There’s a lot we used to own that we don’t any more. A LOT. Many of you have asked how that’s going. The real answer is that we turn out to have brought with us more than we need. Really! In fact, since our last stuff-reckoning, about six weeks ago, we’ve sent back to the US one of our two giant suitcases. (Thank you, lady-relative – we love you!!) It’s about a quarter full of clothes we love but don’t need at the moment. Also our two calendars, which we’ve slimmed down to a shared one, and some journals we’ve filled. We’ll buy a carry-on suitcase before our next move, and fit everything in there. (Fascinatingly, they are for sale everywhere in Istanbul; we have no idea why.) Our grand plan is to get down to two small suitcases, but that degree of minimalism might take a little while.
More importantly, though, we’ve discovered the overpacking tendency is about fear. What if I need a sling for my arm? What if I run out of deodorant and smell bad for a day, or if they don’t have my brand of protein bars? The more we travel, the more we realise that most things are not an emergency. Experiences in doing without are good for the soul; making do with what you have creates resilience and builds self-efficacy.
We thought we had a lot to say about this, but it turns out that our friend Douglas Durham has said it already, better than we would, twenty years ago. So we thought we’d share with you an updated version of his excellent article about ultralight backpacking. (It takes minimalism to a whole new level!) We’re planning to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in the next year or two, so we’ve been thinking a lot about what we can carry on our back. As you’ll see from Douglas’ article, we’ll probably overpack there too. Enjoy the article- and let us know what you think of it!
