This is a series of posts about ‘how to live out of a backpack’ as a vagabond, minimalist, nomad, expat, traveler or for everyday life as a lifestyle.
SEASONAL KITS //
The trick to packing ultra-light while being well equipped is quite simple; pack only the necessities for your foreseeable future in regards to geography, activities, events and in this case the weather / climates.
So it’s not about arbitrarily packing the least amount of items as possible for the sake of it, but to leave out the ones you won’t need right away to pack for later.
Most people who pack for long-term often try to pack for every possible contingency and weather condition, despite geography or season. Packing full winter gear while planning months in South East Asia or too much summer clothing stuck in a European winter.
This is the primary reason why people pack too much for any type of travel or mobile lifestyle.
Living out of a backpack limits your available space and that’s somewhat the point of it, to minimize “stuff” in your life to just what’s useful and needed.
So it makes sense to use that small but valuable backpack real estate for clothing for the seasons.
I tend to stick to tropical countries and so my clothing kits reflect that, so my packing is a selective strategy:
However, I always pack the Stealth Hoodie LT, a shell jacket good for every season. Further more, I strategically pack hi-tech long sleeves and premium base layers that work great for hot weather and layered for the cold.
So I don’t exactly pack for winter but I am prepared for it, without being weighed slowed down by the gear for it.
Inversely, it would have heavier and warmer clothing with just a single pair of shorts and a couple of light shirts when I know I’ll be in a “winter” continent.
Just different clothing kits for the seasons.
How to Live Out of a Backpack:
Seasonal Kits
5 Comments
Been doing this since your pre-prepared package post!
Been vagabonding for a few months now and have been lugging around this heavy winter coat that packs like a sleeping bag. Not worn it once while in Asia. I feel what you mean, I should have left this!
Can you do one of these series on something like multi-purposing gear?
New here – enjoy reading this post. I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world and have used a variety of backpacks; some successfully and others not so much. First question, what are the cylinder containers in the top portion of your pack? If you answered this before, my apologizes as I missed it. Second, your pack is great but it definitely has a military appearance. As that gotten you unwarranted attention? I try and avoid any packs or gear that resembles military, especially spec ops military. I am currently using a Black GR1 (GoRuck). I didn’t want black, but I was in a hurry and that was the only color available. Putting stuff in cubes helps a lot, the interior molle straps allows me to connect various pouches, some of which are padded for more sensitive items.
While we may disagree on the backpack, you suggestions for packing, having the right mentality, and prioritizing your gear are spot on and I learned something in each of your posts.