Minimalist Lightweight Gear ... who else aims for less?

Model94

Member
Planning a western trip to Moab and was close to getting a trailer / RTT etc. but pulled back. I have quite a bit of good quality gear for canoe trips (Cooke Custom Sewing SilNylon Tarps, Silnylon Lean, a Nemo bug shelter, etc. ) May splurge on a 12V fridge, a $200 super comfy sleeping pad, maybe a few other things. It will still be kilodollars cheaper and without the added need for trailer storage, towing, upkeep, etc. I can fit all of my camp (tent / tarp / mat / bag / bug tent / hammock / poles) into a medium duffel. Also I will spend less time on the "Stuff" and more on the experience. Is anyone else in this frame of mind? Tips / Good ideas? I'll take some pics from my camps to share. As I'm getting into mid life, the clutter is starting to get to me. Need to pare it back.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
Do a bit of searching and reading on here, there are a number of threads outlining the evolution of gear and traveling light vs "glamping". I have gear for both personally.
 

vartz04

Adventurer
There is an article written just for you on the front page right now.
https://expeditionportal.com/the-minimalists-guide-to-overlanding/

I read that. Very general ideas but it gets you to think the right way. A list of "exchange this for that" with a low medium and high cost option for the item to exchange would be great.

I'm too poor to own two sets of camping gear so my stuff is pretty much backpacking gear with a fridge, diy goal zero and Coleman grill that is more car camping related.
 

krick3tt

Adventurer
I have been purchasing light easy to wash and dry clothing for a few years and I find it not at all difficult to travel light. I don't mean backpacking, I'm talking international travel to Europe, South America or south Africa.
I travel with only one relatively small bag, a carry on type thing. I wear the shoes and jacket I am using and one change of the clothing. the rest goes in the bag. One or two changes tops, lightweight and easily washable under clothes and socks. Rarely take personal items as almost everywhere we stay those things are supplied, usually by the B&B. Twice the money and half the clothes seems to work for me.

I have also gone to thrift shops to get some items that I discard along the way lightening my load, pants and shirts, even a suit sometimes. Almost an entire two week wardrobe can be gotten for under $30.
The times it is most difficult is going from hot to cold environment or the other way around. Had to stop in NYC for three days in a snow storm going to the warmth of S. Africa, that was a challenge. Had to ship heavy winter clothes home by UPS from NYC.

As far as camping goes it is not difficult as the stuff can go into nooks in the vehicle. Lots of stuff that I would never travel with on a plane is quite easy in a vehicle. Have also been paring down for years in that area with camping gear. Smaller stove, larger more comfortable sleeping bag, thicker self-inflating sleeping pad. Easier to prepare meals. Check out Ronny Dahl's idea of easy cooking for the bush on You-tube.

Happy trails
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
I do. But I have a wife. Enough said. The RV industry was created by married men trying to gain as much time away from the house as possible "with wifes blessing"
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Planning a western trip to Moab and was close to getting a trailer / RTT etc. but pulled back. I have quite a bit of good quality gear for canoe trips (Cooke Custom Sewing SilNylon Tarps, Silnylon Lean, a Nemo bug shelter, etc. ) May splurge on a 12V fridge, a $200 super comfy sleeping pad, maybe a few other things. It will still be kilodollars cheaper and without the added need for trailer storage, towing, upkeep, etc. I can fit all of my camp (tent / tarp / mat / bag / bug tent / hammock / poles) into a medium duffel. Also I will spend less time on the "Stuff" and more on the experience. Is anyone else in this frame of mind? Tips / Good ideas? I'll take some pics from my camps to share. As I'm getting into mid life, the clutter is starting to get to me. Need to pare it back.

What time of the year and for how long?
 

Kerensky97

Xterra101
Minimalist is cool, and I have backpacking gear for when I go backpacking.

But in my expedition vehicle speed and ease of setup and takedown is top priority. Since camp has to go up every night and come back down every morning I want the process to be quick and simple. And that applies to in camp living as well, ease of use is priority over size and weight. Especially since size and weight aren't an issue (unless it involves something that needs to be lifted into and out of a truck bed or trailer each time.
 

AssBurns

New member
I’ve always preferred a more minimalist approach to everything I do. The older I get (still very young),the less I want to mess around with lugging junk around and spending hours loading and unloading my vehicle or pack. I try to pack and prepare as efficient as possible. The few items that I have a tough time leaving behind when car carping behind is extra tools, chairs, extra warm clothes, and beer. Packing for small children is also a whole other issue. They usually have a whole back for themselves.

Anyways I’ve taken my UL backpacking experience to help get past most of the hurtles of minimizing how much I pack and how much weight I carry. Instead of packing a stove, I just carry some skewers and try to cook as much as possible over the open flame of a campfire. Or bring granola and cereal with powdered milk in ziplock baggies. No cooking utensils needed, nothing to clean or cleaning supplies to pack. It makes the whole experience much easier for short term camping. For longer trips this might get a bit old though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

krick3tt

Adventurer
When I was younger I was content with freeze dried yogurt, granola, oatmeal and energy bars but as I gain years it is getting more enjoyable to have real food. Bacon, eggs or sausage in the AM, stew or other meats with vegetables at dinner and good wine or beer, even a more than passable scotch for the evening around the fire.
With a vehicle it is also easier to carry those things that have been adopted to allow more comfort away from home. Light is often less desirable than comfort. A good tent with thick sleeping pads and warm bags go toward a pleasant night's sleep to be ready for the drive the next day.
Yes I have gotten soft but after 15 years backpacking, snowshoeing, hiking and then folding that in to about 40 years offroading it is my turn to go easy and be comfortable.
I applaud the hardy souls that can travel for days on jerky and water, go commando to save weight and tear the tags off your tea bags, so travel well and enjoy, however you go.
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
I read that. Very general ideas but it gets you to think the right way. A list of "exchange this for that" with a low medium and high cost option for the item to exchange would be great.

I'm too poor to own two sets of camping gear so my stuff is pretty much backpacking gear with a fridge, diy goal zero and Coleman grill that is more car camping related.
Yes, I did leave my editorial rather vague on the specifics. However, it would be impossible to recommend lighter/smaller gear as there's literally tens of thousands of items to consider. It's really as easy as heading to your local REI for a quick shop. As I said in the article, the biggest thing you can do is not take so much crap.

I have stopped traveling with people who carry way too much gear because I get tired just watching them setup or break camp. :)
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
I've written a couple times now about downsizing someone posted somewhere in here about gear management and I felt the same way way too much stuff to pack and unpack we used to have a conqueror trailer downsize some still had a full roof rack and a small in hitch rack to carry all the extras
Our last trip the four of us two dogs everything inside the 4runner nothing needed on top or the back granted when we go for more than 4-5 days to unimproved areas we have to start putting stuff on top but it's way less than we've had another times

Trailers do make it easy like the conqueror or others with built in kitchens But another set of tires another axle more things to go wrong and sometimes going back on trails finding it hard to back out turn around

I still love my Snowpeak kitchen set up for cooking
simple things like switching to the helinox chairs now all four of our chairs take up a spot of one normal camp chair switching all her towels to microfiber pack towels again all four of our towels fit in the size of a normal bath towel

so many vehicles been so overloaded with so much weight in armor and extra things we put on and in and all the weight of gear we put in
the extra wear and tear poor mileage something I don't want anymore

Begin for me with a family of four even small things like switching out all the plates cutlery everything for lighter stuff adds up quite a bit
 

PlacidWaters

Adventurer
I guess there are different definitions of "minimalist." Total weight of gear, space it takes up. But also maybe simplicity in the way you go about things. I've been phasing out cooking. If I cook it's more likely to be at home for a trip of a few days, and then eaten cold. Last trip supper was cold steak and vegetables. Not very exciting, but not having to carry a stove and pots and having just a couple of dishes (or no dishes---just eat out of the container) to wash WAS exciting. It leaves more time for other things. On longer trips I would cook though.

As for gear, we're always searching for the middle ground of comfort, light weight, small packed size, and affordable. That changes every single year with new designs. So while I become more minimalist with lighter gear . . . the previous years' stuff accumulates and has to go on Craigslist, which is not a minimalist approach.

Age plays a role here. I agree, Christophe, there was a time when I backpacked with 30 lbs and noticed how soft rocks were when I took a nap on them by a stream. Really soft was a 1/4" closed-cell pad. These days it mystifies me that some people can sleep on a cot without a 3" air mattress.
 

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