 — but I’m just not willing to let go of them yet.
I plan to do this again in six months when I say goodbye to Hong Kong, so we’ll see how I go then with shedding the excess items!
12 of those things are gadgets or gadget related. High, but not surprising. What does blow my mind is that you have TWO PAIRS OF SHOES! I go away for a weekend with more shoes than that!
Kate: Yes, you’re right, I probably have too many gadgets! And, I must admit, a few of them are “shared” gadgets. Maybe I can move one or two over to the girlfriend’s luggage?
Absolutely you should!
Well it’s all counted now, so, maybe next time I count again, I’ll not include the shared items (or I’ll put them in a separate list). I see at least 3 items that could work that way… so it might help bring the list down to fewer than 50!
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I think that’s a completely acceptable number of gadgets. I’d even let you add a digital dictaphone and mini video camera (I’m a researcher at heart – never now when you’re going to find a participant). And I took almost that many gadgets for a two and a bit week trip to the UK recently. But, I am the kind of girl who carries three different AV adapters and a data cable in her handbag. Also, I reckon the mouse is like a cable – counted with the laptop.
Kate: Hmm… mouse as part of the computer, eh? Might have to make that a new rule when I next count everything.
And my iPhone = dictaphone & video camera, no?
Is it high? I’ll admit I didn’t expect the time capsule AND the external hard drive, or that many travel adapters.
My own list would be fairly similar, although I’d have some thermals, no DS, less external storage, and some headwear.
Better make that 58 things, you didn’t put the large Satchel in there.
Now I’m really feeling inspired to get rid of my stuff even sooner. I think I’ll be doing an online garage sale much like yourself
Heather: Ah-ha! Actually I had the large satchel in the original list but decided to remove it. I just forgot to remove the picture. Well spotted. Thanks!
Great idea for the online garage sale. People seem to love browsing a spreadsheet of your stuff even more than browsing your house full of it. If your experience is anything like mine, be prepared for people competing for your stuff – first in, first served!
Geez, I’d have more than that just in my everyday carry bag. In fact, if I itemised my first-aid kit in my EDC I’d have more than that. I like stuff
Haha…I like stuff, too, Nathanael. I just hate keeping track of it all.
You inspired me to do a similar visual catalogue of stuff I just carry around every day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/purecaffeine/6703951475/
This is great! How’d you create the grid? I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to do it as one image.
This is brilliant. I shall be following you!
Thanks Keyna. Should be fun!
Mat would LOVE if I could have this much stuff at home and cull Travis’ toys the same. Hope he doesn’t see this blog
Oops. I just shared it with him. Did I do a bad thing?
So you know I bow down at the altar of jobs as much as the next fanpeeps but if you’re being minimalist do you need the laptop, tv, mini and iPad? Still this blog has given me a lot to think about as I pack up my house and move back to brissie.
Also nice btub shirt
Mini? That’s a Time Capsule. It’s for backup!
And nice work spotting the #BTUB shirt.
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to notice.
This is fantastic. Such a great collection of images, and also a brilliant idea! Also: well done getting it down to 57. That can’t have been easy.
It was easier than I thought, actually.
I think I’ll be able to get it below 50 next time.
Haha I did the same thing for my trip in April. Also, do yourself a favour and get a universal power adapter (great piece of kit) –> http://www.amazon.com/All—One-Travel-Power-Adapter/dp/B000YN01X4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326693438&sr=8-3
Oh, I remember that now! What’s the link? I’ll include it in the list above.
And that universal power adapter looks INSANE. I half expect it to have wi-fi functionality built-in.
Paperbacks really?
Get yourself a Kindle young Greg!
I have an iPad! The paperbacks are really for those times when either: 1) the iPad battery is flat (very rare); or
2) when you’re not allowed to use any electronic items, i.e. take-off and landing. In-flight magazines are super boring.
Or just get the Amazon Kindle app on your existing iPad for the time being and get those 2 books. Unless you really want a Kindle. I don’t see the point having Kindle and an iPad and an iPhone. Just 2 would be fine. I recently gave away my Kindle as I had trouble finding time for all 3 devices on top of my computer.
Now that I think about it, this would be interesting to do for my day pack for work. My backpack is an all-situations-preparedness kit for I.T. and weighs about 8kg haha.
8KG for every day?? You’d get fit lugging that around.
You should definitely do a cull, take a pic of everything, and share it. Would love to see it.
I have half a garage full of stuff in storage for when I get home. Had a quite a bit more that that when I came over to Japan. Managed myself and my daughter with three suitcases and two carry on bags. Have horded heaps since I got here though. Dreading the homeward trip in 4 weeks.
The only things I have in storage with my parents are nostalgic items or paperwork: old records for tax purposes, my birth certificate, my baby photos, etc.
I think it’s easier to just get rid of all the furniture and stuff. As I see it, you can always buy more and there’s no way to know how much of it you’d need later on, so best to just start from scratch.
Hmmm ! Only 4 pairs of undies ???? Hope I don’t sit next to you on the plane. ☺
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