Is there a subsect of the minimalist community that's focused on portable/utilitarian living?
Is there a subsect of the minimalist community that's focused on portable/utilitarian living?
In communities dedicated to everyday carry items like wallets, knives, and electronics you'll frequently see community favorites that kind of act as the standard.
That and memes like the photo I linked made me think about a community of pseudo minimalist people who focus on living with portability or functionality in mind. Things like sleeping in a sleeping bag on a cot, relying on a docked laptop for gaming, or only using a single bowl for a majority of your meals.
It's a bit of a long shot and odd question but I'd be interested to see what they're passionate about.
Before people make Reddit style quips I'm not talking about not being well off or homeless. I'm also not really talking about people who have to move for work like truck drivers or people who stay in hotels. More like easily being able to move
That's pretty close to what most people would call Van Life. There are massive communities around that.
Thanks but that's still kind of on the fringe of what I'm looking for. I feel like that's more about working within the confines of the van rather than living effectively.
Someone trying that might be stuck using a hotplate but they could still have a decent sized mattress and gaming setup for example if that makes sense. It seems more like living densely
Maybe I'm missing something here, but plenty of folks - blue collar workers, technicians, engineers - have away jobs where they work in different places for weeks or months at a time, and there are landlords who specialize in providing this clientele with bare-bones furnished apartments. I've been there, too - in fact, one year during the pandemic, I had spent just a bit more than half of my time working and living in a place away from home.
Did they run out of money?
Id probably slide the TV stand closer to that outlet. You can at least attempt to hide wires.
At the least, the chair should be properly squared with the TV.
Agree. All these wires make the room look rather messy.
So talking about portability, I had a job in another city, I would do some of it from home like CAD work and then drive into town a few days a week to run machine tools etc. I had a system of bags I lived out of. My backpack which contained my laptop and my portable "office," my tool bag in which I have a wide variety of capability, and a duffel bag with clothing, toiletries and such to keep a man running for 3 days. I could carry all three at once with a free hand and I can be ready for a 4 day, 3 night away mission in minutes.
Side-zip duffel bags are awesome. I had to live across town for a couple days, and 90% of my clothes fit in two largeish bags.
Have you looked into vanlife groups? It's not the same exactly, but most of the items they use should translate pretty well to nomadicish apartment life
Second this. Vanlife stuff is focused on size, mass, durability, efficiency, replaceability, repairability, modularity, price. There is nothing better than vanlife videos for learning how to live minimally within an apartment.
Some additional tips,
- folding furniture.
- Human baseline happiness returns to set points. Remove something non-essential and you may be sad at first, but will eventually stop caring.
- No couch or TV: if it cant fit on/in my car or is fragile, I’m not buying it.
- if you don’t mind appearing “poor”, you may realize that the products that best fit all the above criteria are just basic things from walmart, target, etc. Those folding plastic tables and metal bed frames, plastic tubs and drawers, actually solve their problems 90% as well as traditional products at 10% the price, while being readily available everywhere. You don’t worry about damaging them either.
- take or leave advice. Maybe you want a nice desk. I have a nice office chair. It will be hard to move, but it’s worth it. The point is you can be minimal in unimportant areas.
Prius Dwellers are probably the most hardcore at that
I had an ex boyfriend who lived for about a year in a geo metro with his boyfriend and two dogs. They didn't sleep in it, though
I'm portable because I like the idea of being able to move without it being a big project. I think most people are utilitarian in that they buy things that address a specific problem they have, though maybe people who like minimalist ideas would have a different threshhold for what constitutes a 'problem' and favour products that address multiple problems in the simplest way.
When I moved I did sleep in a sleeping bag for a bit, but practically it's much easier to wash a duvet cover than a sleeping bag. Same goes for hammock vs. bed. My bowl situation started at 1, but I ended up washing this one bowl all the time and it felt wasteful and effortful. I still do eat breakfast out of the pot, but I would argue it's the best solution and others should copy me :) I'll happily sit in one chair for a couple years before deciding a second chair or a couch is a requirement.
I think over a long period of time I'll still be minimal, but have more specific things. It is genuinely more pleasant to eat salad from a salad size bowl/plate, pasta from a pasta bowl, soup or cereal from a cereal bowl, a latte from a latte mug, etc. Minimalism to me will always be about min/maxing items to squeeze the most joy out of life because I need that lift. Being spartan is hard living.
You’ll want to maybe start looking into some Asian cultures. There is a lot of minimalism there, like this guy. He is able to pack and move to a new home in 13min and moves every year. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBQBKseozuY
There are also some people who try their best to make it look like there is nothing in their apartment, but it’s really a full on transformer
https://youtu.be/v1MVqwvOqvY?si=Q4FTQPlFwSaeQton
https://youtu.be/daL7TkzyW7k?si=6lmHuvXCQ3y-XC-6
https://youtube.com/shorts/p1z7AAMxR9g?si=BUEDiIJztlnfDRve
There is also a youtube channel called Never Too Small https://youtube.com/@nevertoosmall?si=T1bOX4Sc6FQuqZvg
FYI all of your links are the same video!
Mr. Sibu is so cool! It's a very different way of living than any I've seen before. I don't think it's as doable in the suburbs of the U.S. as it is in a proper city.
Does make me think just how much junk I have cluttering the place up. Hmm.
Damn phone! Thank you for letting me know. I’ve updated my post.
And yes, it would be much harder outside of cities.
I don't think it's as doable in the suburbs of the U.S. as it is in a proper city.
I've read a few times that suburbs are horribly wasteful and inefficient to live, work, commute, or support for infrastructure. I'm not saying we should get rid of the suburbs so everyone can live sensibly, but I will tell you to get rid of the suburbs to save the planet (and live sensibly) :-D
30-floor mixed-use towers clustered around the subway entrance, with parks around that, and agri/nature space around that. No bungalow burbs.
This is actually inspiring. Not sure most poeple could afford installations like in the second video though. And the guy in the first video did have a point; it would be hard to share this lifestyle with someone else, or even just to invite friends at home up to a certain point.
You can probably crosspost on [email protected]. It's pretty quiet, but you might get additional answers
Lets be honest. Most people buy stuff to impress other people. At this stage in my life I have no fucks to give about that any more.
Speak for yourself. I buy stuff for my apartment because I want it to feel homey; I don't really care what other people think of it as long as it looks presentable.
Beg pardon, but are you male or female?
What would be something homey but not presentable?
I get you. I rarely have other people over. I feel like if I had to start over, like if my place burnt down, I would live more like that
There was (is?) a subreddit called /r/onebag that might be like this. It was sort of minimalism taken to the extreme of condensing your possessions to a single bag. Definitely some overlap with the digital nomad community too
I was going to post a Reddit style quip of bachelor stereotypes. I furnished my apartment like this when I was freshly graduated and again when I moved cities. But the difference there is it’s not really intentional, but other priorities. When you’re just starting out, where do you spend your money and time, and what do you care about?
I got a bed when the carpeted floor was uncomfortable. I got a second bowl when I was annoyed having to wash the first one so frequently. Hell, I didn’t graduate from a duffle to a suitcase until my gf at the time made me. It’s not about being minimalist but not having the need or the money
It's more the need aspect you mentioned that I'm talking about. People living with what works or is good enough. I feel like it can be totally be intentional. I imagine a lot of people just sleep with a mattress on the floor because they don't feel like a bed frame is necessary for example.
Where people draw the line is one of the things I'd find interesting if that makes sense
That carpet has too many... uh, "colors."
The issue is, that you can’t easily reach the fridge so you can’t get a new can of beer without getting up
You need a sofa for when you have girls over but other than that I see nothing wrong .
I'm not seeing a question in there. What are you actually asking?
Edit:
After clarification, I do have an answer, albeit second hand.
I actually know a small group of people that adhere to a very minimalist, portable lifestyle.
They essentially live out of two vehicles, a van and an old station wagon. They'll settle down in a town long enough to do some work, gather funds, and move on whenever they get bored, or can't get jobs.
They've been at it for maybe twenty years? Certainly after 2k. I met them through a friend that fronts a band, as the group I'm talking about are all musicians, and do some busking as well as session work among their other talents.
Supposedly, they started out just following bands around, the way people used to with the Grateful Dead, but not a single specific band. I know they hit festivals across the U.S., including some of the less music festivals like the rainbow gathering.
But, when they're in a town/city, they'll get a hotel, start looking for a short term rental they can use for a crash pad/bath/kitchen and then start working. Most places, they know people in the various scenes and subcultures, so it's pretty easy for them to get going. I've let them park at my place a few times, though it's been a while, and I don't know I would now. They tend to still want to party a bit much for my household to handle currently
But each person only really owns what they can carry in the van. They do have stuff that they stash here and there, like some spare gear they keep at the studio my musician friend has. They've got some camping gear they share as a group.
Anyway, the point is that while they're a group, they do keep their lives extremely minimalist even when they're "settled" in one place for a year or so. The kind of minimalist in the meme you used, only no TV, and usually no real furniture at all.
Like, they dropped into my town maybe eight years ago, and stayed for maybe six months because one of their parents lives in the next town over and needed some help, and one of my uncles was willing to rent to them super cheap. The few times I went over, I had to bring my own chair. They ended up buying two beds, and some kitchen gear, which they left behind when they moved on. They also left the place spotless, which made my uncle quite happy compared to the crap that would happen when he would usually rent that place out (it's just a spare trailer he inherited and put on the edge of his farm) to family.
They're all in their mid to late forties now, and the last I talked to any of them, they don't intend to settle down until they don't have a choice. They supposedly put money aside into retirement accounts and such, but I dunno.
Their whole thing is about rejecting the idea of permanence, of being locked down into one place and being "owned by the shit we own". Anything that isn't essential, they leave behind, or sell off when they move along.
They're wondering if there is a subset of the minimalist community whose goals are specifically nomadic.
Ahhhh, that makes sense now. Thanks
I'm not a member of any such community. But I keep things light. I don't collect a lot of stuff.
What kind of work do they get into?
When they were here, it was mostly farm work. My uncle had them cleaning stuff up around his place, and they did some picking at a strawberry farm that I know of.
In bigger towns and cities, they tend to try and busk if they can, but don't mind doing stuff like waiting tables, dishwashing, etc in restaurants. One of the guys has done a good amount of construction over the years. I'm pretty sure they've also done some weed dealing here and there.
They also do craft work and sell the stuff. Kinda junk imo, but it sells okay.
But, when they're in the right cities, what they really focus on is session work. Mostly bluegrass and folk, plus some standard country. From what they've said, a few weeks in Nashville can set them up quite well, assuming there's enough going on that their contacts can get them working on. It isn't necessarily something they can just roll up and be in a studio, though. They have to plan the stay ahead of time, based on there being work.
One of the guys used to strip lol.
...what's the issue?
It's not an issue. Just a meme that's common and demonstrates kind of what I'm after.
The person who owns that living room might just have gone after a really comfy chair over a couch which might be more typical for example. It feels kind of within the realm of minimalism and more focused on the utility of the space
Whenever I see an image with this caption, it usually looks mostly fine but seems like something about it would cause neck pain. Usually it's because the TV is on the floor, but this time it's because it looks to me like sitting comfortably in that chair and leaning back would require craning your neck to view the TV.
Also, I can't tell for sure, but the chair looks like it's a recliner. If so, it seems like reclining would bump into the bar area. Might be misjudging that, though.
I have two kids and a clutter bug wife in an apartment with me. I wish I could keep me living room this clear and simple
i have a table
Yes. I have very limited/cheap furniture. Almost everything I own comes from discount stores or thrifts. I don’t have an attachment to any of it. I’m debating going the Peace Corps so I don’t really want to own anything that I’ll have to pay to store.
Something that I’ve found works well for sleeping is a tatami mat and futon mattress. It’s best if you can air out the mattress and mat outside occasionally. But you can fold and roll both. You can also stack up layers of those $4 Walmart fleece blankets to adjust coverage.
I think of minimalism as an aesthetic or study in aesthetics that helps people live in gratitude for the things they do have. Minimalism has a core rooted in calm and pleasantness and I feel like if this 'nomadic' minimalism you're describing fits into that then it could be a branch of minimalism. But the picture here is kind of depressing, haphazard, and I can't imagine the person whose place that is would like to live that way for a long time. They did take a picture of it... I did that when I moved into my place but it was like 'look how I'm living in squalor'.
I have a bunch of bookshelves, and all that empty wall space hurts to look at.
Somebody build my idea: wall-mounted sock and underwear dispensers
I could fit 90% of my survival-related stuff into a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket in the trunk of my car. I know this for a fact, because I literally have a 5 gallon bucket full of survival gear in the trunk of my car right now, (because I’m going camping this weekend, not because I’m a crazy prepper…) It holds everything I need, except for my sleeping stuff and clothes, which just get thrown into a duffle.
It wouldn’t cover consumables like food or water, but it would at least be enough to survive in relative comfort. It’s really just a matter of how off-the-grid you want to be. I have a small saw and hatchet for making firewood. A wood burning stove for cooking and heat. The 5 gallon bucket actually doubles as a camp toilet, (I use compostable bags and toilet gel,) and a few other essentials like cutlery, a mess kit, cordage, etc.
As for living like you’re always ready to vanish, it can be a lifestyle choice, but is often done out of necessity or survival instead. Victims of abuse, for instance, often learn to pack light and avoid buying things. So if their abuser ever finds them, they can ghost in less than a day.
Y'know, honestly, I could absolutely be comfortable with this little but I've been hauling around all kinds of tools, art supplies, chemistry supplies, and etc for over a decade. I've packed rooms with the things. But the only furniture I own are some collapsible tables, a desk chair, a folded chair, and a bed.
So I'm kind of in this category but I'm totally not, yk?
Somebody build my idea: wall-mounted sock and underwear dispensers
Just move the whole setup towards the camera by about 2 feet and you'll not only hide that power outlet, you'll get the recliner away from what looks likely to be a VERY poorly insulated front door. I can feel the cold radiating off of it in the winter already.
Like the post says this isn't my place it's a really common meme and meme template. I'm looking for communities of people who live like this.
It's kind of minimalist but without the stressed cleanliness and lack of all clutter
Something like malesapces or male living space in Reddit.
It’s pretty tragic
I feel like that's 3/4 well furnished full spaces and the last quarter is people posting after getting divorced
It did help me find MaleSurvivingSpace which seems a bit more like what I was describing with people having more of just the essentials without clutter
Good for you. I’m very supportive of living more simply, but sometimes it descends in to “competitive minimalism “ which i think is a bit weird .
The issue is that the TV is too low for an optimal viewing angle.
Won't catch me with PlayStation
I think that image annoys women as they are angry that men require so little to be happy.
That's a pretty sexist outlook. I don't think the image makes an entire 51% of the population angry. And I think people like Jeff Bezos show that not all men require "so little to be happy". It's almost like genders are not hive-minds, and generalizing anything that broadly is only going to result in looking like a boomer who complains about how terrible their spouse is.