ContentsCoverTitleCopyrightIntroduction:WhyTravelLight?FreedomFromBurdenPartI:UltralightTravelChapter1:TravelingLightIsn'taCompetitionChapter2:WhatIt'sLiketoTravelwithOneBagChapter3:WhyWePackTooManyClothes,&HowtoCutBackChapter4:ClothingSystemChapter5:ElectronicsChapter6:ToiletriesChapter7:Water&FoodChapter8:WhatYouDon'tNeedChapter9:Don’tPackYourFearsChapter10:WhatBag?Chapter11:GettingThroughAirportsChapter12:Apartments&HotelsChapter13:GettingAroundCities&WheretoGoChapter14:LongerTripsChapter15:FlexibleMind,FlexibleTravelChapter16:UsefulTravelAppsChapter17:TravelMiles&CardsChapter18:MyPackingListChapter19:UltralightHikingPartII:LivingLightlyChapter20:WhatIt'sLiketoLiveWithoutTooMuchStuffChapter21:LessClothingChapter22:Books&PapersChapter23:LessOtherStuffChapter24:Electronics&DigitalSimplicityChapter25:DealingwiththeUrgetoBuyChapter26:AFinalWordonLivingLightlyAboutTheAuthor

Ultralight

TheZenHabitsGuidetoTravelingLight&LivingLight

LEOBABAUTA

PublishedbyPipeDreamsPublishing,inNorthernCalifornia.

Thisbookisuncopyrighted.Theauthorandpublisherreleaseallrightstotheworkcontainedherein.Freelyusethetextasyoulike.

CoverdesignbySpyr,interiordesignbyShawnMihalik.

INTRODUCTION:WHYTRAVELLIGHT?FREEDOMFROMBURDEN

WhenEvaandIfirststartedtraveling(afterbeingtoobroketotravelforyears),wewenttoThailand,thenTokyo,andthenLondonandParis.Weluggedaroundbigduffelbagsonthosetrips,whichwerecheckedluggage.

Theywereloadedupwithclothesandtoiletriesandotherthingstogiveuscomfortandafeelingofpreparednessasweheadedoutofourcomfortzonetonewlands.

Butwe'dgettiredfromdraggingthosebagsnotonlyonplanesbutalsotrains,subways,buses,taxis,andwalkingalongcitystreets.Travelwasfun,butweigheddownbytheseheavybags.

OntheLondon/Paristrip,wedecidedweneededtomakeachange.Webarelyusedmostofthethingsinourbigbags.Sure,weweretravelinglighterthanalotofpeople,butwerealizedwehadsomuchwecouldcut.

Sowestartedbymakingalist:whatdidwenotuseonthelasttrip?We'dleavethosebehindnexttime.Whatcouldwedowithout?Wereadaccountsofotherpeopletravelinglightly,bothmenandwomen,anddecidedweweregoingtocutback.

Theresultisthatourbagsgotlighterandlighter...untiltheywerenolongerburdens,butthingswebarelynoticed.

Thefreedomthatresultedwassoincredible.Wefeltliberated.Wecouldtravelfaster,farther,happier.Sure,wegaveupahandfulofcomforts,butinreturnwegotthecomfortofbeingunburdened.

Thesedayswemovelightlythroughourtravelsasweseepeoplesloweddownbybigrollerluggage,orwaitingafteraflightfortheircheckedluggage.Wegetstaresfromthecustomspeople,whoask,"Isthatallyou'rebringingfortwoweeks?"

We'vetraveledforamonthwithonesmallbackpackeach,withnoproblems.We'vegoneonmulti-week,multi-countrytrips.Wearehappierthaneverwhenwetravel.

Whytravellight?Here'swhatI'vefound:

Youdon'tgetastired.You can walk around a city with everything you're carrying and it's noproblem.Gettingthroughairportsisfasterandeasier.Youcangothroughmultiplecountriesandcitieswithoutslowingdown.Youlearnthatyoudon'tneedasmuch.Youstarttobecomecomfortablewithless,andabletogetbyonverylittle.Youareliberatedfromburdens!

Idon'tjudgepeoplewithlotsofluggage,butIwillhonestlynevergoback.I'vefalleninlovewithless,andlovetravelingtheworldlightly.

Isharethisbookwithyounottobrag,nottotellyouhowtolive,butinhopesthatyou'llfindsomeinspirationfromwhatI'velearned,andthatyou'lllovetravelinglightlyaswell.

PartI:UltralightTravel

Inthisfirstpartofthebook,we’lllookathowtotravellightly,andwhatIrecommend.

CHAPTER1:TRAVELINGLIGHTISN'TACOMPETITION

Onceyougetintoultralighttraveling,it'seasytogetintothecomparisongame:howlightismypackcomparedtohis?CanIgetminesmallersothatI'llhavesomeminimaliststreetcred?IknowI'vefallenforthetemptation,morethanonce,butI'velearnedthatit'satrap.

Thisisn'taboutwhosebagissmaller.It'snotaboutbeingbetterthananyoneelse.Thisisaboutlivinglifeyourway,onyourterms...andfindingthefreedomtodosobynotcarryingahugeburdenonyourback.

Sodon'tgetintothetrapofcomparingyourstufftoothers'stuff.That'snotwhatthisbookisabout.

It'snotaboutgettingyourbagtoacertainsizeorweight.It'snotaboutshowingoffyoursetuptoanyoneelse.IhesitatetosharemysetupbecauseIworryaboutcomingacrossthatway,andworryaboutotherstryingtocomparethemselvestome.

ButIdecidedtowritethisbookandsharewhatIdoforotherreasons:

In hopes of inspiring people to go lighter and experience the joys oftravelinglightthatI'vediscovered.Withtheideaofchallengingpeopletorethinktheirwayofdoingthings,totossoutoldideasandexperimentwithnewones.BecauseIknowotherswhowanttolightentheirloadbutdon'tknowhowtogetstarted—andIthinkthatbytalkingaboutthenutsandboltsofdoing

this,itmightbeuseful.

Let'smakeanagreement:youtakeawayanyinformationandinspirationthatyoufindusefulfromthisbook,anddon'tworryaboutdoingwhatIdo,gettingaslight(orlighter)thanme,comparingyourselftomeoranyoneelse.Deal?

Alright,let'sdoitthen!

CHAPTER2:WHATIT'SLIKETOTRAVELWITHONEBAG

I'llwalkyouthroughatypicaltrip,travelingwithonelightbag.

Planning&PackingIstartbyplanningthetrip:researchingthedestination,figuringoutdates,

bookingticketsandanAirbnbapartment,checkingouttheweather.Thedaybeforethetrip(oroftenthemorningof),Igetoutmybagandpack.

Ialmostalwaystakethesamethings,andalotofthosethingsarestoredinonespotinmycloset,sopackingisassimpleaslayingeverythingout,puttingtheminpackingcubes,andtossingtheminmybag.Ittakes10minutes.I'llalsocheckinonlineandgetmyboardingpassonmyphone.

Airport&PlaneIchecktomakesureIhavemypassportandotheressentials,thenhopona

traintotheairport.Idon'thavetocheckabag,solongairportlinesareskipped.IhaveTSAPrecheck,soIskipmostofthesecuritylineanddon'thaveto

takeoffmyshoesortakeoutmylaptop...soit'sabout5-10minutesthroughsecurity.

ThenI'matmygateinanother5minutes.BreezingthroughtheairportmeansIdon'thavetogettheretooearly.Istillgettothegateabout20minutes

beforeboardingstarts,justbecauseIdon'tliketorush,butit'sastress-freetimeforme.

Iboardtheplane,putmysmallbagundertheseat,andstartreadingorwriting.EventuallyIgettiredofthisandwatchamovie.ThenwearriveandIgrabmybag,getoff,headthroughimmigrationchecks,andbreezethroughcustoms.Iskipthewaitforcheckedbaggageatthebaggagecarousel,soI'musuallyoutoftheairportfasterthan95%ofotherpassengers.

TheCityIgetsomeforeigncurrencyfromanATMattheairport,thenjumponatrain

tothedestinationcity.AtthispointIcanjuststartwanderingaround,getabitetoeat,orfindmyAirbnbapartmentandrest.

Iexplorethecity,usuallycarryingmybagsoIhavelayerstoputonandwaterifImightneedit.RepeatthiseverydayI'minthecity.ImightmeetupwithlocalsifIhavetime.

Iwashclothesinthesinkorshowerasneeded,usuallyevery2-3days,anddrytheoutintheclosetorbathroom,soIalwayshavefreshclothestowear.

IfI'mgoingtomultiplecities,I'llpackupmybagandjumponatraintotheothercity.Ordotheairportthingagain,butagain,it'sasimpleandeasyaffair.

ThenIgohome,unpackafewthings,andthat'sit!Everythingiseasy,unburdened,lightandfree.

Ofcourse,noteverythingisalwaysthatideal,butI'dsayforthemostpartthisrepresentsmytravel.

CHAPTER3:WHYWEPACKTOOMANYCLOTHES,&HOWTOCUTBACK

Here'sthethingaboutclothing:everyonebringstoomany.Andtherearethreemainreasonspeoplebringtoomanyclothes:

1. Theywanttolookgood.Dressstylishforwalkingurbanstreets,lookgoodonthebeach,lookdressyatrestaurants.

2. Theyplanongoingtothingsthatrequireveryspecifickindsofclothes.Forexample,aMichelinstarredrestaurantinPariswillrequireasuitwithdressshoes.

3. Theywanttofeelprepared.Youdon'tknowwhatsituationswillcomeup,whereyou'llwanttogo,howyou'llfeelthatday,whattheweatherwillbelike...soinordertofeelprepared,youbringlotsofextraclothes.

Thesearealllegitimatereasons,andI'mnotgoingtoknockanyoneforpackingwiththesereasons(orothers).

However,whatI'vefoundisthatnoneofthisisnecessary.I'vegoneondozensoftripsandnotneededtopacksomuch,becauseIkeepmyplanssimpleandlearnhowtobepreparedwithoutbringingtoomuch.

Let'sgointothesereasons--we'lltalkaboutthefirsttworeasonsfirst,thencoverthethirdreason.

LookingGood&FancyOccasionsIliketolookgoodasmuchasthenextfellow.However,Ihavelearnedto

simplifymytastes,andrealizethatwhenIgoonatrip,prettymuchnoonecareshowIlook.Peoplearemuchtoofocusedonhowtheylook,andaslongasyoudon'tlooklikeanabsoluteidiot,theywon'tevennotice.Ifyoulookamazing,theyprobablystillwon'tnotice.Sowhat'sthepoint?

Ikeepmycolorschemetosomethingreallybasic(boringblacks,greys,blues)andjustfocusonlookingfunctionallygood.Youcouldchooseanothercolorscheme,orwildpatternsforallIcare,butthemainthingistokeepyourneedssimple.

AnotherthingI'vefoundisthatnoonenoticesifyouwearthesamethingeveryday.Seriously.ItmightfeelweirdtowearthesamepantsandT-shirtcomboeverysingleday,butonthetripsI'vegoneon,either1)Idon'tknowanyoneandrarelyseethesamepeopletwice,or2)Ihangoutwithfriends(neworold)andtheystilldon'tnoticethatIdressthesame.Ortheydoandjustacceptitbecauseitreallydoesn'tmatter.IfsomeonecaredsomuchabouthowIdressed,theyprobablywouldn'tbeafriendofmine,tobehonest.

Finally,let'stalkaboutdressingforcertainoccasions.WhenEvaandIfirststartedtraveling,wewenttofancyrestaurants,andpackedextraclothesjustforthosedinners.OurfirsttriptoEurope(LondonandParis),webookedafancyrestauranteveryothernight,andworethesameniceclothestoallofthem...butitwasstillalotofextrastufftocarry(dressshoesalonetakeupalotofspace).

Wedecidedafterthattripthatweweredone.Thatwasenoughforus.Westoppedgoingtofancyrestaurants,oronlywenttoonesthatwerecasualenoughforustowearcasualclothes.Evenfairlyniceoneswillusuallynotcareifyouweardecentbutnotdressyclothes.

Sowehavechangedourtravelingstyletofitthiskindofpacking.Yes,wecouldgotofancierrestaurantsorpartiesorthelike,butwe'reactuallyjustashappygoingtomorecasualplaces.Morehappy,actually,asitmeanswehavelesstocarry.

I'mnotgoingtotellyouthatyoushouldn'tgowhereveryouwant.I'monlysuggestingthatyoudon'tneedtogoanywherefancyinordertohaveagreattripandbehappy.

BeingPreparedWetendtopackourfears.Thatmeanswepacktoomuchbecausewethink

wemightneedit.We'reafraidthatwe'llbeunprepared,soweoverpack.Instead,I'vefoundthatallIneedisasimplesystemthatpreparesforthe

mostlikelyscenarios—includingwherewe'llbegoingandwhattheweatherwillbelike.

First,Ithinkthroughwherewe'llbegoing.Arewegoingtothebeach?Hikinginthemountains?Walkingcitystreets?Nicerestaurants?

ThenIthinkthroughwhattheminimumthatIneedwillbe.CanIpackshortsthatIcanswiminandalsosleepinandworkoutin?Thatmeansjustonepairofshorts!

Ialsolookupwhattheweatherwillbelike.Ifit'scold,I'llneedtobringmorelayers.HotmeansI'llneedfewerlayersanddefinitelyshorts.Ialwaysprepareforrain,becauseyoucan'treallypredictit,andalsoalightrainjacketiseasytothrowinthepack.

Thebestwaytobepreparedistobringlayers.Thenyoucanputlayersonifit'scolder,takethemoffifit'swarmer,andadjustasyougo.Morelayersifit'sgoingtobecold,ofcourse.

I'llgetintothedetailsofthissysteminthenextchapter,butfornowit'senoughtoknowthatyoudon'tneedtooverpackandbringextrasofeverythingtobeprepared.Don'tpackyourfears!

CHAPTER4:CLOTHINGSYSTEM

Giventhatwe'dliketocarryaslittleextraclothingaspossible,it'simportanttodevelopaflexible,lightweightclothingsystem.

Here'swhatIrecommendforsuchalightweightsystem:

1. Takeasfewextrapiecesofclothingaspossible.2. Bring layers, but keep the layers light inmost cases (unless you're going

intosub-freezingweather,thenyou'llwantsomeheavierlayers).3. Bewillingtowashyourclothesbyhandevery2-3daystopreventhavingto

bringextras.Youcanwashlessoftenifyou'rewillingtowearyourclothesafewtimesbeforeyouwashthem.Forexample,Icanwearashirtforatleastthreedaysbeforeitneedswashing(unlessIsweatheavilyinit),andpantscango 5-7 days (depending on dirt and sweat levels of whatever activity I'mdoing).UnderwearissomethingIonlywearonce.

I'llusuallyscopeoutadestinationbeforedecidingonlayers—whatistheweathergoingtobelike?Butinmostcases,fromspringtofall,Ijustbringthesamethings.

Here'smysystem:Wearontheplane:Pants(washable,notjeans),underwear(notcotton),

shirt(syntheticworkout,runningoryogashirt),tennisshoesandrunningsocks.

ThishappenstobetheoutfitI'llwearalmosteveryday,soIbringclothesthatwilldryquicklywhenIwashthem.

Layers:EitherasyntheticlightweightlongsleeveT-shirttowearovertheshortsleeveT-shirt,orafleecehoodieifit'sgoingtobecolder.Ifit'sreallycold,I'llbringlightweightbaselayerbottoms(Patagonialightweightcapilenebottoms)towearundermypantsifneeded.Ibringalightweightbeanieforheadwarmthifneeded.

Extras:Twoextrapairsofunderwearandsocks.Iwashtheseeverydayortwo,soIdon'trunout.Noextrapantsorshirts.

Sleepingorworkout:I'llusuallybringsomerunningshortstosleepin,andIcanworkoutinthemaswell.

Rain:I'llbringalightweightrainjacket(PatagoniaAlpineHoudiniorsomethingsimilarlylightandthin).Thisrainjacketdoublesasawindbreakerifit'scolderandwindyandIneedthatovermylongsleeveshirtorfleecetokeepthewindout.Noneedforrainpants,Icanletmypantsgetwetintherain.Ifit'swarmenough,Icanwearshortswhenit'sraining,asIdon'tneedrainprotectionformylegs,andthey'lldryoffquickly.

That'saboutit.Thissetupworksinmostcountriesinnon-winterweather.Otherthanwornclothing(whichagain,isjustpantsandaT-shirtandtennis

shoes),that'sjustthreeextrapiecesofclothing,plustwopairsofunderwearandsocksandlightbeanie.Superlight,worksjustabouteverywhereintheworld.

WashingClothesThissystemonlyworksifyou'rewillingto:

1. washclothesevery2-3daysbyhand(orinamachineifyourentanAirbnbwithawasher);or

2. Goforawhilewithdirtyclothes.

Personally,IcangoacoupledayswithoutwashingasIdon'tmindwearingclothesafewtimesbeforetheystarttosmell.ButIdon'tliketowearsmellyclothes.Everyonehastheirpersonalpreference.

Ifyou'renotwillingtowashbyhand,andyoudon’tliketogotoolongwithoutwashing...thenyou'llhavetobringmoreclothing.ButIhavetosay,yougetusedtowashingbyhand.Icertainlywasn'tatfirst,butIadjustedquickly,andnowitjustseemsnormal.Notdifficultatall.

Towash,Ijustwashinthebathroomsinkorintheshower.I'llgettheclothingwet,putsomesoaporshampoo(usuallyprovidedinahotelorAirbnbapartmentorhostel)andagitateitabit,thenrinse.Wringitoutgood,thenwrapinatowelandwringoutthetoweltogetoutextramoisture.Takesabouttwominutes,thenIhangtodryintheclosetoroverthebathtub.

It'sasimpleprocess.Idorecommendsyntheticclothing,asitdriesveryquickly(overnight),especiallyifyouusethetowelmethodImentionabove.Plusitdriesquicklyifyousweatorgetcaughtintherain.SomepeopleloveMerinowool,butasaveganIhaven'ttrieditandcan'trecommendit.

SpecialCircumstancesTherearesomesituationswhereyouneedotherkindsofclothing.You'lljust

havetoadjusttothoseeachtrip.Someexamples:

Winter. If you're going somewhere cold, a puffy insulated jacket andwarmerbaselayersareagoodidea.Withabaselayer,along-sleeveshirt,afleeceorpuffy jacket,andawindshe'll,youshouldbeprettywarm.Youmight need wind pants if it's going to be really cold and windy. Andwarmersocksandheadlayers.Dosomeresearchbeyondthisbookifyou'regoingintoextremecold.Veryhotplaces.Intropicalweather,you'reunlikelytoneedthebaselayersandwarmerclothing.Shorts,T-shirts,and flip flopsarebetterbets,alongwithbugandsunprotectionifneeded.Indesertclimates,you'llwanttodoa littlemore research, asmy clothing system isn't designed for extremeslikethat.Special sports. Obviously if you're going skiing, trekking into themountains, runninganultramarathon, sailingordoing someotherkindofspecialactivity,you'llneedtofigureoutwhatyouneed.Butthesameideascan apply—don't take themaximumyoumight need, but theminimumyou'relikelytoneed.

Again,dosomeresearch,andfigureoutwhatyourneedsare.Thenpacktheminimumlayersnecessary.

CHAPTER5:ELECTRONICS

I'maminimalist(kindof)whenitcomestoelectronics,butI'mnotaLuddite.Idon'treallygoon"vacations"—mytripsareacomboofworking/vacationtrips,soIenjoyadestinationbutIalsoworkeveryday.SoIneedthingslikeaphoneandalaptop.

Thatsaid,Ithinkwecaneasilyoverdoit.Wedon'tneedathousandgadgetsandcords,justahandful.

Here'swhatIbring:

1. Phoneandcord.IuseaniPhone6satthemoment,withT-Mobilefamilyplanthatincludesfreeinternationaldatainmostcountries.Plusthepowercord.

2. Smallextrabattery.Irarelyneedanextrabattery,asIchargemyphoneeverynightandprettymuchneverrunoutduringtheday.ButwhenIdo,it'snicetohavehalfachargetogetmehome.SoIpackaMophiepowerreserve (1,300mAh),which justweighs1.5ozandcanbechargedwithmyiPhonecord.

3. Laptopandcord.IusethelatestMacBook,whichisjust2lbs.(lessthan1kg).It'snotapowerhouse,butIcandoeverythingIneedforworkonthis,andit'sprettylightweight.

4. Lightweight power adapter. I bring the Kikkerland universal traveladapter everywhere. It's small, adapts to pretty much every power outlet

systemI'veeverseen,weighsverylittle.

That'sallIneedforanytrip.

WhatIDon'tBringNow,Irealizemyneedsaredifferentthanyours...buthere'swhatIdon't

bringanymore:

Camera:IactuallyhaveafairlyniceDSLR,andittakesamazingphotos.But it's heavy, and I actually dislike carrying it around. Yes there arelightweight digital cameras, but they're not that much better than myphone'scamera.Ofcourse,I'mnotaprofessionalphotographer,butfortherestofus,I'dsayaphoneisenough.Andthismeansyoudon'tneedextrabatteriesforthecamera,abatterycharger,acameracase,etc.Big reserve battery: Some people bring 10K mAh batteries, but unlessyou'regoingtobeoff thegridfor5-6days,I'vefoundthoseunnecessary.Let's say you're going to be off the grid for 3 days ... you can put yourphoneonairplanemode,andstilltakepicsandconnecttotheInterneteveryonceinawhiletocheckonthings.Aslongasyou'renotusingthephoneallday,yourbatterycanlastforafewdays.Kindle.IactuallyhaveaKindle,andloveit.ButIcanreadjustaswellonmyphone.Tablet:It'sfunny,becauseasIwritethis,I'mwritingonaniPadminiwithalightweightkeyboard.Itallweighsinataboutapound,halfofwhatmylaptopweighs. It's notbad,but Imuchprefermy laptop forgettingworkdone.Tabletsareniceforwatchingmovies,butIcandothatonmylaptopaswell.Portable wifi router. These are cool, but I've found the T-mobileinternationaldataplanenoughforme.SoIskipthis.

Theideasistogetawayfromsingle-purposedevicesliketheKindleandcamera,andseewhatyoucandowiththe1-2multi-purposedevicesyoubring.

CHAPTER6:TOILETRIES

I'm(fairly)minimalistwhenitcomestotoiletriesaswell.Iusedtobringalotmore,butnowI'vefoundIdon'tneedverymuch.

Here'swhatIbring:

TraveltoothbrushTraveltoothpasteTraveldeodorantTravelelectricclippers(forshavingmyhead)DentalflossIbuprofen(about6pills,justincase)Leukotape(smallroll,forblisterprevention)NailclippersEarplugsEyemaskRazor(Iusesoaptoshavemyfacewiththisrazor)

Thisallfitsinaverysmalltoiletrybag.I'vefoundthissuitsmyneedsverywell.

Irealizethatothershavedifferentneeds.Someofyouhavehair,soyouneedacombandhairproductperhaps.Womenhaveadditionalneeds,frommakeuptofemininehygieneproducts.I'mnotgoingtotellyouwhattobring.Theideaistoseehowlittleyoucangetbywith.

CHAPTER7:WATER&FOOD

Idon’tnormallytakealotofwaterandfoodwithme,butIthoughtI’daddressthistopicastheseareessentialpartsoftravel.Theydon’trequireatonofpackingorplanning,however.

WaterYouusuallycan’tbringwaterthroughairportsecurity,butit’sgoodtohave

wateronaplaneandwhenyoumovearoundyourdestination.SoIliketobringeitheracollapsiblewaterbottle(byVapurorPlaytpus,forexample)orjustanemptyplasticwaterbottle.Thesearelighterthanthealuminumreusablebottlesyou’llseealotofpeopleusing,whicharegreatbutbulkyandheavy.

Sobringanemptycollapsiblewaterbottle,andfillupattheairportaftersecuritysoyou’llhavewaterontheplane.Youcanalsocarryabitofwaterwithyouasyouwalkaround,andrefillasneeded.

Somedestinationsdon’thavedrinkablewater.Lookitupbeforeyougo,becauseyoudon’twanttogetsick—thatdoesn’tmakeforagreattrip.Atthesedestinations,justbuybottledwater,anddrinkandbrushyourteethwiththat.Simple,easy.

FoodAsavegan,itcanbeslightlymoredifficulttofindeatingchoicesinairports

andplacesthatarefilledwithfastfood.Imean,Icanalwaysfindfruit,salad,Frenchfries,thingslikethat…butoptionsaremorelimitedsometimes.SoIusedtooftenpackafewveganenergybars,buthonestlyIrarelyneedthemsoI’vestoppedpackingthem.

IusetheHappyCowappforvegantraveling,andalsowilllookupgoodveganrestaurantsbeforeItravelandmarkthemwithastaronGoogleMaps.ThatwayIhaveanappwithgreateatingoptionswhereverIgo,andamapwithsomeplacestocheckout.Youcandothisifyou’renotveganbutparticularaboutfood—healthyoptions,gluten-freeoptionsifyouhaveceliacsdisease,ormaybeyou’rejustafoodiewhowantsgoodplacestocheckout.

WhatthismeansisthatIoftendon’teateverythingthatothertravelerseat.Therearedozensofpastryshops,fastfoodplaces,standswithfriedmeats…andI’mOKwithmissingoutonthese.Honestly,thefoodIeatissodeliciousthatIdon’tmindwalkinganextrahalfmiletofindthem,andIdon’tmindmissingoutonwhatotherpeoplefinddelicious.Idon’tfeelI’mmissingoutatall!

Thatsaid,ifI’mworriedabouttherebeingveganoptions,Iaddressthisfearwithsomeresearch.GoogleandHappyCowaremyfriends.WhatcanIeat?WhatcanIfindinfoodmarkets,streetvendors,grocerystores?Ilookthisallupaheadoftime.AndifIcan,I’llasklocals.

Intheend,eatingdoesn’thavetoinvolvealotofworkorstress.Belesspicky,doabitofresearch,andenjoyyourself.

CHAPTER8:WHATYOUDON'TNEED

Ifyounoticedthelistsinthepreviouschapters,they'reallprettyminimal.Sure,somepeoplecouldtravelwithevenless,buttheideaistofigureoutwhattheessentialsare,andleavebehindtherest.Thismighttakesomeexperimentation.

OK,sohere'salistofthingsIhavefoundtonotbeessential.It'stotallyfinetotakesomeofthemasluxury,non-essentialcomfortitems...butyouprobablydon'twanttotaketoomanyofthem!

Here'sthelist:

Niceclothes-suits,fancydresses,thingsyou'dweartoahigh-endrestaurantorontherunway.Goforsimplicityandcomfort!Nice shoes - If you don't bring the nice clothes, you don't need the niceshoes. Go casual, andmake sure they're comfortable forwalking all dayaroundacity.Extra clothes - see the clothing system I described, and adapt it for yourneeds ...butyoudon'tneedanoutfit foreverydayyou'regoing to travel.Thistakesupthebulkofmostpeople'sbigsuitcases,soifyoucanreducetheextraclothingtoaminimum,yourluggagecanbedrasticallyreduced,downtoasmallbackpack!Extrashoes-justbringtheonepair.Seriously,I'veneverneededmorethanonepair, though I'veoftenconsideredbringingmore thanonepair. I likeeitherrunningshoesorConverse-stylelowtops.

Cottonclothes,jeans-everyonelovesjeans!Andcotton!Butthey'reheavy,theyaren'teasytowash,theytakeforevertodry,they'reuncomfortableandcoldwhenthey'rewet,andtheycanchafeifthey'rewetandyou'rewalkingaroundinthemallday.Wearsynthetics!Jacket-thesearebulkyandnotnecessaryformostplaces,evenifit'sfairlycold.Awind/rainshelloverfleeceandbaselayerorT-shirtisgoodenoughformostplaces.Addanextralayerifit'scolder.Hair straightener, dryer, curling iron - OK, I'm biased because I have ashavedhead(OK,bald)...butevenmywifewithherlonglovelyhairhasdroppedtheseitemsfromherpack.Shejustcombsherhairnow,andsomeplaceshavehairdryersbutoftenshe'lljustletitdrynaturally.Simple!Hair product - Eva gave up using hair products, just goes au natural andeverythingisfine.AndIcanconfirmshelooksgood.Lotsofmakeup-Evabringsalittlemakeup,butshe'sdroppedmostofhermakeupkit fromher travel pack. I think she takes like three little things.Yes,somewomenwillfeeltheyneedalotmore,butIchallengeyoutogominimalandseeifyoucanfunctionwithoutit.Lotsof toiletries - I'veneverusedverymuch in thisdepartment,butEvausedtobealotlessofaminimalisthere.She'sstrippedthisdowntoasmallpouchthatdoesthetrick.Wipes-babywipes,disinfectantwipes.Dropthem.First aidkit - I'veneverneeded this.A few ibuprofenpills shoulddo thetrick.Paper books - trustme, I lovepaper books asmuch as anyone. I used toalwayshaveatleastonepaperbookoneverytrip,andIstillendupbuyingabookonsometripsifIhappenuponanamazingindependentbookshop,just because I can't resist, plus Iwant to support these small booksellers.Buthonestly,booksareheavy,andyoucanloadathousandonyourphonewithzeroextraweight.Notebooks-foryearsIwouldbringalongaMoleskinenotebook,hopingtojournalorwriteor sketch.Barelyeverhappened, found Idon’tneed this.Justwriteinmyphoneorlaptop.Travelpillow-thesearenice,andbringoneifyouwant,butmostoftheseare bulky (the non-inflatable ones) and the inflatable ones aren't thatcomfortable.Imakedowithout.Towel-ifyou'reabigfanofHItchhiker'sGuidetotheGalaxy,likeIam,you'll gasp at the suggestion that youdon't need a towel.But you almostnever do.Hotels andAirbnb apartments all have them, and you can buy

locallyifyoueverneedone.Soap - if you have sensitive skin, you might want to bring your specialsoap,butyoucanbuymostkindsofsoapatyourdestination,probably.I'vebarely ever needed to buy soapwhere I go because it's usually providedwhereverI'mstaying.MP3player-useyourphone.Bluetoothspeaker-you’renotaDJ.Bringearphones!DSLR camera and assorted lenses and gear - if you’re serious aboutphotography, sure,bringa smallDSLRcamera.Butmostofus justwantsomenicetravelphotoswecanshareordocumentourtripwith,andyourcameraphoneworksjustfineforthat.GoPro-mostpeoplearen’tadventuretravelers,justuseyourcameraphone.Flashlight-useyourphone,butyouprobablywon'tneedit.Powerconverter-anadapterisnecessaryinmostforeigncountries,butyoudon'tneedaconverter,I'vefound.Electric toothbrush - I use one of these at home.When I travel, I go oldschool.Sunglasses - somepeople find these indispensable.AndI'msure ifyou'regoing into the snow, you need them. Otherwise, I think they're non-essential.Jewelry-you'renottravelingtowinafashionshow.Unlessyou'reamodel,travelingtoafashionshow.Then,youknow,dowhatyouneedtodo.Guidebooks - I used to always buy a guidebook forwhatever destinationI’mgoingto,but it’sbulkyandmostof it isn’tneeded.Instead,nowIdoresearchonlineandsavethekeyinfotoadocthatIcreatethat’saccessibleonmyphone.Adaypack—somepeoplebringabiggerbackpack(55Lforexample)andthenadaypackforwalkingaround.Justbringthedaypack!Anythingyoucanbuyifyouneedto-ifyoumightneeditbutyoucanbuyitwhereyou'regoing,justleaveitbehind.Youprobablywon'tneedit,andyoucanalwaysfinditifyoudo.

Thislistisn’tcomplete(therearelotsofotherthingsyoudon’tneed),norisitajudgmentonanyonewhobringsthesethings.Ionlywanttobringtheseupsoyou’llgivethemasecondthought,perhapsdropsomeofthemifyouagreeyoudon’tneedthem.

However,youdon’talwaysneedtobringthebareminimum.Ifyouwantto

bringalongnon-essentialsbecausethey’llmakeyourtripbetter,thenthat’stotallyfine.Idoitsometimestoo,especiallyifit’snottoomuchweightorbulk.Astheysayinhiking,“Hikeyourownhike.”

CHAPTER9:DON’TPACKYOURFEARS

Inthelastchapter,wetalkedaboutthingsyouprobablydon’tneedtobring.I’mguessingmanyofyouwillwanttobringsomeofthoseitems,andothernon-necessities…notoutofadesireforcomfort,butbecauseofafearthatyoumightneedthem.

Ilearnedfromultralightbackpackingthatpeoplepacktheirfears.Wealldo,myselfincluded.

Whatdoesthismean?Webringalongmorethanweneedbecauseofourfears.Weareworriedaboutunexpectedconditions:

Whatifthere’sastorm?WhatifIhavetogotoanightclub?WhatifIgetblisters,oraninjury?WhatifIgetstucksomewherewithnotenoughTVshowstowatch?WhatifIgetatearinmyclothes?WhatifIgetmugged?Whatifitgetsreallycold?Snows?

Andsoon.Allofthese“whatifs”representfearsoftheunknown,uncertainty.Andourwayofdealingwiththatuncertaintyandfearistotrytofeelprepared,bypackingmore.

I’mheretotellyouthatyoudon’tneedtopackmore.Thatwithsome

research,youcanfigureoutwhetheritislikelytosnow.Thatyoucanfigureouthowtodealwitharobbery,blister,injury,tearinyourclothing…withoutneedingtopackalotofextrathings.

Alotofthesefearslessenwhenyougetmoreexperience.Whatyougainisatrustthatyou’llbeabletohandlethingswhentheycomeup,andtheknowledgethatusually,noneofthesefearseveryactuallycometrue.Atrustthatthingswillworkoutjustfine.

Thiscomeswithexperience,becauseatfirst,youhavenoideawhatwillhappen,andthefearscanbeoverwhelming.I’msuggestingthatyouexperimentwithdroppingyourextrastuffimmediately,withoutneedingalltheexperience,andseeifyoucangetbywithoutit.Seeifyoucanhandleyourfearswithoutneedingtopackforthem.Trustthatthingswillworkout,despitethefears.

Thefearsaren’ttrue,andyouaremorecapablethanyoumightrealize.Foreveryfear,findouthowtodealwithitwithoutpackingforit—howcanyoudealwiththemostcommonproblemsonatripwithoutpackingforthem?

Forexample,wearinggoodrunningshoesorshoesmeantforwalkingcancutwaydownonblisters,alongwithwearinggoodsyntheticrunningsocks.Youcanpackalittleleukotape(maybeameterorso,rolleduponitself)tocoveranyhotspotsthatdevelop.Foratenthofanounce,you’vepreventedblisters!Orbuythetapeatyourdestination,onlyifneeded.

Sameforanyotherkindofinjury—everyplace,unlessyou’reawayfromcivilization,haspharmacies,soyoucanbuywhateveryouneedifyougethurt.Andmostinjuriesnevereverhappenanyway.

Ifyou’rehavingfearsandnotwantingtogiveupthingsinyourpackbecauseofthosefears…trythis:

WritedownyourfearWritedownthethingyouwanttopackResearchhowlikelythefearistohappenResearch if there are ways to deal with the likely ones without packinganythingTrygoingwithoutitandseewhathappens

Ifyoudopackyourfears,makeanoteaftereverytripaboutwhetherthefearcametrueornot,andwhatyouneededanddidn’tneed.Eventuallyyou’llbeabletoletthemgo.

CHAPTER10:WHATBAG?

Mostpeopleputalotofthoughtintowhatbag(s)tobringonatrip,becauseabagcanbeseenaspartofyouridentity.I’llbehonest,Iamnoexceptiontothis,evenifIdon’tthinkweshouldidentifywithourstuff.I’mhuman!

Onebag.Ithinkyoushouldbringonebag.Notasuitcaseandacarryon,justacarryon.Andjustonecarryon.Itmakeseverythingeasier,andforcesyoutochooseinsteadofallowingyoutobringathousand“justincase”items.Onebagisminimal,light,easy,convenient,andforceschoices.

Abackpack.Ialwaystravelwithabackpack,becauseit’stheeasiestthingtowalkaroundacitywith.Abackpackwithalightload—lessthan15lbs.(6.8kg),preferablylessthan10lbs.(4.5kg)—issupereasytocarryaround.Arollerbag,ontheotherhand,seemseasyifyourloadisheavier,butitmakesgoingupanddownescalators,throughsecurity,throughmetrostationsandonsubwaysandtaxis,allthroughacityonsidewalksandcrosswalks,somuchharder.Getagoodbackpack,don’toverloadit,andyou’regolden.

Lessthan20liters(orso).Thiswillbecontroversial,becauseeveryonehasdifferentneeds.Mostpeople,travelingwithonebag,willwantsomethinglargerthan30or40litersinvolume.ButI’vefound,unlessyouhavecertainspecificneeds(likeyou’reaprofessionalphotographerorathlete),theaveragetravelercangetbywithlessthan20liters.Evenifyou’retravelingforamonthortwo.Followtherecommendationsofthisbookandyoucandoit.Icangetbywithlessthan15liters(evenlessthan10litersmosttimes),butmybagisaround20litersbecauseit’sthebestbagIknowoffortraveling(MinaalDaily)soIgoaroundwithitalmosthalfempty.Mostpeoplecandolessthan20litersifthey

try.Otherthanthoserecommendations,therearelotsofgoodchoices!Hereare

justahandful:

1. Minaal(minaal.com).Ithinkoftheseguys,whoarefriendsofmine,asthegold standard of travel bag. Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but if youtravelalot,it’swhatyou’regoingtolivein.Soyouwantquality,andyouwant a lot of smart features. They’re usual carry on is big, like 34 liters(theyhatevolumemeasurementsforbags),buttheyhaveadaypackcalledthe Minaal Daily that’s just about perfect. I cut out some of the extrapocketsandfeaturestomakeitevenlighter,butthisiswhatItravelwithallthetimenow,throughmorethan20citiessofar.

2. TomBinh. I’ve actually never owned one of these but a lot of travelersswearbythesebags.Theylookwellmadeandlightweight,agoodcombo.I’dlookattheSynapse19ifIweregoingtogetoneoftheirpacks.

3. Osprey. A lot of people love this brand for backpacks. I think they’reperfectly fine, but most of their travel packs are meant for the averagetraveler,whichmeans40Lormore.I’d lookat theirTalon22orEscapist18forsomethingsmaller.

Therearedozensanddozensofothergoodoptionsoutthere.Theactualbagdoesn’tmatterasmuchaswhatyouputinit,andwhatyougetoutofit.

CHAPTER11:GETTINGTHROUGHAIRPORTS

Thegoodnewsisthattravelinglightmakesthehassleofgettingthroughairportsnearlystressfree.Seriously,alongwithacoupleothertips,travelingthroughairportsnolongerstressesmeout,andisactuallyenjoyable.

Here’swhatIdototravellightlythroughairports:

1. No checked bag. As I’ve made abundantly clear, I travel with just alightweightbackpack.Nocheckedbags,onlyonecarryon.SowhenIgototheairport,Ijustwalktosecurityandskiptheairlinecountercheckin.

2. Check in online, boarding pass on phone. I thinkmost people do this(checking inonline) thesedays,but combinedwithnocheckedbags, thismeansyoucutdownonwhatyouhavetodowhenyouget totheairport,andtheamountoftimeittakes.AfterIcheckinonline,Idomybesttogetamobileboardingpass,soIdon’tneedtoprintanything.IfIcan’tgetitonmyphone(soairlinesarebehindthetimes),Iprintitatanairlinekioskattheairport,takesabout2minutes.

3. GetGlobalEntry/TSAPrecheck. ForU.S. citizens only, but if you arethisisworthit—applyforGlobalEntryandyougetenrolledintheTSAPrecheck program automatically. It’s a bit of a hassle (lengthy onlineapplication,thengetanappointmentforashortinterviewattheairport)andit costs like$100.But some (good) travelcredit cardswill reimburse thisfee(seetravelmileschapter)andit’sgoodfor5years,whichisjust$20orsoperyear, totallyworthit ifyoutakemorethanoneortwotripsayear.Why is it worth it? Because you skip long lines at (most) TSA security

checkpoints,anddon’thaveto takeoffyourshoesorbelt,gothroughtheporno scanner, nor take out your laptop.Really cuts down on the hassle.Andifyoutraveltoanothercountry,whenyoureturntotheU.S.,youskipthelinesandittakeslike30secondstogetthroughimmigration.

4. Streamline the security checkin process. Whether you have TSAPrecheck or not, there are a few things you can do tomake the securitycheckpointseasier.Idon’twearabelt—pantsthatfitwellworkforme.Itake everything out of my pockets (including phone and passport) andthrow it in a pocket inmy backpack, while I’m standing in line, so thatwhenIgettothescreeningconveyorbelt,Ijustputmybagontheconveyorbelt andwalk through themetaldetector.That simple!Mostotherpeopleare fumbling with a million things when they get to the conveyor belt,whichjustslowseverythingdown.

5. Getthereslightlyearly.Ifyoudoalloftheabovepoints,bythetimeyouarrive at the airport, youhave about 10-15minutes beforeyou’re at yourgate. And since you don’t need to arrive at your gate until 15 minutesbefore departure (you don’t have to board when they start the boardingprocess!),youreallyonlyneedtogettotheairportlike30minutesbeforedeparture time.However…linescanbeunpredictable.SoI like toget totheairportabout80-90minutesbeforedeparturetime,whichmeansIhaveaboutanhourormoreatthegate.That’snotaproblem,becauseIjustgetoutmy laptop anddo someworkwhile I top offmyphone battery at anavailable outlet. This removes all stress, getting there a bit early. I don’trecommend 2 hours early, that’s way too much cushion if you’vestreamlinedlikeIhave.

Honestly,airportsaren’tthatbad,evenifyoudon’tstreamlineasmuchasIdo.Ijustliketomakeiteveneasier.

ArrivingataDestinationAirportAfteryourplanelands,youneedtogetthroughtheairportandtoyourapartmentorhotel.Thispartisprettystressfreetoo.

Here’swhatIdo:

1. Immigration. In other countries, there’s nothing that can be done aboutthis.Justfilloutanyformsyoucanontheplane,haveyourpassportready,

getinline.ReturningtotheU.S.,IskipthelinesbecauseofGlobalEntry.2. Skipthebaggageclaim.Ibreezepastthepeoplewaitingfortheirluggage

atbaggageclaim,asIonlyhavetheonelightbackpack.Ioftengothroughcustomsandgetthequestion,“Thisisallyou’recarryingfortwoweeks?”andIanswerwithasmile,“Yep,Itravellight!”

3. Getsomecash.Inaforeigncountry,thebestwaytogetthelocalcurrencyisatanATM.Ijusthitoneupattheairport.

4. Transport.Iwillalwaystakeatrainfromtheairportifoneisavailable.Ilook up how to catch the train from the airport before I depart frommyairport of origin, including how to get to my hotel or Airbnb apartmentfromthetrainstation.

Prettysimple,nothingmind-blowingthere,butthat’swhatIdo.

CHAPTER12:APARTMENTS&HOTELS

Sometimes,asatreat,IbookaluxuryhotelforEvaandIsothatitcanfeellikeawonderfulgetawaytrip.Whileluxuryhotelsarereallynice,I’vebeenfindingmoreandmorethatIprefertostayinanapartment.SoIbookthroughAirbnb(orsimilarservice).

Anapartmentinadestinationcitymakeseverythingeasy,evenifit’sasmallone.Forexample,inTokyo,IbooktinyapartmentsnearShibuyastation(myfavoritecentralneighborhoodinthecity)andit’smuchcheaperthangettingahotel.IfIwanttosaveevenmore,Icanbookfurtherawayfromthecenter,butitsavessomuchtimetoberightinthecenterthatIalwaysspendanextra$20/nightfortheconvenience.

EvenatinyapartmentinTokyogetsme:

Abathroom(whichasharedhosteldoesn’tdo)Myownplace(whichsharedhostelorcouchsurfingdon’tdo)Akitchen(whichahoteldoesn’tdo)Wifi(whichsomehotelschargeextrafor)Sometimesawasher&dryer(whichalmostnothingelsegetsyou)Livingroomspaceforwork,lounging,etc.(whichalmostnothingelsegetsyou)

It’scheaperthanahotel,andI’mgettingmore!It’smoreexpensivethan

couchsurfingorhostels(usually),butIfindtheconveniencetobeworthitforme.Ifyou’reonasupertightbudget,Irecommendcouchsurfing(free).

Somepeoplewhonormallygetahoteldon’tlikeAirbnbbecauseitseemsinconvenient.Youhavetomeetsomeonetocheckin!Actually,mosthoststhesedayshaveasimplewaytocheckinlikealockboxormailboxwithacombinationlocktogetthekeys,soyouneverneedtoseeanyoneifyoudon’twantto.Thatonlyappliesifyou’regettingafullapartmentratherthansharingaroomorgettingaprivateroomwithinasharedapartment,butIprettymuchalwaysgetafullapartment.Ifyou’reonabudget,sharingischeaper.

Somepeoplelikeahotelhousekeepertocleanuptheirroomeverymorning,andlikeroomservice.That’sfine,butIfinditwastefulasIdon’tneedmyroomcleanedeveryday,mysheetschanged,etc.Androomserviceissuperexpensive,soIliketobuystuffatagrocerystoreifI’mgoingtoeatin,orgetoutandexplorethecity’srestaurants.

Travelhoweveryoulike,I’mnotjudging.Thisstyleworksforme.

CHAPTER13:GETTINGAROUNDCITIES&WHERETOGO

Onceyou’reinyourdestinationcityandsettledintoyourapartment,gettingaroundisthefunpart.

Icanwalkalldaywithmyfulltravelkit,butifIhaveanapartmentorhotel,I’llusuallyunpackwhenIgetthereandjustcarryafewessentialsinmybackpack:

RainjacketSweater/extratoplayerifitmightbecoldBeanieBackupbatteryWaterAnyofEva’sstuffifshewantsmetocarryitIcanalsobuysomesnacksatagrocerystoretocarryaroundifIwant

IfIdon’tthinkit’llrain,I’lljustthrowthelittlebackupbatteryinmypocketandgowithoutabackpack.Eitherwayissuperlightandeasy.

TransportationIalmostalwaysuseoneofthese:

Walking.Thisismyfavorite.IwalkeverywhereIcan.It’sthebestwaytoseeacity,andagain,ifI’mtravelinglight,it’seasyandfun.Publictransport.Ialmostalwaysdoalittleresearchonthelocaltransportsystem,andoftenwillgetarefillablecardorpasstogetaroundtodifferentneighborhoods.UsuallyI’llridethemetrotoadifferentneighborhoodandthenwalkalldayinthatarea,thenridethemetrobacktomyapartment.It’seasy and fun and you feel like a local, plus you see locals riding so youlearnabitaboutthem.Uberorcabs.IreallylikeUber’sservice,ifacityhasthemanditwouldsaveme30minutesormorefrompublictransport,I’lluseUber.Oracabiftheydon’t.Thecostcanaddup,though,soItrytodotheothertwoabove.Bikes.Somecitieshaveapublicbikesharingprogram.Oryoucanrentabike.Tobehonest,Ibarelyusethis,butIthinkit’sagreatoption.Ipreferwalkingtoexploreacity,though.WhatIreallyavoid:

Tourbuses. I find that they’re too touristy, and they’re no fun, and theykeepyouonthepaththatcrowdsandcrowdsofothertouristsareon.Getoff that path! Get into local neighborhoods! More on that below, butgenerallyIavoidtourbusesliketheplague.Tourgroups.Idon’tlikebeingled,Ilikeexploringonmyown.Thatsaid,some walking tours can be fantastic if you have a great local guide. Irecommendskippingthese,lookingstuffupandexploringonyourown,orevenbetter,findingalocaltohangoutwith.Cabs/Ubereverywhere.IsaidabovethatIlikeUber,butsomepeopletakethemeverywhere.Idon’tjudgethem,butIdon’tfindthattobeagoodwaytogettoknowaplace.Instead,walk!Orridepublictransitifyouneedtogofurtherdistances.Uberistobeusedasabackup.

WheretoGoIreallydon’tliketouristareas.Theyaremassivelycrowdedandexpensive,

anddon’tgiveyoutheflavorofaplaceatall.I’mtalkingaboutplaceslikeFisherman’sWharfinSanFrancisco—skipthisandfindareasnottargetedattourists!

Thatsaid,therearesomehistoricplaces,liketheColiseuminRome,thatIwouldnotskipevenifeverytouristgoesthere,justbecausetheyaresoimportantthatyouhavetogoatleastonce.Idon’tthinkanentiretripshouldbespentonplaceslikethis,though.

What’sabetterway?Well,here’swhatIlike:

Explore neighborhoods. I will usually research some of the bestneighborhoodsinanewcitybeforeweleave,thenmarksomeofthecoolestspotsonGoogleMaps.Thenwejustwalkandexplore,withoutanitinerary,letting ourselves get lost and find stuff by accident, mostly. Sometimeswe’ll head in the direction of something on my map, but let ourselvesmeanderalongtheway.Talktolocals.IfIcanmeetupwithalocal,that’sabsolutelythebestthing.Theymightwant to showmeacoupleof their favorite spots,but even ifthey don’t, I ask themwhere to go. Best parks? Restaurants?Museums?Hidden spots no one knows about? Places locals like to hang out on aweekend?Rooftopspots?IfIcan’tmeetupwithalocal,I’llreadblogsbylocalsoremailsomeonewhomightknow.Find gems from people who know. If I want to find the best veganrestaurants,I’lluseHappyCow,butevenbetter,I’llaskvegansinthatcity.If Iwant to find the bestwalks, I’ll ask locals. I askmuseum experts orhistoryexpertsorartexpertswheretogoforthosekindsofplaces,ifIcan.Orreadtheirblogs.Look for history and literature. I love learning about the history of aplace,soI’lllookupguidesandblogsthathelpmeexploreacity’shistoryon foot. And if I can find some places with literary history, that’s myfavorite!

Intheend,youdon’tneedalltherecommendationsandguidebooksintheworld.Afewareenoughtogetyoustarted,butingeneral,thebestwaytoexploreisjustbydiscovery.Getoutandwalk,andseewhatyoucanfind!

CHAPTER14:LONGERTRIPS

Travelinglightforafewdaysorevenaweekisgreat,butwhatifyou’retravelinglonger?Forafewweeks,oramonth?Whataboutacouplemonths,ayear,indefinitely?

Thelengthofthetripdoeschangethings,butIthinktheideasareprettymuchthesame.Anditdoesn’tchangethingsasmuchasmanypeoplemightthink.

SoIhavetoadmit,I’veonlytraveledwithalightweightkitlikeIdescribeforamonthorso,definitelynotlongerthan5-6weeks.Buttravelingforamonthandusingthesamestuff,withoutanyproblems,makesmethinkthatIcoulddoitformuchlonger.Atleastafewmonths.

Whatwouldchangeifthetripwerefor6months,ayear,orindefinite?Here’swhatIthinkmightbedifferent:

Coldweather.IfIwereinaplaceorseveralplacesthathadsnowywinters,I’dprobablyneedsomewarmerclothes.I’dstillgowiththelayers,though:baselayers,midlayers,outershellforwind/rain/wetnessprotection.Idon’tthinkyou’dneedthatmanymoreclothes,butI’dhavetothinkaboutheadandfeetandhandprotectionfromthecold.Widerrangeofweather&needs.Ifyou’retravelingaroundtheworld,tomore places and for a longer time, that might mean your conditions aregoingtovaryfromhotandhumidtropicaltodesertclimatetocoldweather.

And you might go from jungle to city to mountains. A wider range ofconditions requires a littlemore stuff, but Iwouldkeep the extra stuff tolightlayersthatcanbeusemodularly—takesomeoffifit’shot,addsomemore if it’scold. I’dgofor things thatcouldprovidewind, rain,sun,andsnowprotectionatonce.Toiletries. My travel toiletries can last for a few weeks, but they’re sosmallthatI’dneedtoreplacethemwhiletraveling.That’sprettyeasytodo,justbuythemasyoutravel.Infact,youcoulddothesameforanyclothes,shoes,electronics—anythingyouneed,youcouldreplaceoraddtoasyoutravel,evenprescriptionstuffforthemostpart.Longer-term apartments. I wouldn’t rent by the day, I’d rent by themonth, if Iwere to travel indefinitely. I’d probably get anAirbnb atmydestination for a week while I look for a longer-term place. This wouldallowme tobuya fewextracomfort things if Iwanted them, includingafewcookingpans/utensils/dishes,thoughIwouldn’tgetalotofstuffjustincaseIhadtomove.Working out. I’d find a gym, or do bodyweight stuff with running andhiking.Ilovetohike.Ormaybefindanewhobbylikerockclimbing.

Ican’tthinkofanythingelseI’dneed.Yourneedswillbedifferent,ofcourse,butIthinkitwouldbeworthwhiletothinkaboutwhatyou’dreallyneedvs.whatyouthinkyoumightneed,evenifyoutravelforlonger.

EvenwhenI’mathome,Idon’thavetoomanymorethingsthanIhavewhenItravel,otherthanworkoutstuffandkitchenstuff.Ihavesomeextraclothes,tobesure,andmaybeacoupleextratoiletrythings.Someextrabooks,adesktopcomputerandprinter,scannerandrouterforworking.IfIhadto,Icoulddowithoutprettymuchallofthesethings.

CHAPTER15:FLEXIBLEMIND,FLEXIBLETRAVEL

Thisbookisn’taboutgettingtothemostminimalistsetup.It’snotabouttheperfecttravelsetup,gettingeverythingjustrightsothatyoufeelpreparedandwipeoutuncertainty.

Thisbookisreallyaboutflexibility,bothinyoursetupandinyourmindset.

SoI’dliketotalkbrieflyaboutflexibility,andhowandwhytodevelopaflexiblemindsetasyoutravel.

WhyFlexibilityWhenyouhaveinflexibility,itcausesproblems.Forexample:

Ifyouhave set expectationsof a trip, and thingsgodifferently,you’llbedisappointed.Ifyouarefixedontheplansyoumade,andthingsgetchangedup,you’llbestressedout.If youwant an itinerary togo exactly asyouplanned,you’ll stress aboutmakingthingsgoperfectly.Ifyouhope that someonewillbehaveacertainwayduringyour trip,andtheybehavedifferently,you’llbedisappointed.If you’re hoping for a certain kind of hospitality, or weather, or sceneryfrom your trip, and you don’t get it, you might be frustrated ordisappointed.

Yougettheidea.Thesearefairlyobvious,butmostpeopledon’trealizehowmanyoftheirdifficultiesarecausedbyfixedideasandexpectations.Andhowmanycanbesolvedbyflexibility.

Flexibility,incontrast,helpsyoutoletgoofwhatyouwerehopingfororwhatyouwant,andinsteadgowiththeflow.Youareabletoadjusttochangesmoreeasily,arelessfrustrated,aremoreatpeaceduringyourtrip(andatothertimes).

HowtoCreateaFlexibleMindsetThefirstthingtonoticeiswhenyou’regettingstressedinsomeway

(disappointment,frustration,anxiety,anger,stress).Noticethatyou’refeelingthestress,seeitasaflagthatsomethingisgoingon.

Seetheinflexibility,seethatyou’reholdingon,thatyouwantthingsacertainway.Seehowit’scausingyoustress.

Sitwiththestressforaminute,justfacingitinsteadoflashingout,runningaway,seekingtogaincontrol.Justsitandnoticeit,seehowitfeels,whichtakescourage.

Andthenletgo.Justrelaxtheinflexibility,relaxintothemoment,acceptthatthingsarenotthewayyouwanted,accepthowtheyare,andadjust.Gowiththeflow.Smile,breathe,seethebeautyinfrontofyou.

Appreciatewhatyouhave,insteadoffocusingonthewaythingsaren’t.Findgratitude.

Ifyoucanpracticethisregularly,youcandevelopflexibility,theabilitytoletgo,theabilitytomindfullypauseandrelaxandfindgratitude.

Thisisflexibility,anditmakestravelinglightmuchmorepeacefulandwonderful.

CHAPTER16:USEFULTRAVELAPPS

I’mgoingtobehonest,Ihaven’ttriedeverysingletravelapp,norhaveIusedAndroidinyears,sothisisgoingtobeanincompletelist,andyoushouldprobablydoyourownresearch.

Thatsaid,IhaveaslewofappsIuseregularlywhenItravel,onesthatIfindveryuseful.

Heretheyare:

1. Tripit.IlovethisappsomuchIpayfortheproversion.It’sprettysimple:whenyougetanairlineorhotelorcarrentalconfirmationemail,youjustforward theemail toTripit. Itgetsaddedautomatically toa trip itinerary,withoutyouneedingtocreateone.Nowyouhaveallofyouritineraryinfoinoneplace,tocheckwheneveryoutravel.Theproversionhassomenicefeatureslikeupdatenotificationsifyourflightgetsdelayedormovedtoanewgate,andreminderstocheckin24hoursbefore,withacheckinlink.

2. GoogleMaps.Thisoneisobvious,butIuseitallthetimetowalkaroundand get to know a city. It givesme transit directions,walking directions,bikingdirections.IcanstartheplacesandrestaurantsIwanttocheckout.Downloadthecitymapyouplantouseforofflineusebeforeyouleave,incaseyouwon’thavedata.

3. GoogleFlights.At the riskofsounding tooGoogle-centric (guilty), IuseGoogle Flights to search for the best flight options. It only got goodrecently, but now it’s my favorite flight search tool, and it’s pretty

unclutteredcomparedtoothers.4. T-Mobile. This isn’t an app, but a cell phone plan, for U.S. readers of

course.Ifyou’rewillingtoswitch,getoneoftheirdataplansthatincludesunlimited internationaldata inmost countries. Itwasagame-changer forme.Yes, it’s just2Gspeeds,but it’s soconvenient to justhaveunlimiteddataandnotworryaboutthecost,thatIdon’tmindslowerspeeds.

5. Airbnb.ImentionedhowmuchIusetheseguys.Theirappisalsobeautifuland easy to use.Great formessaging your host if you have questions, orsearchingforanewplaceinyournextcitywhiletraveling.

6. Uber.IalsomentionedthatIusetheseguysregularly.Yes,Lyftisjustasgood.I’mnotafanofeverythingUberdoes.Buttheyworkinmorecitiesthananyoneelse,soIusethem.

7. Kayak. I use this app not only for flight searches, but more for hotelsearches in apinch. If I’msuddenly in a citywithout aplace to stay, I’lllookonhereforacheap,quickhotelroom.It’seasytouse.

8. HappyCow.Forvegansandvegetarians, this is theapptousewhenyoutravelandwantlotsoffoodoptions.

9. Whatsapp. The messaging app that’s used internationally, I find this agoodwaytostayintouchwithfriendsallovertheworld,butalsotocreateagroupifI’mtravelingwithseveralpeople,sowecanstayintouchwhileon a trip. So useful. Plus no texting fees, and you canmake free phonecalls.

10. Airline apps & Apple Wallet. I usually have a few airline appsdownloaded,mostly tocheck in formy flightsandgetamobileboardingpass.OnceIhavetheboardingpass,IaddittoAppleWalletbecauseit’saneasyplacetokeepallmyboardingpasses.

11. GoogleTranslate.Really helpswhen you don’t speak the language.Butlearnatleastahandfulofphrases,youlazyAmericans!;)

12. Yelp. Not really useful in many countries outside of the U.S., but it’sgrowing.AndintheU.S.,it’sagreatwaytofindplacesyou’relookingfor,from restaurants to coffee shops to bookstores and more, read reviews,checkoutphotos,gettheopeninghoursandaddress,andmore.

13. Convert. Just a free app to convert currency. Also converts units ofmeasurement,whichcanbehandy,butthecurrencyconversionisthemostuseful.

14. DarkSky.Thisisactuallyjustmydailyweatherapp(yes,it’sapaidappbutworthit).Butit’sgreatforcheckingouttheforecastformydestinationsbeforeIgo,notonlyforrain/sun/snowandtemperature,butalsowind,UV

index, chances of precipitation and more, all by the hour. Useful whenyou’reataplaceanddecidingwhattoweartoday.

OK,thosearemyfavorites,andIusemostofthemoneverytrip.Hopeyoufindthemuseful!

CHAPTER17:TRAVELMILES&CARDS

I’mnotarichguy.I’mnotthepoorest,butIdon’tliveajetsetlifestylewhereIcanflyfirstclassaroundtheglobeandliveitup.Ihaveabudget,butIstilltravel.

How?Usingairlineawardmiles(andsavingupofcourse).I’malsonottheworld’sforemostexpertontravelmiles.Forthat,youmight

trythepointsguy.com.Especiallyhis“HotDeals”page…itoutlinesthebestcardstogetrightnow.

Buthere’swhatI’vebeendoing,whichisn’tasmuchasalotofpeopledo,butit’senoughforme:

1. Signup forcredit cardswithbonusmiles.Youcangetbonusmilesof40K,50K,even100Ksometimes.That’soneortwotripstoEurope!Thatusuallyrequiresyoutospendacertainamountwithinafewmonths…seethenextitem.

2. Put spending on your most recent cards. I have one main card forbusiness, one for personal expenses … and I put pretty much all myspendingonthesetwocards.Travelexpenses,groceries,gas,rent,utilities,cell phone, even paying vendors for my business. That means that I notonlymakethebonusmilesfor thefirstfewmonthsofspendingonanewcard…buteverydollarIspendisearningmepoints.Thatmeanseachyear,I’m earning tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of awardmiles.

3. Learnhowtotransfer.WhenIfirststarted,Ididn’tunderstandhowallthe

awardsystemsworked.ButnowIknowthebroadstrokes…likethatIcantransfer among the two most common airline award alliances, or useseparate point systems like Chase points or Starwood points and thentransferthemtoairlineawardsystemswhenneeded.SoIusuallyhavelike5-7differentpoolsofawardpoints,andjusttransferasneeded.

4. Pay off cards immediately. I used to be very anti-credit cards, becauseusingthembadlygotmeintoalotofdebttrouble,andittookyearstogetoutofit.ButnowI’velearnedtonotspendmorethanIhave,andpayoffmycardsimmediately.Idon’tspendjustbecauseIhavethecards,Ihaveaspendingplanbutjustpayforeverythingusingthecards.Andthenpayoffthecardbeforeit’sdue,orattheveryleastauto-payitonitsduedate.ThiswayIneverhavetopayinterest,whichistheworstuseofyourmoney.

5. Everynowand then, apply fornewcards.Thebonusmilesyouget tosignuparethebest.SowhenIseeahotnewdealwith50Kor100Kbonusmiles, Igrab it.Thatmightmean lettinggoofsomeoldcards,but Ikeepmyoldestonesjusttokeepmycreditscorehigh.

Oh,buildinggoodcreditmattersalot.I’mapprovedbecauseIhavegoodcredit.Ifyoudon’thavegoodcredit,dosomeresearchandstartbuildingit.

Yes,therearelotsofotherwaystogetmiles,andlotsoftricks.Idon’tfinditworthmytimetoresearchallofthese.Ihavefriendswhodomileageruns,wholearnallthewaystogetintoairlineloungesatairports…thosedon’tmattertomeatall.I’mperfectlyhappysittinginaregularairportseatanddoingmywork,andI’mnotgoingtospendtimedoingmileageruns.

Ialsodon’tworryaboutgettingtocertaintiersinairlineawardsystems(likeplatinum,gold,silver,etc.).ItwouldbecoolifItraveledenoughtoearnthosepremierstatuseswithouttrying,butit’snotworthittometoflyextratripsjusttoearnstatus.Theydon’tmeanasmuchastheyusedto.

Still,it’sworthittodoafewsimplethings,likethoseIoutlinedabove,togetbasicallyfreetripseveryyear.Istillpayforsometrips,butI’mabletotravelmuchmorebecauseIspendalittletimetogetthecardsandkeepthesystemgoing.

CHAPTER18:MYPACKINGLIST

I’vebasicallydescribedmypackinglistindifferentchapters,butIthoughtI’dsharemylistherejusttohaveitinoneplace.

Ofcourse,thislistisjustthebasiclist,butitchangeseachtripdependingonconditionsandwhatmyplansare.WhatIbringalmostalwayslooksprettyclosetothislist,though.

Leo’sPackingListHere’sthebasiclist:

Packing

Backpack:MinaalDailyCubenfibertoiletrybagEagleCreekpackingsacks(oneforclothes,smalleroneforelectronics)

Clothes

Outlierchinos(pants,worn)WorkoutT-shirt(worn)Converse-styleshoes(worn)

Runningsocks(1worn,2packed)Underwear(1worn,3packed)ExtraT-shirtWorkoutshortsSyntheticlightweightlongsleeveT-shirtorfleecehoodiePatagoniaHoudini(ultralightwindbreaker/rainjacket)BeanieSometimes:longunderwear(ifit’scold)orheavierjacket/layers

Electronics

Macbook(ultralight2016model)MacbookcordiPhoneCordsforMacbook&iPhoneMophiepowerreserve(1,300mAh,1.5oz)Kikkerlanduniversaladapter

Toiletries

TraveltoothbrushTraveltoothpasteTraveldeodorantTravelelectricclippers(forshavingmyhead)DentalflossIbuprofen(6pills,justincase)Leukotape(smallroll,forblisterprevention)NailclippersEarplugsEyemaskRazor(Iusesoaptoshavemyfacewiththisrazor)

Other

SuprSlimWallet(justafewcards&cash)

PassportVapurcollapsiblewaterbottleMaybesomefruit&nutbars

Idon’tclaimthisistheperfectpackinglist,northateveryoneshouldcopythis.Butitworksforme!

CHAPTER19:ULTRALIGHTHIKING

Assomeonewholoveshikingandgoingintothemountains…andsomeonewholikestotravellightly…stumblinguponaforumandsomeblogsandYouTubechannelsaboutultralightbackpacking/hikingwasquiteadiscovery.

Itwaslikediscoveringagoldmine.Iateuptheinformationaboutpeoplecuttingtheirpackweightdowntoridiculouslylightloads,aboutshavingweightandfindingultralightsolutions…itwaslikeheaventome.

SoIdidalotofresearch,gotsomegear,andstartedgoingintothewildernesswithverylittleonmyback.Igotmybaseweight(what’sinyourpack,minusconsumableslikefoodandwater)downtoabout6lbs.,andlearnedtoeatlightweightbutcalorie-densefoodswithoutcooking(soIdidn’tneedtobringastove,cookingpotandfuel)sothatmytotalpackweight(includingconsumables)wasdowntoabout13lbs.

Itfeltamazingtohike20-30mileswithsuchalightpack!Youcangofartherandfasterandmorecomfortablywithanultralightbackpack.

I’mnotsayingyoushoulddoit,butherearesomethingsIlearned:

1. Cutdownonthebigthree.Theheaviestthingsinmostpeople’spacksareshelter, sleepingstuff (likemattressandsleepingbag)andbackpack.Youcanshavedownlittlethings,butcuttingdownonthebigoneswillmakethemostdifference.TheThermarestNeoairXlitemattress is thepad Ichose,just 12 oz., and I learned about sleeping quilts (instead of sleeping bags)and tarp sheltersor tarp tents to savea tonon shelters.Get thebackpack

last,onceyouknowhowmuchyouhave toput in it,but I like theMLDBurn(just12oz.)asagoodlightweightoption.

2. Cutouttheunnecessary.Thiswillseemobviousifyou’vereadtherestofthis book. But lots of people bring things like camp chairs and slippers,knives and all kinds of cooking and eating gear, axes and all kinds ofemergency stuff … that just isn’t needed. It takes some research andexperiencetolearnwhatyoucancut,butthere’salot.

3. Findhigh calorie foods.Most of uswant low calorie foodswith lots offiber andwater and lowsugarand soon…but forultralighthiking,youactuallywantlittlewaterandlotsoffatandcalories.Igoforfoodsthatarearound5caloriespergram(orhigher).Actually,Ijusteatsnacksinsteadofcooking meals. But most people wouldn’t like that, so figure out whatworksforyou.

4. Hike in shorts, trail shoes, long-sleeve shirt, and hat. When you’rehiking,youwarmup,soshortsaregreat.Along-sleeverunningshirtworkstoprotectyou from the sun, asdoes awide-brimmedhat.Trail shoes arelightbutgoodfortrails,noneedforheavyboots(strengthenyouranklesbyhikingmore)orwaterproofshoes(theytrapinyoursweat,yourfeetwillgetwetnomatterwhat).

5. Trytomakeyouritemsmulti-use.Trekkingpoles,forexample,canalsoserveastarppoles.Ducttapecanbeusedfortarprepairorfirstaid.Apuffyjacketcanbeusedasapillow.Ifyoucanuseitemsformultiplethings,youcanbringlessandmakethemostofwhatyoudobring.

TherearetonsofotherthingsI’velearned,includingnotpackingmyfears(Idon’tbringmuchintermsoffirstaidexceptibuprofenandleukotape),shavingweightinlittleways,etc.Gotoreddit.com/r/ultralightformoregreatinfo.

Thisisn’tabouthittingacertainnumber,norshowingoffhowlightyou’vegotten.It’snotaboutsacrificingsafetyandcomfort.Infact,youwanttoseeifyoucangolightwhilestillbeingsafeandcomfortable.Lightweightcanmakeyoumoresafeandcomfortable.Iloveit,tobehonest.

CHAPTER20:WHATIT'SLIKETOLIVEWITHOUTTOOMUCHSTUFF

Imagineabedroomwithabedandanightstand,asingledrawerforclothes.Justahandfulofthingshanginginyourcloset.Afewboxesofitemsstoredbelowthosehangingclothes.

Thekitchenhasmostlybarecounters.Cupboardsaren’tfullofstuff,thefridgedoesn’tneedmorethanacoupleshelvesoffood.Livingroomisacouchandashelfwithbooks,noTV.

I’mnotsayingmylifeisthatminimal,asIhaveafamilywithawifeandkids.ButifIwerealone,orjustwithawife,thatwouldbasicallybemylife.Withsomeextracoupleboxesinthegarageforstorage,andsomeworkoutequipment.

Evenwiththewifeandkids,that’sagooddescriptionofmypersonalitems.Ilikemylifethatway.Evencountingthekids'stuff,wedon’thavealot.

Whatwedohaveisspace.Spacetoread,write,work,learn,eat,play.Wedon’thavetodoalotofcleaning,becauseeverythingprettymuchhasaplace.Thereisn'talotofcluttertogatherdust.It'seasytocleanthecountersandtablewhendoneusingthem,andputthingswheretheybelong.Decluttereverynowandthen.

Whatwealsohaveisfreedom.Freedomfromtheburdensofstuff.Nothavingtodigthroughalotofthingstofindwhatwe’relookingfor.Easytoputthingsawaybecauseit’sclearwheretheybelong.

I’mnotsayingwe’reperfect.Wehaveclutterdrawersandpartsofour

garageandclosetsgetcluttered.Wedoclearthemupafterawhile,butwe’redefinitelynotperfect.Andwebuymorethanweshould,orderingonAmazonmorethanweneedto,likemostpeople.

We’renotperfect,wehaveclutter,webuymorethanweshould.Andyet,welivelightly,andIenjoythatkindoflife,withspaceandjoyandlove.

CHAPTER21:LESSCLOTHING

Forme,abigpartoflearningtolivelightlywasreducingtheclothesIneeded.IlearnedthatIdidn’tneedalotofclothestobecomfortable,butIhadtoletgoofsomeoldideas.

Thoseoldideasincluded:

1. ThatIneedtowearsomethingdifferenteveryday.2. ThatIneededtoimpresspeoplewithmyclothes.3. ThatmyidentitywastiedtohowIdressed.4. ThatIneededdifferentkindsofclothesfordifferentoccasions.

OnceIlearnedthattheseweren’tnecessaryideas,itopenedupanewworldforme.Icouldwearthesameclotheseveryday,toallkindsofeventsandmeetings.Ididn’tneedalotofthingstoimpresspeopleorshowwhoIam.

Thatfreedmeuptocreateaverybasicwardrobewithjustafewplaincolors.Thepurposeofthewardrobejusttobedressedplainly,sothatIdidn’thavetoworryabouthowI’ddress.

Myclothescouldbecuttosomethinglike:

AfewbasicT-shirtsinsolidcolorsOnepairofpants

TwoorthreeworkoutshortsandshirtsSomeunderwearandsocksConverse-stylesneakersRunningshoesA couple long sleeve layers for colderweather, including a fleece hoodyand/orpuffyjacket

Yes,IcouldcutthatdownevenmoreifIwanted,butIlikethissetup.It’salittlemorethanItravelwith,butnotmuchmore.

DoesitmeanIdon’thaveanyfunwithmyclothing?Yes.IdecidedIdon’tneedclothestohavefuninlife.Ifocusonnon-possessionsforfun.ThatmeansI’mfreefromworryingabouthowIdress,freefromhavingtoomuchstuff,freefromlookingthroughawholebunchofclothestofindwhatIwant.It’ssimpleandlight.

Idon’texpecteveryonetodressthisway,butIthoughtI’dsharesomeofmyideasincaseyou’reinterestedintryingit.

CHAPTER22:BOOKS&PAPERS

Forabook-loverlikeme,andforalotofpeople,it’shardtoletgoofbooks.It’salsohardtosortthroughthestacksofpersonaldocuments,bills,andworkpapersthatyoumighthave.

Butsimplifyingtheseareasisworthit,becauseithelpsustoletgoofsomeofourmentalandphysicalburdensthatareinourhomesandofficespaces.

Sohere’swhatI’velearned:

1. Booksarehopes:Booksarethehardestthingsformetoletgoof,becauseeachonerepresentsahope.AhopethatI’llreadmore,thatI’llexplorethisauthor and this adventure, that I’ll learn about this topic, that I’ll getthroughalloftheseexcitingtitles!

2. Limitbooks:ButifI’mhonest,thereareonlysomanybooksI’mgoingtoread in a month, in a year. There’s no way I’m going to read all thosebooks.And if I’ve already read them, for themost part I’mnot going toreadthemagain,they’rejusttrophies.SoI’velearnedtoletgoofbooksthatIhavehopesfor,butthatarerealisticallynevergoingtoberead.Let’ssayIthinkIcanread2booksamonth(optimistic)…that’s24booksinayear.TherestIcangifttopeople,givetocharity,orsell.

3. Digitalbooks:IactuallylikereadingbothpaperbooksandontheKindle.IfIgetbooksontheKindle,Idon’tneedallthepaperbooks.SoIgetridofmostofthose,evenifIlovethem.Thisisalettinggoprocessthat’sgoodforme.

4. Scan papers: Papers can be scanned and put into online storage likeDropbox.Veryfewpapersneedtobekeptinhardcopyformatanymore—even copies of tax returns can be digital. I keep some documents likemarriage and birth certificates in a folder, but even those have digitalcopies. I have a handful of folders inDropbox (taxes, leases, bills, otherimportant documents, some work stuff) and scan everything into thesefolders. They’re backed up, available online from anywhere, and take upvery little space on my computer (much less than music or photos, forexample).

5. Chunks: It can be overwhelming to have to scan in stacks and stacks ofpapers.Soyoucanjustdoitalittleatatime,for5-10minutesaday,andeventuallyyou’llbedone.Orgetsomeoneelsetodoit—Ipaidmyteen-agekidstodoit,andthereareservicesthatwilldoitforyouaswell.

Sothat’sthebasicsystem.Onlykeepasmanybooksasyoucanrealisticallyreadinayear(6monthsisevenbetter),readmostlyonKindleanyway,scanallyourpapersandputtheminDropboxfolders(oranothersimilarservice).

Withthiskindofsystem,youhaveveryfewhardcopiesofdocuments,youdon’trequirelotsofbookshelfspace,andthingsaresimpleandeasy.

CHAPTER23:LESSOTHERSTUFF

Inthelasttwochapters,Icoveredclothes,booksandpapers…butwhataboutalltheotherthingsinyourlife?TherecanbesomanythatI’mnotgoingtowriteachapteraboutallofthem.

WhatI’lldoiscoverthemherebriefly,roombyroom.

LivingRoomIfyouhavealivingroom,itmightbefulloffurnitureandotherstuff.Why

notcutitdowntoaminimum?Thatmakesthespacelesscluttered,andmorepleasanttospendtimein.Forexample:

Acouchandachairorloveseat,forloungingAtableforputtingbooksandteaAshelforcabinetforbooksandotheritemsAdeskforacomputer,ifyouworkhereAmeditationcushion

That’smostlywhatyou’dneed,andyoucouldcutbackonacoupleofthese,dependingonwhatyouliketodo.Andofcourse,youcouldaddaTVand/orentertainmentcenter.WeuseaprojectortowatchmoviesorTVshows,butwedon’thaveaTVset.

What’smissingisallthelittlethingsyou’lloftenfindclutteringuppeople’slivingrooms.Clearthoseout!

KitchenWithalargefamilythatlikestocookathome,wehavemorestuffinour

kitchenthanalotoftrueminimalists.Thatsaid,wedon’tkeepourkitchencounterscluttered.Here’show:

Keepsingle-useappliances,liketoastersandwafflemakers,toaminimum.Tobehonest, thishasgrownforusoverthelastfiveyears.Wecouldcutthisdownevenfurther.Nottoomanydishes.Enoughforourfamilyandsomeguests..Not toomany pots and pans.Cut to aminimum, and then only add overtimeifneeded.Abasicpantryforcooking,butnotfullofsnacksorotherpreparedfoods.Keep the counters as clear as possible.Our counters have a coffeemakerandgrinder,oliveoilnear the stove, akettle forhotwater, anda cup foreachofusthatwereuseforwaterthroughouttheday.

Ifyoudon’thavealotofkids,Iwouldsuggestyouneedfewerdishesandfewerpotsandpansthanus.Mainly,keepthecountersclearandclean!

BedroomForme,thebedroomisforsleeping,readinganddressing.SometimesEva

usesitforsewing.Butthat’saboutit.Sothatmeanswehavejust:

Onebedandacoupleofnightstands(forreadingandsleepingstuff likeabacklightandeyemask).Adresser(onedrawerforme,afewmoreforher).Atableforsewing.Aclosetwithclothingandsheetsandsome travel stuff stored in there.Ahandfulofotherthingsaswell.Nothingonthefloorsbutthefurniturementionedabove.Nothingontopofthedresserornightstands.Keepthingsuncluttered!

BathroomForme,Idon’tneedalotofthingsinthebathroomforgrooming,otherthan

stufftoshavemyfaceandhair,nailclippers,soapforshowering,andsomecottonswabs.

Ofcourse,Evahasafewmorethingsthanme.Butwetrytokeepthecounterareanearthesinkfairlyclear(justacouplethingsforeachofusonthecounter).Nothingonthefloorbutbathroomrugsandabathroomtrashcan.

Garage/StorageStuffthatyouneedtostoretendstobuildupovertime.Isuggestaregular

clearingout.Holdagaragesaleonceayear,ordonatestufftocharity.Forus,thethingsthatareinourgarageinclude:

Workoutstuff(seebelow)ChristmasdecorationsBikesCampingandsportsequipment(balls,tents,etc.)Acoupleboxesofmiscellaneousthings

Notthemostminimal,butnotacrazyamountforafamilyofoursize.Wealsohaveacouplestorageclosets.Oneclosetisforcoatsandshoesandumbrellas.Anotherclosetseemstohavebecomeatemporarystoragespaceforstuffwe’regettingridof.Wealsokeepsomebigfutonsinthisclosetthatwegotforwhenwehadlotsoffamilyvisitingandnotenoughbeds.

Theideaistotrytostopthebuildupofstorageitemsbyreducingittoaminimumonaregularbasis.Don’tjustthrowthingsinthere—keepitorganized.Andifit’snot,slowlyreduceandorganizeintostoragecontainers/boxes.

Exercise/OutdoorActivitiesIthinkit’sworthhavingpossessionsthatencourageyouandyourfamilyto

getactive,workout,gooutside.Sowehave:

A full weight set in the garage (squat rack, bench, barbell, plates,dumbbells) — practically our entire family uses this now, not just me

anymore.Totallyworthitforus.A rowingmachine— to be honest, this was a hope-filled purchase, andwhilewehaveusedit,notenoughtojustifythepurchase.Campingequipment in somebigplastic storagebins (tents, sleepingbagsandpads,somecampcookingstuff,etc.).Bikesandsomebikeequipment(pump,helmets,headlights,locks).Sportsstuff—mostlydifferentkindsofballs.

ThisismorethanI’dhaveifIwerelivingalone.ButIliketoencourageourkids(andmeandEva)togetoutsideandgetactive,sowe’veinvestedinallthisstuff.Thatmeansourgarageismostlya“GetActive”center,notstorageandnotforourcar(whichparksoutside).

CHAPTER24:ELECTRONICS&DIGITALSIMPLICITY

Applyingtheideasoflivinglightlytoourdigitallivesisaninterestingexercise.Ourliveshaveincreasinglybecomeaboutourdevicesandthedigitalspaceinsidethem,whichisnotnecessarilyabadthing.Itjustchangesthedynamics.

Ontheonehand,acoupleofdevices(alaptopandphone,forexample),mightreplacealotofthephysicalstuffweusedtoown:

Paperbooks—readonthephone.Albums,VHS,DVDsandCDs—watch&listenondevices.TVs, stereos, typewriters,GPSdevices, faxmachines, printers— replacewiththesedevices.File cabinets, documents and folders — replace with digital files andcommunications.Physicalphotoalbums—increasinglyrare,usuallydigitalthesedays.Maps, globes, scrapbooks, journals, notebooks, sketchpads and more —replacewithdigitalstuff.Cameras,camcorders,filmandfilmcanisters,DVDplayers,VHSplayers,andmore—nowjustaphone.

Therearejustafewexamplesofhowourdevicescansavephysicalclutterbybeingthemultipurposemachinesweneverimaginedjust20yearsago.

Butanotherkindofclutterhasemerged—digitalanddeviceclutter.

DeviceClutterThesedays,it’seasytohavealotofdevices:

DesktopcomputerLaptopPhoneTabletiPodSmartwatchKindleAmazonEchoStreamingdevice(AppleTV,Roku,Chromecast,etc.)TVStereoPortablerouterand/orwifiDigitalcameraand/orGoProvideocameraAllthecablesandchargersthatgowiththeseAndmore

It’spossibletonarrowthesedown,justlikeintheotherareasofourlives.Everyone’sneedsaredifferent,soIwon’tpresumetotellyouwhattouse.However,here’sonepossiblesetup:

1. Phone(skiptheiPod,Kindle,andtablet)2. Laptop(skipthedesktopcomputer)3. Streaming device for TV watching, with a home theater projector and

speakers

Soyou’dskipthedigitalcamera,Echo,smartwatch,TV,stereo.Anyway,thisismostlywhatIhave,exceptIalsouseadesktopcomputerforvideoediting.Icoulddowithoutthedesktopwithoutmuchtrouble.Again,yourneedswillvary.

DigitalClutterWhatdevicesyouhavematterlessthansimplifyingwhatyoudoonthem.

Youcanoftenreducewhatyoudoonyourdevicesandhowyouorganizeeverything.

A“onethingatatime”approachisagreatplacetostart.Focusononethinginsteadofconstantlyswitchingbetweentabsandapplications.Someexamples:

Focus on important tasks and close everything else. Don’t let yourselfswitchtoothertasksforatleast10minutes.Bookmarkalltabsandputtheminto“readlater”apporonyourtodolist.Thenclosethetabs,soyoucanfocusononetask.Whenyouread,usea“readlater”servicelikeInstapaper.Closeeverythingelse.Readonearticle/blogpostatatime.When you process email, do one at a time.Read it, then take one of thefollowingactions:1) replyandarchive,2)deleteorarchive it,3) forwardandarchive,4)putitonyourto-dolistandstar/flagandarchiveit(soyou’llhave it ina“starred” folder foraction. Ifyouworkyourway through theinboxlikethis,you’llgeteverythingoutofyourinbox.

Tokeepthingsorganized,Ihaveasetof“buckets”thatIkeepeverythingin:

Files:IputtheseinasetofDropboxfolderssothey’realwayssyncedandbacked up. Folders for finances, important documents, work projects,personalmemories,etc. IkeepeverythinginplacesIcaneasilyfindthemlater,anddon’thavetoworryaboutthemagain.Photos:Iliketohavethemallbackeduponline.Therearelotsofwaystodothat:GooglePhotos,Apple’siCloud,Dropbox,oryourownserver(forprivacy).Savedwebsites: I like to saveweb pages Iwant to remember for futurereference,soIputtheminPinboard.in.It’snotfree,though,soyoucouldjustsavetheminyourbrowser’sbookmarksfolder.Aslongasyouhaveaplaceyoucangotoforthemlater.Read later articles: I use Instapaper, though there are lots of others:Safari’sReadLater list, Pocket, andmore.The idea is to have one placewhereyouputthingsyouwanttoread,soyoucangotherewhenyouhavesparereadingtime.

Action items:Add all action items to a todo list. Lately I’ve been usingTodoist,butI’veusedmanygoodtodoapps,andhavealsojustusedpaperand pen or a plain text file. The key is to have them all in one place,includingactionsfromemailsandbrowsertabsthatyouneedtoremember.Calendar events: If it’s something you have to do on a specific day ortime,puttheminyourgo-tocalendar.Travel info: I put all trip information into Tripit. But if you useGoogleDocsorsomeotherapporfolder,that’sfinetoo.Finances:IuseMint.comtoimportallmybankingandcreditcarddata,soIcanseemyfinancesinoneplace.Icheckthisdaily,actually,soIalwaysknowhowthingsaregoing.

ThereareprobablyafewotherbucketsI’veforgottentomention,butthesearemymainones.Thissystemmeansyoualwaysknowwhereyourdigitalinformationis,andit’snothardtomaintain.

CHAPTER25:DEALINGWITHTHEURGETOBUY

Reducingyourstuffdowntoaminimalistsetupisonething,butitmeanslittleifyouquicklybuilditupagainbybuyingmorestuff.AndwhatI'vediscoveredisthatyoucan'tavoidthebuildupofstuffovertime.Wenaturallyacquirethings.Wegetgifts,takehomefreestufffromevents,andgenerallygetmoreandmorewithoutreducing.

SothereareafewthingsIrecommendasrulestohelpwiththistendency.Butevenmoreimportantforthelongtermislearningmindfullytodealwiththeurgestobuythings.We'lltalkaboutthatinaminute,butfirst,mysuggestedrules:Herearetherules:

A30-daywaitinglist.Putitona30-daylistwiththedateyouaddedittothelist.Don'tletyourselfbuyanythinguntilit'sbeenonthelistfor30days.Thisobviouslydoesn'tapplytogroceriesorothernecessitiesliketoiletriesandmedicine.Thisrulekeepsyoufrombuyingthingsonimpulse.Don'tgetstufffornewhobbies. I'mmostguilty in thisarea.Iget intoanew hobby, like hiking or chess, and then get a bunch of equipment orbooks.Andthisisfine,untilImoveontothenexthobbyandstartalloveragain.Ileavetheoldhobbyequipmentandbookstogatherdustforayearuntil I get interested again. So my new rule is to not get stuff for newhobbies.Oratleastwaitamonthbeforeorderinganything.

Don't take freestuff. Ifyou runa5Korgo toaconference, they'llgiveyoufreestufftotakehome.Yay!Butthat'srarelyanythingyoureallyneed,anditjustendsupclutteringyourlife.Instead,justsaynotothefreestuff.Talktopeopleaboutnotgivingyougifts.Similarly,giftsarewonderfulexpressionsofsomeone'sloveforyou,buttheyendupaddingtoyourbuilt-upclutter. Instead, talk to the lovedones inyour lifeaboutspendingtimetogetherinsteadofgivingeachothernewpossessions.Perhapsgoonahikeor picnic together instead of giving a new sweater. Make somethingconsumable: give each other baked goods, make a dinner for the otherperson.Thinkmindfullyaboutwhatyoubring intoyour life.This isageneralrulethatappliestoallthethingsabove.Thinkcarefullyaboutwhetheryoureallyneedthisitem.Wherewillitgoinyourhome,howmuchcareitwilltake,whether itwilladd joy toyour lifeorserveyour life'spurpose. Is itworthaddingtoyourlife?Declutteratregular intervals.Even ifyoudoallof theabove, thingswillstillstart tobuildup inyour life.Onceyou'vedecluttered, you justneed torevisitareasinyourhomeandofficeatregularintervals.I'vefoundthateverysixmonths isagoodinterval.Put itonyourcalendar,andforaboutaweekpickanareaanddoasweepofwhat'sinitandwhatyoudon'tneedanymore.

DealingMindfullywithUrgesTobehonest,Igiveintotheurgetobuystuff,justlikeanyoneelse.I’mnotimmunetoconsumeristurges,andsoI’mnotgoingtoactholierthanthou.

However,Idofinditusefultobemindfuloftheurges,andtoworkwiththem.WhenIdo,Ibuylessandregretmypurchasesless.:)Sohere’showtoworkwithurgestopurchasestuff:

1. Noticetheurge.Learntonoticewhenyouhavetheurgetobuysomething.Goodhintsthatyouhavetheurgetobuysomethingincludegoingtoyourfavoriteshoppingsiteorwantingtorushofftoastore.

2. Sitwiththeurge.Insteadofrunningoffandactingontheurge,ortryingtodistractyourselffromit…tryfacingit.Sitstillandwatchtheurgebuildupinyou,seehowitfeelsphysicallyinyourbody.Noticetheenergyinyourbody.Staywithit,watchingit,notactingbutobserving.

3. Seethestory.It'sinterestingtonoticewhat"story"you'retellingyourself

that'scausingthisurge.Astorymightbesomethinglike:"Thesenewshoeswillmakeme feel cool (or sexy)."Or "I'll be active and fit if I buy thiskayak(orAppleWatch,etc.)".Thesestoriesseemveryreal,butthetruthisthey're just movies playing in our heads. The movies cause us to wantsomethingorfeelacertainway.Wecannoticethestoriesandnotletthemcontrolus.Wecanrealizethat they'renotcompletelyrealbutmorelikeadream.

4. Find appreciation for the presentmoment. Drop out of the story, andinsteadnoticethemomentinfrontofyou.Seethelight,noticesounds,feelthephysicalsensations.Andfindappreciationforthewonderthat'sinfrontof you right now. It's amazing, and it's free. And you don't need to buyanythingtofindcontentmentandjoyrightnow.

CHAPTER26:AFINALWORDONLIVINGLIGHTLY

Athome,youdon'tcarryeverythingonyourback,asyoudowhenyoutravel.Sotheneedtoreduceyourloadisn'tfeltasstrongly.Youcangetawaywithsomeextraweightstuffedintoacloset.

ButI'vefoundthatitdoesmatter.Youdon'thavetohavetheperfecthome—IknowI'mfarfromperfect.Butlivinglightlydoesmakeadifference.

Whenyoulivelightly,youcreatespaceforliving,withoutalltheclutter.Youfreeyourmindfromhavingtoworryaboutallthestuffinyourlife.Yourlifeisn'tsofullofstuffthatyouhavetotreadcarefullybetweenpilesofclutter.Youdon'thavetopushstuffasidesothatyoucangetthingsdone.Norrummagethroughstufftofindwhatyou'relookingfor.Thesearesmallthings,buttheyaddupthroughthecourseofaday,thecourseofalifetime.

Youshouldliveyourlifeasyoulike,notasIprescribe.I'vejustfoundalotofjoyinlighteningmyload,andIhopesomeoftheseideasgiveyouinspirationtofindyourownjoyinlettinggoofwhatyoupreviouslythoughtyoucouldn't.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

LeoBabautaisthecreatorofZenHabits,andauthoroftheZenHabitsbookaswellasEssentialZenHabits.Hehashelpedthousandsofpeoplechangetheirhabits,simplifytheirlivesandpracticemindfulnessthroughhisblogandhisSeaChangemembershipprogram.HelivesinDavis,Californiawithhiswifeandsixkids(severalofwhomarenowadults!).He’savegan,andenjoysrunning,reading,meditating,liftingweightsandhiking.