Essential is the keyword.

After watching Minimalism on Netflix, we have to wonder what it’s like living with the bare necessities. What would happen if we traveled with one small baggage for all our trips? In the documentary, the two men go on a road tour talking about their lifestyle. Both men arrive at the hotel with a just duffle bag of their belongings for the next few months. Small, light, manageable luggage for trips are both environmentally and personally beneficial.

Environmentally: If the bags are heavy then more fuel is needed to fly the plane resulting in more greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, mainly Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated Gases, are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming.

Personally: Traveling with fewer things can reduce stress and you appreciate the things you do bring along. Rather than having multiple shirts, you have 5-7 that you enjoy wearing. Shoes - depending on where you are going and what you are doing - 2 should suffice. They also weigh the most so reducing the number of shoes means a lighter bag. We are conditioned to believe that we need a new outfit every day. This is not always the case. Fewer clothes helps save time and money and changing your mindset can help you realize that less is better!

Minimalism while traveling will allow you to focus on the place you are and not what you have or intend on bringing home. To live in the moment, with no worries of keeping track of all your items, is a whole different type of traveling.

Do you travel similar to this lifestyle, what are your thoughts?