Have you ever thought about traveling light? Going somewhere but only carrying a few items that actually matters?

_{Disclaimer though, you don’t have to be extremely wealthy to have a minimalist lifestyle. I put this disclaimer because these days the movement is often portrayed by relatively middle class people, who have money to buy stuff later and are secure. It’s ironic that they are preaching the lifestyle to many of us and always buy the high-end minimalistic look but guess what, you don’t have to be wealthy before you start getting into minimalism or being a minimalist. In fact, I really remember someone in the past mentioned minimalist life is basically poor in terms of materials which isn’t wrong either. But obviously, it doesn't mean you have to look like a pauper. I also notice a different mindset between people who don't have a lot of money vs people who do. Like my family, we used to always buy a lot of stuff when we had the money because we didn’t know if we could afford it in the future. Often what happens is, sometimes the stuff we buy aren’t being used and are practically useless. It’s really hard to change that mindset and even growing up, I almost fell into the same trap but I got out of it and chose my way.}

Make everything portable friendly or better, has foldable feature

You will save so much space if you carry items that are foldable and also portable friendly. From toothpaste to raincoat, almost everything I own can be folded. I saved so much space and even the weight by choosing portable friendly items. Some of the things that aren’t portable in my case would be my keyboard and camera that are a bit bulky but since they have their own home at my tech bag, that’s fine.

Check the weather of your destination or be a weather agnostic

You can care about the weather but you can also be a weather agnostic, that means, you don’t care what weather it’s going to be, you’ll pack something that works for those weather. It was proven to be working when in Lombok, the weather was very unpredictable. Now, I live off a 3 sweatshirts, 3 trousers, a dress, one fancy dresses just in case I’d be invited to a party(not gonna happen but kinda nice to think about it) sometimes I wear that when I want to feel fancy. 3 plain T-shirts, 2 cardigan, and buttoned shirt that I can always mix and match. Also, shoes, flip flops and sandals that can be worn anywhere to any ocassions. Do not forget umbrella, hat, bag rain cover and portable raincoats.

Do not bring too many toiletries and just carry travel sized items

Unless you have your preferred brand, keep them home. Chances are where you go, they’ll have the basic soap and toothpaste. To save money on toiletries, I just use the soap provided by my accommodation but for the toothpaste, I have a special needs, so I always bring the portable one but eventually purchased one because I know that I’ll finish them in my travel duration. There’s a perk by just using generic brands because I can always find them everywhere I go and won’t matter if it’s even outside the country.

Learn how to fold properly

If you still only know the basic way of folding things, let me tell you, Stop! You can either fold your things into a burrito or even do square tricks that will help you save space and make sure all things you need fit into a simple 20 L or even 30L bag. There are a lot of guides on youtube about folding properly.

Bag inside a bag

It may sound funny to you but it helps. Having some dedicated place for a group of things will make organization easier so you won’t have to dig your bag just to find something. I especially have a dedicated place for gadgets and also toiletries and feminine care. Some bags are also used to store smaller shirts and socks.Sometimes, I keep snacks and money in those pockets then I'll feel like Christmas when I find them.

All pockets matters

Like what I said in my title, all pockets matters. I leverage all my pockets to store undergarments, very thin shirts, medicines, small snacks, socks, and other smaller things that could fit into pockets. Pockets are also a way to save a lot of space when traveling. Even if you’re tempted to bring an unnecessary thing, you’ll still find a space or two.

Do laundry when you can

It may be sucks or even be strange to do laundry but it helps save space especially when dirty clothes inflate the size. Not to mention, you will have fresh clothes by doing your own laundry using the sink. If there is a laundry place nearby, you can simply use the service. But if nothing is around, water, soap, and sink are your options. When I was camping, that’s what I did to keep my things clean and also help me save weight and space. Even when I am staying at hotel, I still wash little things and bring the rest to the laundry place.

In the end, traveling minimalistically gives you more room to explore around. It’s way easier from moving from one place to another without having to worry about our belongings and carrying it around. And even when you get too comfortable, like I often do, it's also still nice to know that if I have a spur of ideas to move, it will be way easier.

Mac's Pinmapple Travel List

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	Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated.