Decluttering and duplication

[kib]

This is seriously a "first world problem", but if you A. have a second space - house, rv, summer cabin, boat, etc. or B. do a lot of traveling or camping or some other equipment-laden hobby away from home, do you duplicate or do you cull what you need from what you have? Example, if you're going camping, do you have a special box of kitchen supplies for camping or do you just go through the kitchen picking up a pot here and a veggie peeler there? If you travel, do you have a special box/bag of what I call "personals" - a second deodorant, toothbrush and so on so you can grab and go, or do you face down the medicine cabinet every time and take out what you need and then return it when you get home?

I feel like I'm being pretty minimal, but the depressing truth is that I've got masses of duplication I justify because it's convenient. When I try to trim things down, I wind up in this irritating fussy middle ground - is there a pair of garden shears at the other house or not? Is there a toothbrush in my dop kit? Is the small shampoo bottle in my dop kit full? Etc. etc. etc. I want it to be easy, but I don't seem to know how to do that.

[catherine]

I do have some duplication. As a business traveler, I find it so much more reassuring to know that I already have an extra toothbrush/toothpaste, hair brush, deodorant and stockings packed in my suitcase. I don't have a whole set of make-up, though. I usually remember my make-up bag, but I have left my hair brush at home so many times, and didn't realize it until after my hair was soaking wet and ready to be blown dry, that at this point I don't think I can have too many hair brushes.

[herbgeek]

I find it to be easier to be a duplicator, as far as personal effects. I have a toiletry kit always packed and ready to go. I actually have two of them, one for just overnight and one for a week with larger bottles. This is one less thing to worry about, that I forgot something important. So for me, that makes it easier. Less anxiety.

[freshstart]

I keep a travel kit for about a week's worth of toiletries, hairbrush, etc. I used to keep duplicate make up but don't anymore

[Chicken lady]

I don't travel much so I'm a pack it up type. I do have a hairbrush, a plastic cup, nail scissors and a pen that live in my car.

[Ultralight]

Some thoughts from Joshua Becker:

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/joy-of-one/

[kib]

I agree with the idea of one of everything, mostly. But I have a van that I'm outfitting for long distance road trips, and that is a whole lot of packing and unpacking. I'm trying to decide if being 'minimal' is the right choice in this situation.

[herbgeek]

There are times when multiples makes sense. I have multiple pairs of scissors, in every room where I'd use them. This way I don't waste time figuring out the last place I used them. On the other hand, I have a home base for singular items that are critical like car keys, also so I don't spend time looking. If it's easy to buy/replace items, you might not worry about it. Or you could make checklists before you pack. Lots of ways to approach this, depends on what works for you.

[rodeosweetheart]

There are times when multiples makes sense. I have multiple pairs of scissors, in every room where I'd use them. This way I don't waste time figuring out the last place I used them. On the other hand, I have a home base for singular items that are critical like car keys, also so I don't spend time looking. If it's easy to buy/replace items, you might not worry about it. Or you could make checklists before you pack. Lots of ways to approach this, depends on what works for you.

I agree! I think this is very situational. I always put my car keys in the same place and I have one main set. But I have about 6 pairs of glasses, with several locations.

Personally, I would equip the van with its own set of items for living. When we had two houses, both were equipped, although only one was the primary house. In fact, that is one of the things that I really dislike about having two houses, the duplication. But it's the only practical way to do it.

The items are there to support you, a seamless, efficient life. Whatever it takes. Otherwise, if you are scrambling around trying to reassemble "home" in each environment, you waste a lot of energy, in my opinion.

[shadowmoss]

I ended up with so many baggies of travel supplies that I started using them for every day just to figure out what I had. I finally made it through all the toothpaste and deodorant. Since the deodorant was a brand only available in Honduras I knew that even that newish one was at least 2 years old. The travel ones were older. I'm throwing out all the travel toothbrushes. Again, some of them are 10 years old as I ended up buying news ones on the go. Small lotions, band aids, tissues, cotton balls... all brought to center and I'm about ready to toss anything left now that I quit buying travel stuff separately. I've decided to use travel size whenever I can at home (toothpaste is an exception because it is just so much more economical to buy the big tube) in order to get rid of all the duplication.

As for housewares, I tend to do carry-on travel so I'm not taking pots and pans and such.

[freshstart]

Duplicates do make life easier in many ways, I have scissors in every room, as well. When I found a great deal on a collapsible step stool, I bought one for every room of the house. Now I can at least reach the second shelf in the kitchen, I have to get the mini step ladder for the third. But it allows me to use more of my stuff that is out of reach normally so that every high shelf doesn't turn into a black hole of stuff I never use.

[Alan]

I'm a duplicates kinda guy. Our motorhome remains fully equipped with toiletries for two, utensils, spices, pillows, swimwear, towels, sheets, sunglasses, small tools, etc. Otherwise, we'd never have what we needed on the road. In some areas, it's that way at home too. Being a man of a certain age, I have reading glasses stashed throughout the house, basically anywhere I may sit, stand or function. Bedroom readers, bathroom readers, family room readers, kitchen readers, car readers, motorcycle readers, office readers, motorhome readers and one pair of bifocals I keep in the car for use when I'm out and about.

I'd be lost without duplication.

[Float On]

When we realized we were camping only once or twice every few years instead of almost monthly, I gave up the camping box.
When we traveled 36-42 trips a year for art shows, yes we kept a bag packed at all times (duplicates only being toiletry items since we hotel'd it mostly).

My parents are quad people: They have the camper, cabin, Oregon stash (at my brothers), and home.

[Teacher Terry]

I am like Alan in regard to the reading glasses. Too much of a pain to be going room to room looking for them. When we first got our RV I equipped it with duplicates of things. Then I realized we usually only took 1 big trip/year and everything had to be brought in the house to be cleaned anyways. So now I pack it with stuff from the house. If we used it more it would be different.