Camping with almost nothing and realizing it’s enough

This year my family’s big summer adventure was a ten day camping trip to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. Though it feels like we take a lot while we’re scrambling to pack, it really is relatively minimal: a small duffel bag of clothes for each of us, some basic cooking gear, toiletries, blankets, and some beach toys. This carefully curated (and thrown hastily in the car) bunch of items didn’t include many “just in case” outfits, rooms full of toys, or endless options…and they were enough!

Waking up to the quiet of nature, cooking over a small stove, and spending the day with less of the usual clutter of daily life reminded me of the lightness of simplicity—not just physically, but mentally too.

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” –Socrates

Though there are some things that I definitely miss when camping (like hot water out of a tap rather than a kettle and a washroom I don’t have to go outside to get to) there are many that I don’t really miss and I think the experience of hitting that re-set button is part of why I like camping! The paradox of minimalism is that when there are fewer choices, there’s more space to enjoy what we have.

And so I came home thinking about why we have so much stuff, why I spend so much time managing stuff…and now thinking through how to get rid of some stuff!

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Why do I have so much stuff?

I decided to declutter my kids’ rooms before leaving on vacation so we could have a fresh start on these more challenging areas when we were home. While sorting through clothes, toys, and papers, I started to notice a common thread: many of the items weren’t just clutter, they were a source of anxiety. I worried about getting rid of something that might be needed later, or something irreplaceable being given away by mistake. These fears made me hesitant to let go of things that my kids had outgrown or no longer used.

However, being away from it all for a couple of weeks has given some much-needed perspective. There were very few things we missed while away, and so it’s given me confidence to move ahead with some of the tougher decisions now that we’re home and realizing we did just fine with less!

Where to start

Though I’m now home and feeling very motivated to get going on some decluttering, it can be overwhelming to know where to start – so what is the first step? For anyone who has wondered how to get started, here is how I like to build decluttering momentum:

• Start small: Tackle one drawer, one shelf, or one corner – even just your wallet or purse!
• Meet a need: Find a need in the community (baby clothes, kids toys, food bank) and identify some specific items that will meet this need and share them. The joy of sharing something no longer needed and creating space while benefiting someone else is a fantastic win-win experience!
• Consider how much use items receive: If you haven’t used it in a year (and it’s not a seasonal item like snowpants or beach toys), it’s probably safe to let it go.
• Start with an area that has low emotional attachment: Going through photos or items with a high emotional attachment is a difficult place to start; instead choose a easy starting point to train those decluttering muscles without having to also manage emotional ties.
• Look for areas of high impact: Maybe the garage is full of cardboard boxes and cans – make a trip to clear those out and revel in the immediate visual impact!

“Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential, eliminate the rest.” –Leo Babauta

If you’re interested in reading more about decluttering, Alison and I have shared about our journey towards less in past posts here!

Continuing the process with fun decluttering and minimalism challenges

A couple of years ago my family completed some renovations and so I took the opportunity to declutter our house at that time (though it’s feeling like it needs it again!) With that fairly large goal in mind, I set myself a goal to post 3-5 items to Marketplace per week as a more attainable action, and it was amazing how our space started to empty out.

I’ve found it can be helpful to have a goal or a challenge to keep up the decluttering momentum, so thought I’d share a few ideas for what that could look like:

• The 30-Day Minimalism Game: On day one, let go of one item. On day two, two items. Keep going for 30 days—you’ll have decluttered 465 things by the end. Alison completed a variation of this and documented her journey in her series 30 Things in 30 Days.
• Project 333: Choose 33 clothing items (including shoes, coats, and accessories) and wear only those for 3 months. It’s a great way to test capsule wardrobes. I haven’t tried this yet but I’m sure I wear less than 33 items most weeks!
• The 10/10 Challenge: Pick 10 things to donate, 10 to sell, and 10 to recycle/throw away. Quick, simple, and satisfying.
• The Suitcase Test: Pretend you’re going away for a month. Pack only what you’d take and after a few weeks, see if you really missed the rest. I feel like I do this every week I don’t put my laundry away and end up living out of the laundry basket. The funny thing is, I don’t reach for the drawers that often!
• The No-Buy Month: Commit to buying nothing new (besides groceries/essentials) for 30 days. Notice how many “wants” pass once you wait them out.
• Reverse hanger trick: Hang all your clothes with the hangers backward. When you wear something, flip it. After 3–6 months, donate whatever is still backward.

Taking back life

Ultimately the goal of reducing possessions is to take back time and money. While camping with very minimal possessions, I was clearly feeling how much time I had reclaimed from usual household chores, many of those tasks related to management of ‘stuff’.

Now the task is to move forward with a new lens on some of the things I’ve been holding on to. One of my first steps was to go through my own clothing and release some of my “just in case” outfits that “might fit again” or “be in style again” one day. Along with the emptiness in my closet there was a feeling of space and possibility from releasing the old and making room for new choices and experiences.

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Moving forward

Our family’s ten-day camping trip to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast was a profound lesson in the joy of simplicity. By living with only the essentials, we rediscovered how little we truly needed to be content. The lightness of this experience inspired me to return home, ready to declutter our daily lives and embrace the mental and physical freedom that comes with living with less.

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