I usually travel with minimal luggage. But in the last couple of years my trips have always involved motorbikes, camping, or cold weather. Each of which need special clothing or equipment.
On this trip, none of those things were a concern. So I thought I’d do an experiment to see just how little it was possible to take.
The premise:
- 5 days and 4 nights in Italy
- No luggage or bags of any kind
- No ‘travel’ clothing, e.g. cargo vests or zip-off convertible trousers
- No buying anything (except food, tickets and accomodation)
Here is everything I took:
Clockwise from top left:
- trainers
- sunglasses
- wallet (space for 4 cards and a few notes)
- clear plastic bag (for airport security)
- contact lenses × 7
- toothbrush (cut down on a bench grinder)
- 25ml toothpaste
- waterproof jacket
- merino wool t-shirt
- merino wool underpants
- swim shorts
- merino wool socks
- headphones
- phone (with Maps.me installed)
- passport
- European socket to USB adapter
- USB to lightning cable
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The night before leaving I slept at my friend Paul’s flat (thanks Paul!) to be closer to the airport. My flight was at 8:30am but nervous anticipation and the summer sky—light so early—had me out of the door at 5:30am.
I left behind a bag containing the clothes I’d worn the previous day. Everything else I distributed amongst my pockets (3 in my shorts and 2 in my jacket). The experiment had begun.
After two buses, three trains, a flight, and many flights of steps I arrived in Corniglia at 3pm. Plenty enough time to walk every street in the village and go for a swim in the sea.
I had three nights booked in a camera (literally ‘room’) in Corniglia. It was big enough for a single bed, wardrobe, fold-out desk and nothing more. I—yawning before sundown—was only interested in the bed. Days with flights are like that.
Before going to sleep I thought to make the most of the early night. Sunrise would be at 6:30am; I set my alarm for 5:30am. You can do that when you travel by yourself.
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