View Full Version : Becoming Minimalist
A frequent topic of conversation among hikers is how one gets the freedom, financial and otherwise, to go for a long hike.
Here's a resource for lightening your life:
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/becoming-minimalist-start-here/
Joshua Becker's book is currently on sale on Amazon for $.99 for the Kindle version. The book is Simplify.
I have no financial or personal ties with this website or person, but I find his material thoughtful and useful...especially since my husband and I are in the throes of major downsizing. When I start feeling frantic about the mountains of stuff we've managed to accumulate, and start thinking I NEED is all, I take a few minutes to have a cup of tea, read a bit of becomingminimalist, and regain my direction.
A frequent topic of conversation among hikers is how one gets the freedom, financial and otherwise, to go for a long hike.
Here's a resource for lightening your life:
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/becoming-minimalist-start-here/
Joshua Becker's book is currently on sale on Amazon for $.99 for the Kindle version. The book is Simplify.
I have no financial or personal ties with this website or person, but I find his material thoughtful and useful...especially since my husband and I are in the throes of major downsizing. When I start feeling frantic about the mountains of stuff we've managed to accumulate, and start thinking I NEED is all, I take a few minutes to have a cup of tea, read a bit of becomingminimalist, and regain my direction.
Gotta love a good steer. This path is calling me. Good direction. Thanks.:sun
Really good stuff - thanks for passing it along.
nastynate
11-02-2013, 19:10
Thanks! I read it this afternoon. We are about half way there. Nice to read a rational book about the subject.
Didn't know about this site. I could have written everything I read. Nice to know others see the benefits as well.
So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the keyBut me, I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this victory song
'Cause I'm already gone
Yes, I'm already gone
Just glanced at this, will read later (on grandma duty for a few more days), but I probably could have written this as well. Beyond the basic needs of food and a few amenities, possessions just weigh you down, take up space, and gather dust. Unfortunately, our economy is based on acquisition.
MuddyWaters
11-02-2013, 21:42
Didnt read it, didnt have to.
Things demand time, space, and money to maintain, protect, and store.
Good stuff, and I was reading The 10 Most Important Things to Simplify in Your Life, but then got to #8 about limiting your screen time and had to stop. :D
Just Bill must have read that.
Just Bill must have read that.
Either that or he is actually out hiking be an outdoors man and saving lives.
Either that or he is actually out hiking be an outdoors man and saving lives.
Been out hiking, only life saved was mine. Saw the biggest most colorful native Brook trout ever in three feet of water 40 yards from a major highway. Bushwhacking is where its at. Trails are great. I met some maintainers on Halloween out redoing a switchback near the top of Bluff Mountain on the AT and thanked them profusely for what they do. Hiking where there is no trail is a totally different and rewarding experience. Leaving no trace seems a contradiction in terms when hiking a trail. The trail is an ungodly huge trace,.. no?
Train Wreck
11-03-2013, 01:08
One should also work
On reducing their babble
Lone Wolf would agree.
One should also work
On reducing their babble
Lone Wolf would agree.
"One never knows. Do one?"
Train Wreck
11-03-2013, 01:28
"One never knows. Do one?"
someOne is starting to pith me off:rolleyes:
someOne is starting to pith me off:rolleyes:
I'll spend my extra hour trying to get over it.
Weather-man
11-03-2013, 06:27
Been out hiking, only life saved was mine. Saw the biggest most colorful native Brook trout ever in three feet of water 40 yards from a major highway. Bushwhacking is where its at. Trails are great. I met some maintainers on Halloween out redoing a switchback near the top of Bluff Mountain on the AT and thanked them profusely for what they do. Hiking where there is no trail is a totally different and rewarding experience. Leaving no trace seems a contradiction in terms when hiking a trail. The trail is an ungodly huge trace,.. no?
Trails are the compromise. They allow access to portions of a wilderness but coalesce hikers into a specific area so that their "damage" is specific to the trail and not spread throughout the entire wilderness. This is of particular importance to wilderness areas that are near large population densities. GSMNP comes to mind.
Bushwhacking is fine I suppose where human populations, and their subsequent impact, are low. Maybe the UP or areas up in Idaho, Montana, etc.....?
In areas where humans are abundant large amounts of "bushwhackers" would destroy the pristine nature of the wilderness. I can't even imagine what Harriman would look like if all of the NYC hikers decided to learn orienteering and took cross-country to the woods. It would be one giant city park....torn moss, broken limbs, scuffed rock, fire rings and cliff bar wrappers everywhere. Or worse....
OP, thanks for the link. I've been having this conversation quite frequently as of late. It's serendipitous to find this post I suppose. I find myself entering another phase in life and have found that I've accumulated way too much of just about everything. A friend and I were talking a few days ago, discussing the dilemma posed by downsizing the house, kids out of the nest, etc....he simply said to me "if you haven't touched it in 6 months, get rid of it". Sort of makes sense.
One should also work
On reducing their babble
Lone Wolf would agree.
Nice haiku.
For about 5 years everything I owned fit in 4 boxes and 3 suitcases and my pack. Life is much less complicated without stuff.
Slo-go'en
11-03-2013, 11:18
The problem is, it's a lot easier to accumulate stuff then it is to get rid of it once you have it. We are pack rats by nature.
Tri-Pod Bob
11-04-2013, 05:57
I started getting into the "minimalist" mindset 4 years ago. I'm at the point now, where everything I own can fit in a SUV. Everything except the motorcycle, that is! BTW, I got rid of the SUV, too, after I retired this past April! Couldn't be happier about the lack of 'STUFF'!!
Yes and Yes. The 100 mile wilderness was my 'ah ha' moment. I LOVED having everything RIGHT THERE! All I needed was in my pack. I loved unpacking it and packing it - being ABLE to see everything I needed to survive right there. When I got home, within a month I had a garage sale and sold anything that I wasn't using currently or anything that won't be useful in my future tiny house (I think I kept 2 vintage bed ligths and about 5 kitchen utensils). It felt freeing. I want to get rid of more stuff! I want to be mobile within 2 years to move to another city, too, so that's part of the incentive for me, too.