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Originally Posted by Ree  Openeyes, I enjoyed reading about your experience very much. If you like this, you might think about a hike on the Appalachian Trail. The fact that you have to carry everything you have on your back for 2200 miles will make you a minimalist very quickly. |
Agreed. For several years now I've mostly done barefoot day-hikes. Going barefoot, except on jagged rocks like some of the AT has, is heavenly. I've met at least a couple people that did the whole AT alone, one being Eustace Conway (Turtle Island Preserve). Extended periods of solitude can be very powerful, and I expect I will end up on a hiking trail again soon enough.
Ray Jardine's
Beyond Backpacking was excellent for helping me see the benefits of carrying a minimal load. If I'm hiking for only 10-20 miles, I'm apt to carry just a bit of water and maybe a banana. Often I just go in with a pair of shorts and nothing else. Naturally if I were going farther I'd have to start carrying more, maybe ~5-10 pounds plus food/water and some type of foot protection. Though his book is out of print and increasingly expensive, he has a good website with kits and info on some of his voyages and equipment used:
Ray Jardine's Adventure Page
Any extended human powered travel will help one see just how little is needed to carry around. It's often said that people will fill however much space they have. I find that by having minimal space, I have minimal requirements, and feel quite satisfied. It's much more empowering to be able to consciously limit what one has than to have to do so out of necessity.