Going as minimal as possible: How much does "I'll buy one if I need it" factor in?

[morkani]

House closes Friday & I'm trying to shed 40 years of "junk".

A lot of the junk is a "just in case I need it" (just so ya have it) type of thing. Some of it is also redundant, I found 4 tape measures while packing. 
But I'm noticing, as I'm packing, I don't think what i'm choosing to save is going to fit in a 10x10 storage locker. I'm keeping too much. How much of what ya'll toss is a "I'll buy one if i need it"?

Thanks

 

[bullfrog]

Some of the people started with a van with some type of place to sleep in it comfortably. Four black totes make a bed 30” wide by 80” long. Lay a piece of 1/2” plywood on top to even out the surface and allows you to pull out one tote at a time without moving the bedding. Place foam or a camping mattress, sleeping bag or what ever you have to make it warm and comfortable. 5 gallon bucket with a cushion top, plastic bags and toilet paper for emergency use along with wipes. Towel and a water jug. Clothing and personal items in one tote, kitchen in the second tote, tools and emergency items in the third tote and camping items or stuff that didn’t fit in the other totes in the forth tote. Extra set of keys hidden where they can be accessed from outside the vehicle. ID and I phone with pictures of all important documents. Credit Card as Walmarts are everywhere almost. Everything you will find if you need it and can be gotten on the road.

 

[wayne49]

That depends on what "it" is, how critical would "it" be, and how hard it would be to get another "it" in the future.

If "it" is a Sears Craftsman tool made before Sears started selling junk (and went bankrupt), then better to keep it. Or anything similar to that example.

 

[morkani]

Some of the people started with a van with some type of place to sleep in it comfortably. Four black totes make a bed 30” wide by 80” long. Lay a piece of 1/2” plywood on top to even out the surface and allows you to pull out one tote at a time without moving the bedding. Place foam or a camping mattress, sleeping bag or what ever you have to make it warm and comfortable. 5 gallon bucket with a cushion top, plastic bags and toilet paper for emergency use along with wipes. Towel and a water jug. Clothing and personal items in one tote, kitchen in the second tote, tools and emergency items in the third tote and camping items or stuff that didn’t fit in the other totes in the forth tote. Extra set of keys hidden where they can be accessed from outside the vehicle. ID and I phone with pictures of all important documents. Credit Card as Walmarts are everywhere almost. Everything you will find if you need it and can be gotten on the road.

thanks, I had been wondering what to do with my documents....i was thinking of just leaving in storage, but that's skerry too. Will be doing pics

 

[desert_sailing]

thanks, I had been wondering what to do with my documents....i was thinking of just leaving in storage, but that's skerry too. Will be doing pics

i have a false panel tucked in a couple places.. thats where I will be keeping big cash..,LOL>> ya right.. and ID and SS card.. emergency bank card.. no casual thief would be able to find it or if so doubtful he will have a drill to open them.

 

[MrNoodly]

Back when I was active in an online motorcycle forum, the question came up, "What do you pack with you go on a ride?" People had lists of tools and emergency supplies. I was considered a fool and a heretic when I half-jokingly said I took only my phone, a credit card and insurance ID.

But, really, I had a house filled with way too much just-in-case stuff. I mean, look at just the kitchen junk drawer -- filled with I-might-need-that and just-in-case stuff, none of which I ever needed, except to make me feel like I was prepared and responsible.

In the seven years I've lived and traveled in my van, I've never had a case of being stranded or whatever because I didn't have something I left behind. I have a small tool box, assorted nuts and bolts, various bits of wire, some fuses, some adhesives and sealants, duct tape and fluids. And that has been more than enough. The repairs I've needed were beyond my abilities and required a vehicle lift. And parts, of course.

Mobile living is supposed to be more minimalist than living in a building. That means not only doing without some things, but also accepting living with less certainty and less of a safety net.

 

[morkani]

Thanks for the advice & encouragement. I think maybe I'll have to pack twice. haha (once to narrow down, and another to be more realistic on what i really need) 
I SWEAR I'm not a hoarder. lol

 

[MG1912]

I went fulltime almost exactly a year ago and have been fulltime ever since.  When I was considering what I should take with me on the road, what should be kept in storage, and what should be thrown away, I started with the goal of getting rid of as much as possible.  I knew that it would be hard to sell most of my stuff, as most of it wasn’t worth much.  Many charity places don’t take books, clothes, or junk anymore.  I knew a lot of stuff would get thrown away, and in fact, we threw away about 10 contractor bags of my stuff, which shocked me, as I thought I had very little stuff… and relatively speaking, I did have very little stuff; most people have much, much more stuff than they think they do.

When deciding what to throw away, it was mostly an easy decision -- I had kept, among other things, notes from college classes taken 20 years ago, which serve absolutely no purpose today.  All that got tossed.  It got a little harder to decide when it came to personal items and books.  But I knew I couldn’t take the books with me, I would have difficulty giving them away, and I would never read them again or even ever read them a first time. 

I can say in retrospect that I am very glad I did not rent a storage unit.  At least in my area, they are fairly expensive, and I didn’t see the point in paying what amounted to a second cell phone bill every month to keep useless junk in storage for an indeterminate period of time.  In the end, I kept two large boxes in my cousin’s attic with personal and practical items I couldn’t bear to be without but couldn’t take with me on the road.  I am very glad I made that decision, as it has saved me money.

As for how I decided what to take with me, I started by reading other people’s lists online.  I have a truck camper, so I went on the major truck camper websites and just read their “must bring items” and “top things you need in your rig” type of lists.  There are lots of lists like that on nomad blogs and forums, too.  So I got an idea of the sort of things experienced nomads take with them, and I took what I thought applied to my situation.  I highly recommend reading some of those lists because a lot of the people composing those lists are full-timers with good experience.

Here’s some things I have that I highly recommend, as I feel they have made my life better or easier in my nomadic journeys:

1. A high quality folding camping chair
2. A high quality folding camping table
3. A high quality fly swatter
4. Layered bedding good for 20 degrees to 100 degrees
5. A dedicated mobile hotspot/jetpack with antennae (my antennae is internal and doesn’t require installation)
6. A solid step stool (can be used as a seat, a table, a step, etc.)
7. A high quality tea kettle
8. A double-walled camping mug
9. A wide variety of sizes of plastic storage bins
10. A good tire pressure gauge
11. An air compressor
12. A Good Sam membership (have needed it twice!)

I also have emergency roadside assistance and recovery items.  I have never had to change my own tires on the road, but I have changed tires for other people, including people who had a spare but no tire iron or jack.  I also have expensive tow straps and chain slings and D-rings.  Do I need those?  I hope I never do, but I’m glad I have them, and I’m not tossing them because they could be a life saver for myself or someone else. 

After a year, I can take a critical eye to what is in my rig now and see what needs to be cut or added.  For example, I have a lot of camping and survival gear that I have never used in the past year and don’t anticipate using in the future, so I will get rid of it, as it is just taking up space and adding weight.

 

[eDJ_]

I think everyone here needs some kind of evaluation technique for what is needed and what is nice to have.

Mine now is focused on the task rather than the tool.  Could I get the task accomplished with something I already have or a combination of tools I already possess.   Then if  buying new,  how many functions could I get from it.

When I first started out I had a "Camper's Bible" book that had a list of things campers should have with them.
It was a lot of stuff and often at the end of my camping trip I realized I used so little of it.  It dawned on me that
the type of trip would determine what I'd need....so if I was rough camping I'd need plenty where if I were at the
Lake Campground for a couple of nights I wouldn't need as much gear.  Going on the road full time would be
a different set of priorities.   These three factors are to me the basics of evaluation.

As an example,  I used to carry a claw hammer....but since I found a special hatchet that had at the top a claw for removing nails.   So it can do more than one job, takes up the same space,  has more than one function.  And it helps achieve a minimalist way.   A copy cat Swiss Army Knife can help with some of that too. (and the money saved
on the cheaper version can apply to something else.  (but there are some things you will want to invest in at the higher price to have a dependable item that won't let you down)

Here is a list of that stuff on my Van Conversion site Page 6:   Camper's Check List

 

[StacyK]

Take what I say with a grain of salt, as I have yet to move out of my townhouse: my experience so far and my observation of others here and on YouTube is that downsizing from a house to a van or RV is hard and anxiety-inducing and generally leads to keeping too much stuff, whereas upsizing from empty space to an RV is comparatively easy and freeing. So maybe instead of thinking about what to do with 40 years of stuff, try just thinking about what you want in your rig. Once your vehicle has what you need for safety and comfort, you can get rid of everything else. I’ve set aside 2 boxes of irreplaceable sentimental items that my brother will hang onto for me, and I have a good sense of what I will need and want in the van. I don’t intend even to look at anything else in my house as I box it up to get rid of it, because I know I’ll start stressing over “what if’s.” Even on this thread, the chilled-out people are saying to start from what you want with you, and not to fuss about anything else. The amount spent on a storage locker will quickly overtake the cost of replacing most basic household items.

 

[Qxxx]

thanks, I had been wondering what to do with my documents....i was thinking of just leaving in storage, but that's skerry too.

All in all, a good plan. You definitely should be able to shrink things down till they fit in a 10'x10'. Give some furniture to Goodwill or the dumpster. Plan on coming back in a year after travel, and suddenly you'll find "many" more things in the locker that you magically no longer need. Then get a smaller locker for another year, and repeat.

In regards documents, leave what you can in the locker, but make "several" hard copies of the critical ones to carry along with you on the road, and scan everything important into the computer of course.

Also, take what seems necessary in the rig, and in the course of the first couple of weeks, you'll either find a place for it, or else realize you can toss it. When I hit the road on my first long van trip, I ended up tossing all the unorganized stuff into the back in a big pile, just so I could get on the road, and then organized it over the first couple of days. It's a huge relief to get on the road. For that matter, you can hit the road and just go a short way initially, work on getting things organized, and then come back to the storage unit if necessary.

 

[LERCA]

After a house fire I rented the largest bank safe deposit box available (they are reasonable, far less than storage) and I have papers, jewelry, medications and I would keep cash but it’s illegal and I’d never break the rules). I have a small storage unit that I would like to get rid of eventually. I learned my lesson.

 

[morkani]

I'm so proud of myself !!

Just loaded up the storage locker with almost everything I wanted to keep, except from the computer room which I'll pack/store last. It only filled a 10x5 about 1/3 of the way.

I guess I was doing better than I thought as I was packing

(it didn't hurt that the buyers said I could leave anything I wanted behind.)

 

[Qxxx]

Congrats. The old life is rapidly becoming history, the new life beckons.

 

[urbankid12]

Thanks for the advice & encouragement. I think maybe I'll have to pack twice. haha (once to narrow down, and another to be more realistic on what i really need) 
I SWEAR I'm not a hoarder. lol

I feel your pain I can relate I would call it micro decision exhausted I’ve been going through that sometime after going through all my stuff I keep going over and over again and I keep getting more and more stuff to get rid of I’m going from a studio apartment to a minivan I don’t want to have a store locker and in fact my idea is instead of paying for a storage locker I’ll save that money to go to my just in case fund in case I ever need anything plus in case I ever need anything it would be brand new great quality right out of the box instead of hauling out of a dingy storage unit.

it’s a freeing experience getting rid of everything that has been holding me down holding me back keeping me from thinking I can just get up and leave in about 15 minutes pack up my van and be gone within the hour it’s feel so much better to get all that stuff that is anchoring me down from living the life that I feel I should be living I encourage you to keep going, however when the times get rough know that you are not alone other people have experience that exhaustion if and when you feel that is normal.  I watched YouTube video about people feeling that exhaustion too so I can’t feel so alone in the experience and power through. Good luck!

 

[RoamerRV428]

shed the world and your shoulders will rise and not be weighed down by crap we 'feel we might need'

I am a minimalist type person and when I threw so much of hubby's might need crap out around me I felt even better with life LOL

yea he wasn't too happy but in the end, all that crap means nothing.

what do you truly need? peace of mind, good air, great social situations, some great meals and what? all the other can be obtained when required thru services of others and of course those of us 'on the fly' can always make life work.

your comforts or luxuries you truly want. those need addressing only, rest is fluff. go for it and unload all the baggage!

I am one step from unloading my home when the kid hits college and I get her settled and then I am letting it all fly and saying screw it and live live and live free and if I need something, I will find it. Nothing I could need would never be 'life threatening' in a way so?

 

[nature lover]

It is an amazing experience to realize that all that stuff you hoarded all that stuff you treasured is basically worth nothing to the rest of the world. You might get a few pennies on the dollar back from the auctioneer but not enough to make it worthwhile. I am a hoarder, collector, dumpster diver, treasure hunter. Many people talk about the freedom of getting away from all the stuff but they don’t talk about the pain a hoarder goes through when he loses his treasures voluntarily or by force. I’ve shed myself of everything nonessential and then still had tons of stuff. Grandma’s Afghan, pictures from my youth, A major library that took years to build, A shop full of tools. Now most of that is gone and there is a feeling of relief but there’s a heck of a lot of pain. I’m dealing with it. full-time in since June 1 in a dodge conversion van. Still finding stuff to get rid of. Don’t let them tell you it’s easy. But I am gradually finding that Unloading stuff Can make life more simple and enjoyable. I’ve often said I want to lose a lot of weight so that my boys won’t have a heavy load to carry into the cemetery. Same is true with all the junk I had who’s going to sort through it?

 

[Weight]

On the other hand. Everything I disposed was needed again, sometimes years later. but on the road I'm in the find or buy as it is needed the proper attitude. I started with a mat on the floor and a beer case for clothing storage. Soon I had a fold down bed and foam bedding. Another box for more stuff. Got colder and installed a RV heater. Then the water jug wasn't good enough so now have water pump and sink basin. Then needed battery bank, solar charging, a few years need new battery but LA too heavy and now am working up LiFePo, It really doesn't end when I don't have adult supervision.

 

[Amigatec]

thanks, I had been wondering what to do with my documents....i was thinking of just leaving in storage, but that's skerry too. Will be doing pics

I have 2 different safes in my RV, one is a gun to keep my 9mm in and the other as more for money. The gun safe is much harder to find. Most sporting goods store will have a small gun safe.

 

[Tony's Dream]

When I was in the Army, we were limited on how much weight we could ship when we moved.....so we didn't have too much "just in case" stuff. When I retired we started adding more and more to our storage areas to the point that I couldn't remember what I had or where it is.

Our general rule of thumb is.....if I didn't touch it in a year, we don't need it. We kept file cabinets full of paper work that we would file and never look at it again. With time and technology, we scanned the things we though we would need.....and tossed everything else.

When I would pack my ruck sack, I learned how to pack everything pretty tight and packed only what I really needed. I was going to be carrying it on my back, so nothing in there I really didn't need.