Buddha said that renunciation and detachment makes you happier, that the less things you have you can concentrate on what really matters, makes your mind clearer and give material objects the value they really have. As a traveler I also try that every time I prepare the minimalist travel backpack I do not bring with me things that I will not need, that will bother me or that will simply make me occupy my mind without needing it. But how do you prepare a minimalist travel backpack?

Use less things than at home

It’s weird but we often wear more clothes than we use at home and sometimes we carry even more things than we use when we do not travel. I know of people who wear, for example, a daily shirt for the trip and at home they use it twice in a week. Follow your habits and if you do not wear 3 pairs of shoes in a week or if you can use more than once some clothes remove the extra garment and you will see that you gain a lot of space.

Do not carry just anything

This is one of my mottos. The “by the doubts do not exist”. Take something because maybe you get to use it is an invitation to take it out for a walk and I say it from my own experience. After some trips I found that some pants I never used or that that tiny flashlight did not spend its battery for a second. Before making the backpack ask yourself “will I use this yes or no?” And if the answer is “no”, leave it.

Only pack half of the items in the Minimalist Travel Backpack

This rule seems a bit extreme but you should, at least in theory, try it. Imagine that you are organnizing your Minimalist Travel Backpack right now and put on four pants and six shirts. What would happen if you take off two pants and 3 shirts? Could you travel with that? Even when it sounds extreme and hard this technique is a good way to see that in reality it is possible that we are carrying more than we need.

Only Important Electronic Equipment

I have sinned more than once in carrying things I do not need. I have made trips with tripods that did not leave the accommodation or with camera lenses that have not been used for any photograph. Think about where you travel and if what you are carrying is usable in that place. I have friends who make great trips only with their mobile phones and become so happy, others who are great photographers only carry one objective and make better images than those who load 20 things. Quantity is sometimes overwhelming and does not contribute much.