Indefinite Backpack Travel • Hacker News Board

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#261

Post by analog31 » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 2:17 AM UTC

rockostrich wrote: post #56

beaker52 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I got comfortable with it and told myself that I had overcome my materialism, and could henceforth live happily without a lot of stuff and conveniences. Same. Exactly the same. I have often reflected that I have never been as happy as when I had the least stuff, either. I often wonder if it’s a) correlation or causation and b) whether the stuff is caused by dissatisfaction or the dissatisfaction is caused by the st…

As always, moderation is important for any normal person. I think that applies to minimalism as well. Use it to cut unnecessary stuff out of your life, but unless you're some outlier then it's probably not good to try and live the most minimalist life that you can without causing some terrible mental health effects along the way. > I’m shedding hobbies and interests that I have because I believe that they’ve become d…

"Moderation in all things, including moderation." -- St. Augustine

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#262

Post by ImPleadThe5th » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 2:49 AM UTC

I don't think this is the author's intent, but to whomever it may help.

There will always be someone more "out there" than you. Traveling longer, with less, doing more, going farther. It's tempting to follow these people or to compare yourself to them.

I've also met people who are equally adventurous, equally worldly who travel in smaller chunks (2 weeks to 1 month then back home to recharge).

Go out there and see the world. Try to slow down as much as you can and don't focus on seeing "everything" but instead on doing things that are meaningful to you.

Most importantantly don't feel like you need "more time" to make it worthwhile. Just go!

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#263

Post by wewewedxfgdf » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 3:19 AM UTC

I like having stuff. I have too much stuff, but I do like having stuff. I have projects and things that make me happy to contemplate or have on the shelf.

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#264

Post by jimbokun » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 3:33 AM UTC

holoduke wrote: post #188

jimbokun wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Retirement just means Fuck You money. Can work for money or not, but if you are and your employer creates unacceptable or undesirable conditions you can immediately say Fuck You and just go do something else without worrying about covering the necessities of life.

Nah. That's not how it works. I could retire, but choose to keep working. The idea that you can simply step out is based on the idea that you don't need work.cbut in my case I need it for its social aspects and to stay motivated to do things. I still have the same issues as other people where in the mornings I just want to stay in bed. But I still go to work. Because I know it's ultimately a better choice.

No that is not how it works.

It means you get to choose what to work on, instead of being forced to do work you don’t want to do to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#265

Post by keiferski » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 4:17 AM UTC

I did this for awhile, and my conclusion was that everything doesn’t need to be either-or: now I have an apartment with all the typical apartment things + I travel extremely lightly, when I do. If anything, having a “home base” allows you to travel more lightly, because you can tailor your bag to the trip.

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#266

Post by bapak » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 4:20 AM UTC

danpalmer wrote: post #246

I'm all for light travel, but this being everything you own is unrealistic and not something that most people should aspire to. OP treats clothing as disposable, buying swim shorts for swimming and ditching them before moving on, buying more t-shirts when in one place and ditching them before leaving. I hope they are donating them for re-use. Between medication, toiletries, and general hygiene products I could fill n…

> My house is filled with pictures

My friends know I take no material things and all I need is a picture on my phone. The occasional tiny gift is only saved until I visit my parents' home and dump it there.

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#267

Post by bapak » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 4:23 AM UTC

mcdeltat wrote: post #250

tristor wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not the OP, but traveling in a nomadic way is often significantly cheaper than you would expect. When I was doing this, I had roughly $4000/mo in expenses, and more than half of that is because I kept a house in the US while I was on the move, so I had to still pay mortgage, insurance, utilities, property taxes, etc. All-in, it's fairly easy to get by on less than $2k/mo as a single person in /most/ of the world…

Legit question, how do you work stably enough to have a good income to support this? Personally I find living a "regular" life and maintaining a 9-5 job is hard enough in terms of time management and logistics. And that's with the ease of not having to think about where my next accommodation, next meal, next shower will be. Do you find yourself more time pressured? More stressed? Spending more on conveniences to make…

In my case I simply refuse jobs that don't let me work when I want to. Daily standup? Absolutely no way. Weekly standup? Only as long as I can skip it on the regular.

I'm extremely productive and I'll work weekends, but if on a Tuesday at 11am I feel like going on a trip, I absolutely will and you can't stop me.

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#268

Post by jltsiren » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 4:24 AM UTC

bparsons wrote: post #35

I am always confounded when I get off a flight at a vacation destination and see people dragging these 80L roller bags around. What are you putting in there? Pack the absolute minimum. If you really need something, you can almost always buy it wherever you are going. Even trekking in the deep Himalayas, there was always a spot to buy an extra t-shirt or socks every day or so.

Why waste time and energy on chores such as laundry and shopping, if you can avoid it by taking a bit more stuff with you? A big roller bag is almost as effortless as a small one, as long as you are going to a semi-civilized place.

My favorite way of traveling involves a 20l backpack and a small checked bag. There is usually enough space for whatever I need, I don't have to worry about overhead space, and I don't need special travel versions of the things I use. But sometimes I take a larger (~100l) suitcase, or even both for longer trips with multiple activities.

As for trekking in the Himalayas, you should always carry clothes you don't expect to need and gear you hope you won't need. Mountains are objectively dangerous, and bad things do happen occasionally. Such as the unexpected blizzard on the eastern side of Everest last weekend.

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#269

Post by bapak » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 4:29 AM UTC

Liftyee wrote: post #228

This is really impressive to me as a natural hoarder of stuff (I call it "resourcefulness" when I can use some scrap to fix things, but it can get excessive). I feel like if I dropped my desire to wear a variety of clothes (collared shirts, jackets ...) I could almost imagine this one bag life, especially when each item is designed to be modular and multipurpose (S-biners!) I would have a few issues with this particu…

You can change.

I was the save everything, archive everything guy. I had a box of receipts for daily purchases at one point. I downloaded and burned all the movies I could.

Then I started nomading and now my life fits entirely in one 50lbs bag, which I still find way too much and I wish I could backpack like this guy. I can do monthly trips on a tiny backpack, but at some point some stuff is missing (for example I'd have to throw away nail clippers every time I take a plane during this time)

Re: Indefinite Backpack Travel

#270

Post by bapak » Tue, Oct 07, 2025, 4:32 AM UTC

bparsons wrote: post #35

I am always confounded when I get off a flight at a vacation destination and see people dragging these 80L roller bags around. What are you putting in there? Pack the absolute minimum. If you really need something, you can almost always buy it wherever you are going. Even trekking in the deep Himalayas, there was always a spot to buy an extra t-shirt or socks every day or so.

Did a motorbike trip in Vietnam with my parents and they rolled up to the airport with 4 large (soft) bags. I was with a backpack. Guess who was the porter throughout the trip.