The What, Why and How of Minimalist Travel
What is Minimalist Travel
In its simplest form, minimalist travel is packing only the bare essentials, and leaving everything else behind.
It's the conscious decision to pack less, knowing you may have to sacrifice some modern comforts and/or style, in exchange for freedom, flexibility, and a much smaller backpack.
For example, my base packing list consists of just seven "big ticket" items.
1) Passport and wallet, 2) phone and headphones, 3) laptop and mouse, 4) sleep mask and ear plugs, 5) charging cables, 6) toiletries, and 7) one week's worth of clothes.
Everything I travel with fits in a standard laptop bag or a small hiking backpack. You can see my current (2024) packing list here.
Everyone's packing list will look different, but my goal with this site is to advocate for the benefits of minimalist travel while sharing tips and tricks to help you minimize your pack.
Why Minimalist Travel
There are many benefits to minimalist travel and many reasons to give it a try.
From a practical perspective, minimalist packing equates to easier travel, flexible travel plans, no lost luggage, simplicity in packing, and less fear of lost or stolen luggage.
From a philosophical perspective, minimalist travel can bring peace of mind, a simplified lifestyle, a taste of humility, and a profound sense of freedom.
By disconnecting from what we're told we need, we often find ourselves reconnecting to what we actually need, which isn't a lot when it comes to material things.
"The things you own, end up owning you." - Tyler Durden, Fight Club
Beyond the practical or philosophical benefits, you might look at minimalist travel as a way to reduce waste and minimize your impact on the environment - learning to live with less, by nature, reduces waste; and when you return home after six months of living out of a backpack, your eyes will open to all the things you didn't need that entire time, these realizations can translate into lifelong changes that drastically reduce your footprint.
There are a ton of benefits of minimalist travel, covered extensively in my next article, but the important thing to note is that minimalist travel is a lot easier than you might think.
How To Minimalist Travel
In my post What If I Told You - I argue that the only things you need to travel are a passport, a way to pay for things, your phone (nowadays), and the clothes on your back - not even a backpack.
That's a bit extreme for most people, but it highlights an important point, you can literally, and with appropriate documentation, go anywhere in the world with just your phone, passport, and access to cash.
It's that simple, and always will be.
Of course, that's not to say you should travel like this; my point is to illustrate how little you actually need to travel, and to remind everyone that if you're going to a place where people live, you're going to find everything you need to live, from running water and shelter to climate-specific clothing and smartphones.
"If you're going to a place where people live, you're going to find everything you need to live.."
Minimalist travel starts with the recognition that, aside from a few basic items, you don't need to pack for every situation, every activity, every dress code, every climate, or every possible catastrophe.
The "how" of minimalist travel is a big question, and answering it will involve several articles; as a starting point, I recommend checking out these high-level overviews.
16 Things You Should NEVER Pack (for Long-Term Travel)
6 Packing Rules You Should ALWAYS Follow (for Long-Term Travel)
The Top 10 Ways to Minimize Your Pack (under construction)
Further Reading
For a list of the benefits of minimalist travel, and how it can help you, check out The 12 Major Benefits of Minimalist Travel.
For a deeper dive on the how-to of minimalist travel, check out our How-To Guides and Packing Tips.
Final Thoughts
Minimalist travel will look different for everyone, and reasons for trying it can vary from person to person, but it ultimately comes down to consciously defining and prioritizing what's important, what's necessary, and what's nice to have.
The beauty of minimalist travel is that it evolves uniquely for each person, shaping the type of experiences you place at the core of your travel memories. Whether you travel for work, adventure, or peace of mind, a minimalist approach can bring focus, clarity, and a deeper connection with the world around you.
If you're interested in staying up to date on the latest travel hacks, packing tips, and space-saving tools, feel free to sign up for our newsletter, and as always, happy travels!
Read Next: The 12 Major Benefits of Minimalist Travel
