Can you fit your Life into a Backpack?

I love this, and I hate this. I certainly see the value in simplifying, mental and financial, but I don't think it eliminates the value of physical objects. For now, we are still physical beings. I love the benefits of digital media, and I love the simplicity offered by the cloud, but when I'm home, I'm going to crack a book (preferably an old one). I might even put some vinyl on the table.

My point is that we don't need to be extremists. We can simplify our lives yet retain our grasp of reality without shunning one or the other. I like to travel, but I also like to garden, which requires all sorts of tools and clothes. I think fluidity is more important than simplicity in our current age.

I've restarted my life a number of times, so my possessions have tended to be minimal. However, I have since developed a taste for:

* A bed

* A desk

* A table

* Places to sit and entertain guests

* Lamps & lights

* A kitchen

* Wall decorations

* An entertainment center

* A NAS

* A real computer, with a full keyboard, and powerful enough to write real programs on

* A bookshelf

* A bicycle

* Two guitars + an amp

* Sports equipment

* Camping gear

* Suitcases because I travel at least once a year

* More than 20 articles of clothing

* More than two pairs of shoes

Notice how quickly it adds up to a lot of things, but I wouldn't get rid of any of it. I've lived the minimal, one-bag life. It gets old.

I don't know. I've moved at least 10 times in the past 5 years, so I've been forced to reduce the amount of things I own. For a long time, I would think very hard for every item I bought, whether I'd use it or not. But there comes a time when you want some nice stuff for a change. Some nice furniture, a big screen TV with a console, some equipment for your interests etc. The minimalist lifestyle is only fun in your early twenties and when you have no interests that require physical stuff. I've gone back from reading books only on my Kindle to buying dead tree books again, because there's just something about real books and a book shelf that feels good.

If you get rid of all your furniture, there's really not much left. I've done the same routine as the author, and with the same two devices (MacBook Air and iPhone). If you're single, there's no reason to be confined to one place anymore. Mobile, wifi, and battery technology eliminate any need to be tethered to one location. And laptops and smartphones are so powerful now you can easily satisfy all your personal entertainment from them (music, movies, games, web browsing, etc).

Final thought: I solved the issue of having a big screen television using a projector and pair of speakers. Connect them to your laptop and just project onto a wall.

I saw Up In the Air, also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9N9OUDZM7c

De-cluttering is one thing but.. no washer and dryer, no dishes and utensils? Unless he actually doesn't use things he doesn't own, simplifying ownership is just outsourcing your material and service needs to others. How about adding some self-reliance to your simple life?

The frequency of the first person pronoun in this piece is the most telling feature...