Its week 3 of our minimizing post and we are going to tackle miscellaneous stuff!
All the extra stuff we have beyond clothing and daily need items is really what ended up being the largest amount of items that we needed to minimize. In the initial packing process this brought us to the ‘Want Vs Need’ question. Need items came first, like electronics and documents. Then we decided what else we wanted to bring with emphasis on things that were meaningful, and that we would use frequently in day to day life. Here is what we travel with:
Camping/Outdoor Equipment:
A large part of reason we wanted to try travel employment was to allow more exploration and travel in everyday life. We love getting outside to explore and traveling with camping gear allows us to more affordably travel. Because of this we knew we needed to make room for camping stuff in our cars… with an emphasis on things that we would absolutely need to camp (rather than glamping).
One thing that is especially important on the West coast is safe cooking equipment to prevent fires. We chose a butane stove which we have used a few time now on our cross country journey. Also, we travel with a tent, cots, and a few items for meals. Thanks to my 20% off coupon as an REI member we are hoping to purchase sleeping bags this week to round our gear.
Electronics:
Patrick tried a laptop when he started college and then quickly found his way back to a desktop computer. We knew he would want to keep his desktop during travel and we factored this in to packing. Since our initial move out west he has minimized his set up more by getting a smaller cube case. Most of our other electronic gear is fairly small, but covers everything we would need. We also travel with a printer (not pictured) that we are very happy to have. It definitely takes up more space than we would like, but we find that we need to print things more than you would think. Five surge protectors also made it past our final cut and we use every single one at in our current living set-up. (Thanks to Patricks’ strange obsession with surge protectors we are well prepared!)
Entertainment/Miscellaneous:
This collection of stuff is a mix of things we use for entertainment, exercise, collecting memories, and daily life. We have been focusing more on reading and prefer to have paper books. It can be difficult to join a library when you are not a permanent resident of an area, but we have found several used books stores that we love! The bins in the picture contain our office and extra cosmetic supplies. The bins aren’t always organized but they help keep all the little things contained.
A few other important things to mention are our memory book, walkie talkies, and Patrick’s snowboard. I started a memory book to document our travels and it has been a really awesome way to be creative. I get a sticker from each new place we go to cover the book instead of buying an unneeded souvenir. Our walkie talkies have been invaluable and are used every time we move. They allow us to communicate easily while driving and have undoubtedly saved us time. Lastly, the snowboard. It did not initially make the packing cut, but we brought it with us when flying back to Washington during the holidays. We were able to take several trips to the amazing cascade mountains and even manage to fit it in Patrick’s car.
Other:
I didn’t manage to get pictures of EVERYTHING we have (it would be boring to see it all), but there are a few other things that are worth writing about.
As you know adulting comes with lots of paperwork and extra documents. Before leaving Pennsylvania I reorganized a hanging file bin from college to include everything we would need. It took forever to organize… but now I am able to easily find documents for everything from car records, to leases, to our taxes. Whether you travel or not I encourage you to organize your documents! It decreases stress and probably has saved us money.
Last but not least we travel with our own blankets and pillows. Every place we have rented so far has been furnished with linens/blankets, but there is nothing like your own. It has helped us sleep better (since we are both blanket hogs) and it makes every place feel more like home!
Go Minimize Your Stuff!
As we wrap up our posts of minimizing on the road I hope we have inspired you to think about what you have versus what you need. We are in a unique situation where we must fit all of our belongings in a small defined space e.g. our cars. This being said you can declutter and minimize what you have in any environment.
It’s easy to accumulate items when you have space but of the things you have how much do you use… and even more so how much of it actually adds to your life. We have become super consumers with Amazon prime and other quick shopping at our fingertips. This is great when it’s necessary, but also leads to owning more than we need. Not only does it affect the environment but it also can negatively impact your day to day life in significant ways.
I challenge you to minimize, think before you buy, and focus on the things that truly add to your life!
Those cots look familiar! Man that brings back memories
Good thing our favorite Target sandels are so flat!!
Yes!! I have several pairs with me!