I went for a little staycation last weekend and when I was done packing my things, my friends looked at me like I’d grown two heads.
“I thought you said it was for the weekend.” When I replied in the affirmative, they exchanged looks and asked further, “Then why are you packing like it’s for an overnight trip?”
I laughed because I finally got what they meant. They proceeded to add that as a woman, it was much better to over pack than to under pack. They added a few choice scenarios that further enhanced the advantages of overpacking as opposed to under packing. I smiled in understanding because I did see where they were coming from but they also didn’t understand all the disadvantages that came with travelling heavily. Minus the fact that you may not be able to account for a lot of stuff at the end of the day, it’s just such a huge weight on the back.
Before I answer the question of whether or not I can live out of a backpack for a year, I’ll tell you what I ended up packing for my weekend trip. I was not using a backpack but a big lady’s bag that’s just about the size of a regular backpack. I took a lot of things into consideration like the weather, where I’ll be staying, the few places I intended to go and all of that.
The heat wave is over, thank goodness. But it’s been replaced with cloudy weather for most days and lots of rain. I like the cold a lot so it’s fine by me. I took with me two big and loose cotton tops for the times I’ll be indoors. I’ve had tops like these for years and somehow I can’t get rid of them despite how worn they are because of how comfy it is being in them. I knew they had to get in the bag.
House wear settled, I put in a denim and pant-trousers and two cotton blouses I intended to pair with them. All were pretty light so it went into the bag smoothly. I fully intended to be indoors but on a whim, I added a light silk evening dress and that completed my outfits. I rarely get cold so I didn’t bother with a hoodie or a shawl. Footwear was the slides I wore to my place of residence and a low-heeled slipper.
Then, I added my skincare bag. I have such oily skin, you can literally tell even in monochromic pictures and it doesn’t help that it’s sensitive too. So even though I was sure that the Guest House would provide a few skin care products since I’ve resided there before, I couldn’t for the life of me depend on theirs. So my little skincare bag consisted of the essentials: sunscreen, baby oil, facial serum and a moisturizer. I can’t compromise on the skin part cause the disadvantages of not taking proper care of it far outweighs whatever cost it would be to simply maintain it. And of course, there’s dental stuff and deodorant.
I write on my phone and work from there too. Plus, my e-books have become my friends because of the unavailability of traditional books so I knew that my phone was pretty much all I needed. The guest house also has constant electricity so just a phone charger was needed and not a battery bank.
That completed my weekend bag. I’m not sure if it seems like a lot but it was pretty light when I carried it with me and I felt accomplished. Little Miss Organized and all of that.
Now to the question posed by the #KISS initiative, of The Minimalist Community...
Would I be able to live out of a backpack for a year if I wanted to? And the answer is I’m not sure. I mean I could live a month or two with the items I listed above. I’m sure I’ll be pretty fine actually. Unless the place I was going to would clash with the things I’ve got along with me.
In my culture, you’d hardly see anyone take a trip to the wild or the woods or anything outdoors. Thinking of it, you wouldn’t dare try that. Lol. But I doubt I’d have been able to survive much even if the outdoor/wild life was safe from bandits and what have you. I live simple and smart but I still doubt my proficiency in surviving many things.
However, I think if I was going to live out of my backpack for a year then that cancels out anything aesthetic that doesn’t have much use to things that I’ll find comfortable as well as practical. And that would be a few comfy clothes, skincare bag, a water can I would constantly refill with water, my phone where my books and work materials are, battery bank and of course, Aspirin. * Just in case.*
What about you? What would you put in your bag if you could live out of it for a year?
Jhymi🖤
Images are mine.
