OBL (One bag living)

As I mentioned in some other threads today, I took a trip to Aruba for a week and a half of beaches and such. During this time I was living most simply! I took only one backpack, and it was just a bookbag, like you take to high school. I left my laptop in Ohio.

This was reinvigorating to me and gave me some new doses of simplicity inspiration. :)

Anyone else do things from time to time to get them back in the swing of simple things? Big ideas? Small ideas? And maybe more importantly... ideas for keeping the momentum?

I go on 1-3 week wilderness trips with some frequency, with nothing more than I can carry. It's usually quite educational.

I really enjoyed a wilderness medical class last year, where they dumped the whole class off in a remote island spot for 10 days so we could learn and practice in a more realistic setting, as a good portion of the class was devoted to "keeping the patient alive and comfortable in remote locations with no stuff."

I'm currently doing some trip planning to see if I can make it upside the Inside Passage from here to Alaska in a 15 foot skiff, which will involve several bags of gear, but not much compared to the Luxury Cruise Ship approach :-)

The last few times that I have travelled , i take a small carryon and that is it. If it won't fit in this carryon, it doesn't go. Amazing how little one really needs. Saves a lot of decision-making on souvenir type of purchase as well. There is no room! Amazing how that helps. Now I have a refurbished iPhone to take photos, keep records and for any emergency that might arise with contact info.

Razz:

That is a great point about the lack of room for souvenirs! haha

I like the concept of starting with the small bag, rather than starting with the pile of stuff and then finding the smallest bag it fits in. I have a big carry on / small suitcase, and even though I probably only need to fill it up halfway, why would I do that, so along comes the extra sweater, pants, an umbrella, dancing shoes (if you knew me you'd be snickering) and before I know it, I'm dividing things into whether they should be in the suitcase or thecarry on tote bag ... or the purse. or the fanny pack. As I'm also one of those people who appears to be juggling elephants if I'm carrying more than two items, this really isn't a useful approach.

... at the moment I'm eyeing a tote from the Smithsonian hanging by the door and trying to imagine what life would be like if I just brought That on this upcoming three week trip. Wow.

I LOVE OBL!!!

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Originally Posted by mschrisgo2

I LOVE OBL!!!

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Details please. :)

One of the reasons I love to travel is OBL. You realize you have everything you need, which isn't much.

My son did some acting as a child, and for his first movie shoot, we were called out to the set in the Midwest about 2 weeks earlier than was the original plan. They called us the night before with a next-day ticket, and we were to be gone for almost 3 months. So I just grabbed my one medium Samsonite suitcase and packed, not only for me, but for my two small children (ages 5-6). I told my DH that I'd call him and tell him what else to pack and send later.

Well, I never made that particular phone call. Three of us lived fine for 3 months out of one medium suitcase. It was great. Unfortunately, I never acted on the learnings from that lesson when I got home, despite my good intentions to do so.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by catherine

One of the reasons I love to travel is OBL. You realize you have everything you need, which isn't much.

My son did some acting as a child, and for his first movie shoot, we were called out to the set in the Midwest about 2 weeks earlier than was the original plan. They called us the night before with a next-day ticket, and we were to be gone for almost 3 months. So I just grabbed my one medium Samsonite suitcase and packed, not only for me, but for my two small children (ages 5-6). I told my DH that I'd call him and tell him what else to pack and send later.

Well, I never made that particular phone call. Three of us lived fine for 3 months out of one medium suitcase. It was great. Unfortunately, I never acted on the learnings from that lesson when I got home, despite my good intentions to do so.

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Illuminating story! 3 months is a good long time too.

I've done 3 months in a large back pack.
When we traveled 42 weekends a year we had it down to a science of exactly what we needed to pack for road/set-up, show, and dinner out.

I love watching the "packing a suitcase for travel" tips on youtube.