Minimalist vs. Maximalist Travel
Or, lessons learned along the way.
Our van camping trips required more planning, packing, and preparation than I would wish on anyone. Living out of the van, things had to be compact, but we needed a little bit of almost everything. Clothes, a bed, bedding, chairs, table, food, cooking and cleaning supplies, toiletries, electronics, dog supplies - you name it, we packed it. Everything including a kitchen sink (collapsible for camping, but still). It was a bit like a clown car or Hermione’s magical purse in the Harry Potter movies- the more things we unpacked at our campsite the more there seemed to be still in the van!
This time, we’re doing things a little differently. After last year’s trip to Oregon by air, we realized that we can stay in quirky AirBnBs and cabins without nearly as much stuff to drag along. We managed that multiple week trip with only a carry-on sized suitcase each, plus two small backpacks for under our seats. It only took a little creativity and the willingness to do some laundry while on the road.
So this year, we are planning to pack around the same amount for our 5 week journey to Pennsylvania and back. Sure, we have a whole van, but it will be so much nicer to not have it packed to the rafters. In addition to our suitcases, we will need one additional bag of dog supplies, but they sell dog food everywhere, so no need for giant bags of it in the van. We will also need a couple of pillows and blankets for the camping cabins. I’m hoping that will all fit in one additional bag.
Two suitcases, two backpacks, and two totes for 5 weeks away - can we do it? We’ll see as we begin loading. But I’m hopeful! After all, there is a value in packing light beyond just having less to carry.
Minimalist travel requires us to think about what is absolutely essential and leave the other things behind. Van life, as crowded as it was, forced us to live more simply and make do with less. I have found that while we were mostly stuck at home during the pandemic I lost my tolerance for “stuff,” even at our house. I have a constantly growing stack of things to donate or discard, although I’m still pretty far from any kind of minimalist at home. Maybe this trip will build my skills even further and this fall will see me pare down even further to only possessing those things I absolutely need or love.
I’ll post some pics here once we actually get the van packed so you can see how well we did on our minimalist packing goals.
How do you pack for trips? Do you take everything you could possibly need and outfits for every occasion? Or do travel light with a more minimalist approach? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.