Getting Started with Traveling Ultralight

Getting Started with Traveling(ˈtravəl) Ultralight(ˈəltrəlīt)

By Leo Babauta

I’m on a trip(trip) at the moment, and a friend who generously(ˈjen(ə)rəslē) let me sleep on his couch(kouCH) looked at my small travel backpack and commented(ˈkämˌent) on how little I travel with: “That’s impressive(imˈpresiv),” he said.

I was a little surprised, because though I’ve gotten that comment(ˈkämˌent) before, it’s become normal for me to travel with just a small bag (10 lbs.(pound) or less, usually), and I have friends who travel with even less. But then I remembered that I’m far from normal in this way.

I gave him a tip for getting started, and I recommend(ˌrekəˈmend) it for all of you, who want to travel light — or ultralight, as I call it, because for many people traveling light is taking a carry(ˈkarē)-on roller(ˈrōlər) luggage(ˈləgij).

Here’s the tip I gave him to get started: start by getting a small backpack (less than 20 liters(ˈlēdər)) and then just travel with what fits in that.

That’s how to start. But you’ll probably want some guidance(ˈgīdns) on what to put into the bag, and how to travel with so little. Here’s some guidance to get started:

  1. I travel with a lightweight(ˈlītˌwāt) laptop(ˈlapˌtäp), a few clothes(klō(T͟H)z), my phone, earbuds(ˈirbəd) and some charging cords(kôrd), toiletries(ˈtoilətrēz), and almost nothing else. A lightweight windbreaker(ˈwindˌbrākər) for wind and light rain (Patagonia(ˌpadəˈɡōnēə) Houdini). An eye mask and ear((ə)r) plugs. A collapsible(kəˈlapsəbəl) water bottle(ˈbätl). My passport. That’s about it. No extra(ˈekstrə) shoes. No books. No suit(so͞ot). No travel pillow(ˈpilō). No extra camera other than my phone. I’m not sure what else everyone else brings, but none of that.

  2. I bring clothes that I can wash(wäSH,wôSH) in the sink or shower and that will dry overnight. Lightweight stuff that I can layer. Often they’re workout-style clothes or things from companies like Outlier(ˈoutˌlīər) or Patagonia that travel well. I don’t bring enough underwear(ˈəndərˌwer) or socks(säk) for every day of the trip, because I wash them every couple of days. I only bring one or two extra T-shirts, generally wearing(ˈwe(ə)riNG) the same two shirts(SHərt) the whole trip, even if it’s a month long. No one has ever once cared what I wear when I’m traveling.

  3. I bring minimal(ˈminəməl) toiletries: a small shaver(ˈSHāvər) for my head, razor(ˈrāzər), toothbrush(ˈto͞oTHˌbrəSH), floss(fläs,flôs), small tubes(t(y)o͞ob) of toothpaste(ˈto͞oTHˌpāst) and shaving(ˈSHāviNG) cream(krēm), deodorant(dēˈōdərənt), nail(nāl) clippers(ˈklipər), ibuprofen(ˌībyo͞oˈprōfən).

  4. For cold places, I have thermal(ˈTHərməl) underwear and a couple long-sleeve(slēv) layers(ˈlāər), and a beanie(ˈbēnē). I don’t usually go to places where it’s snowing (I don’t know why, maybe snow isn’t my thing), so I don’t have clothes to deal with that weather.

  5. For warm places, I will bring flip(flip) flops(fläp) and swim trunks(trəNGks), and leave most of the colder layers behind.

That’s enough for a month-long trip, which I’ve done multiple times with this kind of setup(ˈsetˌəp). For a shorter trip of a few days, I might bring even less.

I really love traveling this way, and am more than willing to sacrifice(ˈsakrəˌfīs) bringing extra things for the luxury(ˈləgZH(ə)-,ˈləkSH(ə)rē) of traveling lightweight.

By the way, you don’t need much more than this kind of setup even in everyday life.

https://zenhabits.net/ultralight-start/