Category: Gear

Starting the 100 Thing Challenge

3 Comments

Today’s the day. For 31 days, I’ll be living as if I only have 100 personal items.

In reality, however, I’ve been living like this for the last two weeks now. I made my list and then I packed all but my 100 things away. (I’ll be explaining in more detail how I did that soon.) That was a week ago, and I’ve been using only the things that I kept out. Only once or twice have I needed to reconsider what I was using (the temperature dropped, and I needed some warmer layers while on the motorcycle.)

Based on this experience, I shouldn’t have any problem making it through the month. Even as the temperature begins to dip lower, I expect to layer my clothes and keep warm while riding the motorcycle (which is a technique that I learned while backpacking).

Maybe I’ve left out a few things that I needed. Perhaps I’ve kept out far too much. I’m excited to see how it goes! It should be an interesting month.

What I Carry In My Pockets

8 Comments

I carry too much stuff in my pockets. Every morning I joke that I’m “Putting Myself Together”.

List stuff:

  1. wallet
  2. cell phone
  3. keys
  4. car key
  5. chapstick
  6. pen
  7. handkerchief
  8. Moleskine planner (occasionally)

This might not seem like much, but it can certainly feel like it. Plus, I’ve subtracted a few things from this list: eraser (from when I carried a pencil), paper for note capture, receipts, pocket knife. (The pocket knife stayed on the list until just a few days ago, when I realized that I had to cut back because of 100 Thing Challenge, I just didn’t have room for it on the list. Plus, I have a knife on my keychain, so I was doubling up.)

When Was the Last Time You Drove Without the Radio On?

5 Comments

Since I’m using my motorcycle as my main source of transportation I don’t listen to the radio anymore while commuting. I didn’t even notice is absence until one day I was listening to the radio at home and realized that I didn’t recognize a number of the songs. Since I only listen to one radio station, I’m normally pretty up-to-date with the music that they play. It was sort of a shock to realize that I hadn’t really had the radio on for nearly two months.

Now that I’m aware of it, however, I don’t care much to have the radio on while driving. When I’m in the car with my wife, I often just turn it off. I find it so much nicer to have fewer distractions in the car, which allows me to focus on other things. Without background noise, I’m better able to be involved in the conversation that I have with my wife. I have an opportunity to listen to myself think, whether I’m working through a problem, replaying a conversation I had earlier in the day, or just having an internal dialogue about my day.

It’s not something that I think about when I’m on the motorcycle. I don’t miss having background noise (I like hearing the rumble of the engine). If I were to take a long trip, especially on an interstate, I might consider bringing along the Mp3 player, only because of the boredom that interstates provide.

*Disclaimer*Even though I like music, I am by no means an audiophile. To me, music is background noise. I don’t keep up with trends and I don’t know bands or song names. I’m not saying that you should stop listening to music, but to be aware that sometimes it’s on just out of habit. *End Disclaimer*

This is not a new thing for me. I’ve always preferred to have the radio off. When I’m riding with someone, I prefer to have less distractions so that I can focus on the conversation we’re having. When I’m by myself, I enjoy the opportunity to focus on my thoughts. There are already enough things to distract you when driving, we shouldn’t need to add to them.

Do you ever turn off the radio when driving? Give it a try, spend some time with your thoughts, see what you have to say.

What Would Your 10 Things Be?

9 Comments

I recently ran across this post that asked “If you could only have 10 things, what would they be?” This got me to wondering what my list would be, which I felt was interesting timing, considering I am taking on the 100 Thing Challenge.

Note: I actually wrote and scheduled this about two weeks ago, before I decided to take on the challenge. However, coming up with this 10 item list helped push me towards the decision to try the challenge, since it helped me really pin-point what I really used day-to-day.

The Rules

  1. 10 things total including clothing
  2. a pair of something (shoes, socks) counts as just one thing
  3. power cords or other essential parts are included with things (laptop + powercord, phone + charger, car + keys)
  4. the list is for where and when you are now, but you can trade things later (for instance shorts for pants in summer/winter)

My List

I don’t have all of these things, but if I were to minimize this much, I think that I would shell out the money to acquire them.

  1. Saddleback Leather Company Briefcase – Tobacco Brown. You’ve gotta have a way to carry the other possessions around. I will eventually get one of these bags, because it will outlast me.
  2. Laptop – If I was getting rid of everything else, I would replace my Dell with a MacBook. Following rule number 3 above, this would include a power cord, mouse, and earbuds.
  3. Digital Camera – Not only do I need some sort of creative outlet, but if I had a good camera, I would be selling stock photos. I would replace my point and shoot with a nice DSLR, however.
  4. Motorcycle & Helmet – I’m using rule number 3 to include a helmet, because I think that it is an essential part of riding a motorcycle, whether operator or passenger.
  5. Leather Motorcycle Jacket – Like the helmet, protective clothing is a necessity. Plus, they can be warm as well as waterproof, so it’s multi-functional.
  6. Leather Boots – Not only do these provide protection while on the motorcycle, but with only a single pair of footwear available to me, it’d be possible to polish them up for semi-dressy occasions.
  7. Jeans – I’d probably have to purchase a pair of motorcycle jeans that have some protective features built in. A nice dark pair can be semi-dressy.
  8. Long-sleeved, button-down shirt – A nice dress shirt can go anywhere, and if I want to be more casual I can just roll up the sleeves.
  9. ExOfficio Underwear – These guys are supposed to be extremely comfortable, as well as super-quick drying. If I’m going to be washing them on a daily basis, they need to be easy to care for. Being able to wash them in a sink and dry them quickly fits the bill.
  10. Socks – I seriously debated what my 10th item should be. (Some people put toothbrush, or debit card.) If I’m going to be wearing only boots, then I need socks.

A lot of people listed “debit card” for one of their 10 things. I think that I would feel comfortable relying only on my PayPal account and going into a physical bank to withdraw cash and operating on a cash-only basis.

Fortunately, I don’t need to limit myself to only 10 things, as I need more than that to be comfortable. It was an interesting exercise to determine what is really important to me, however. I was actually surprised how quickly motorcycle came up on the list, and how reluctant I was to remove it. If I were to take up more world traveling, I’d replace the motorcycle with passport.

What would your 10 things be?

Luddite Update

4 Comments

It’s been almost a month since I decided to break the technology ties. I thought I should give you an update of how I’m doing with the goals I set.

    Things I Wanted to Get Done

  • Write a minimum of one high-quality blog post a week. – I’ve excelled at this one. Right now, I have posts scheduled for two weeks in advance, with some others that are partially done. Not only that, but I have my first two guest posts out there as well!
  • Create a digital resource (ebook) that I can sell. – I actually didn’t start this one until today (the day I’m writing this post, not the day you read it.) But in this day, I’ve got about 75% of it done. It won’t be long now!
  • Keep up with my schoolwork and maintain my grades This one has taken more time than I expected. This may easily be my most homework-intense semester yet. But I’ve got it under control.
  • It wasn’t on the list, but I’ve also been working on creating a new website. I have just about all of the coding done now, and most of the initial content prepared. A few more tweaks, and it should be live.
  • Also not on the list, but I decided to undertake the 100 Thing Challenge, and am mostly prepared to start that on October 1st.

    How I Expected To Get Them Done

  • Check email only twice a day. – This one I’ve failed miserably at. I’m back to keeping gmail open in my browser (along with at least two dozen other tabs).
  • Minimize my Facebook account. – I unfriended over 2/3 of the people that I was friends with, and now can use Facebook in less than 5 minutes a day. Still not quite convinced that it’s worth having an account, however.
  • Minimize my Twitter account. – I unfollowed everyone that I was following, and now only have 17 people that I’m tracking. I can be on and off in well under 10 minutes a day.
  • Ignore my cell phone more. – I actually threw it into my backpack and didn’t carry it around (in my pocket) for a whole day. It was fabulous! I’m trying to make this a habit, which means breaking the habit of putting it into my pants pocket.
  • TV – This hasn’t been a challenge so far. Apparently I’ve only got one show that I’m interested in enough to watch, so it doesn’t take up too much time. Plus, since it comes out on Thursdays, I really don’t watch it until the weekend, when I have the time. And even then, I only remember to watch it when my wife reminds me.
  • Clean up my computer’s desktop. – Done. I’m still loving my background image and the lack of clutter whenever I turn on my computer.
  • Clean up my actual desktop. – Done. It’s amazing how relaxed and more productive less clutter can make one!

    Things to Work On

  • Email – I really have to work on being less dependent on my email. I think that only checking 2 times a day is not quite enough, at least for now. So I’m bumping the limit up to 4. I think that I really need 3 (morning, evening, random) but I’m going to give myself an extra, since I’m moving away from “constantly” to “limited”. Once I’m comfortable with 4, I can more easily drop down to 3, then 2.
  • Get the ebook finished and out there. – I’ve been wanting to do this for some time now. Finally, with some prompting from Rebecca Burgener, I actually got started. Following the Cult of Done manifesto, I’m not aiming for perfection, but for completion. I’ll get a finished version, send it to 2-3 friends for editing, implement their suggestions, and put it out there for sale. If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to help keep the romance in your relationship, I’ve got just the thing for you!
  • Get the other website live. – I wasn’t planning on creating a new website, but the ideas kept coming to me. So I figured that maybe it was past time.
  • Keep up with the homework. – It’s a stream that won’t end until early December. So until then I’ve got to just keep working and not let myself get behind.

Well, there’s my progress. I’m pleased with it; I feel like I got a good amount done, especially since I wasn’t planning on half of the projects. However, I’ve also got a good bit of work to do, both on habits and projects. What do you think? Any suggestions for me?

Packing for the “100 Thing Challenge”

4 Comments

I’ve begun to pack things away for the “100 Thing Challenge”, and it’s interesting to see how it’s coming. Not the packing away part, that’s easy enough. The challenge is feeling like I have enough to cover the “what-if” questions that pop up while being realistic about the answers.

For example, I continually worry that I won’t have enough clothes. What if some event comes up when I need a particular outfit? Realistically, what I’ve set aside is more than I actually wear on a week-to-week basis. On a long-term basis, if I really needed something else, I would go out and either borrow or buy it. I can do the same thing this month, unless I already happen to have it, then I can just pull it out and be good to go (which is just another form of borrowing).

I get to cheat a little

It’s easier to plan what clothing to keep since I’m only covering a month’s time. If I were planning for a whole year, I would have to be prepared for temperatures ranging from 0°F to about 100°F. That makes for additional clothing that I would need (especially for the colder temperatures).

Of course, this advantage didn’t occur to me until I was separating my clothes. I started to stack my shorts on the upper shelf in my closet, right next to my sweaters, when I realized how good I have it. Of course, I then went back and added two sweaters and a hoodie to my list, since I’m trying to be realistic about this. (Good thing that I have those extra spaces left!)

Current progress

  1. All of my socks, underwear, doo rags, and bandannas now fit into a single drawer in the dresser.
  2. I’ve moved the clothes that I’m “keeping” onto one shelf, and the non-100 onto a separate shelf.
  3. My motorcycle gear was already separated, so I didn’t have to do anything different about that.
  4. The shoes that I won’t be wearing are stashed in the back of the closet, out of sight.
  5. I cleared my desk of non-100 items.
  6. My dresser and bedside table are now empty of non-100 items.
  7. Purged my backpack of non-100 thing items.

I think that I’m mostly done and ready to go. The hardest part is separating school stuff from non-school stuff. Do I need to keep out that canvas, or am I just doing so because I might “want to maybe use it sometime?” Hard as it might be, when I run into a question like that, it’s time to pack it away.

I discovered that other than clothes, most of the pruning consisted of decorations and doubles. I stashed away a lot of things that I never use (jewelry box with jewelry that is never worn), some mementos, and a lot of spare items (ie: the 15 pencils and pens that I had in my backpack)

Fortunately this wasn’t hard work. It consisted more of making the time to move things things around than it was a challenge to separate them. If I were actually getting rid of things, that might have been a whole different story!

“100 Things” List

Leave a comment

Since I’m working on the 100 Thing Challenge, I thought that it would be a good idea to have an easier to find, more permanent list of the 100 things that I’m keeping. So created a permanent list and added a link at the top of the screen. It’s called “My 100 Things”, which I thought was pretty self explanatory. Any time you want to see what I’ve got, or how my list has changed, just head to that link to check it out.

Trying the “100 Thing Challenge”

19 Comments

I’ve read about the 100 Thing Challenge before, and found the idea intriguing. Recently I’ve been thinking about it again, this time with more interest in giving it a try. Unlike Dave, the originator of the idea, I am not interested in selling all but 100 of my personal possessions. However, I think that I could happily live for an extended period of time while limiting myself to 100 personal items. So, as an extension of the Minimalist Experiment, I’m going to pack away almost everything that I own and give it a try for one month.

The Basic Concept

The Goal: Live for with only 100 personal things for the entire month of October, 2010.

The Rules

  • “Personal Things” means things that are entirely or mostly mine. Shared objects (like the bed) are not personal and thus won’t be counted.
  • A few things are counted in groups. For example: the power cord, mouse and earbuds always go with the computer, so together they are a system: one item. In the original rules, like items could be clumped together: underwear, 1 item; socks, 1 item. I may do that, once I determine how many items I will be using.
  • I won’t be throwing things away, or getting rid of them. I will simply be storing them away for the month’s experiment. After the experiment, I may decide to get rid of some of them, or not.

I’ve got a couple of weeks to prepare for this experiment. I’ve been thinking about what I use on a daily basis and made a tentative list of the 100 things I’ll need to keep out. Over the next few days I’ll pay more attention to what I use day to day so that I can tweak my list before the month starts.

My 100 Things

    Clothes

  1. jeans
  2. jeans
  3. jeans
  4. khakis
  5. gym shorts
  6. swim trunks
  7. shorts
  8. track pants
  9. pj pants, silk
  10. pj pants, cotton
  11. pj pants, fleece
  12. running shoes
  13. sanuks
  14. dress shoes, brown sketchers
  15. dress shoes, brown other
  16. belt, leather
  17. belt, leather, 2-sided
  18. belt, fabric
  19. tie
  20. watch
  21. bandanna
  22. handkerchief, white
  23. handkerchief, blue
  24. suit
  25. underwear, group counted as 1 item
  26. socks, group counted as 1 item
  27. dress shirt
  28. dress shirt
  29. dress shirt
  30. dress shirt
  31. button shirt
  32. button shirt
  33. button shirt
  34. polo shirt
  35. polo shirt
  36. polo shirt
  37. t-shirt
  38. t-shirt
  39. t-shirt
  40. t-shirt
  41. running shirt, black
  42. running shirt, gray
  43. rain jacket
  44. sweater
  45. sweater
  46. hoodie

    47. Daily Use

  47. glasses, prescription
  48. wedding ring
  49. desk chair
  50. pillow
  51. pillow case
  52. wallet
  53. pocket knife
  54. chapstick
  55. keys
  56. sticky-note pad
  57. cell phone (incl: charger)

    58. Hygiene

  58. razor (incl: brush, soap, stand)
  59. washcloth
  60. towel
  61. deodorant
  62. toothbrush
  63. electric clippers

    64. Work

  64. backpack
  65. laptop (incl: mouse, power cord, headphones)
  66. camera (incl: case, charger, mini-tripod)
  67. Moleskine planner
  68. fountain pen (incl: bottle of ink, needle for refill)
  69. 3-ring binder
  70. misc. writing instruments

    71. School

  71. books, 2
  72. sketchbooks, 2
  73. cardboard tube – for transporting work from home to school on motorcycle
  74. art supplies, drawing
  75. art supplies, painting

    76. Transportation

  76. motorcycle
  77. helmet
  78. boots, slip-on
  79. boots, lace-up
  80. doo rag, skulls
  81. doo rag, American flag
  82. jacket, leather flight
  83. jacket, textile motorcycle
  84. gloves, leather

    85. Eat

  85. bowl
  86. plate
  87. mug
  88. glass
  89. fork
  90. spoon
  91. knife
  92. stainless steel water bottle

    93. Other

  93. books in library
  94. tools
  95. camping gear

As you can see, I still have some extra items that I could hold on to. I’m leaving the slots open so that I can easily see where I am at.

I went ahead and included the dishes that I use on a regular basis. Since I’m thinking about limiting myself to only a single set, I will have to wash them after eating every meal. I may quickly tire of having to do dishes after every meal, but I think it will also add an interesting twist to the experiment. They may not make it to the final list, replaced as I pack away the rest of my items and discover that I have overlooked a few things that I will need.

We’ll see how it goes. It is, after all, only the preliminary stages of an experiment.

I Don’t Need An iPhone

2 Comments

While reading this post on mnmlist.com, I realized that this is exactly what I need to do. I need to subtract the desire from my life, not the need for the object.

I don’t need an iPhone, but I like the idea of having one and often want one. I think that one would be quite useful, for a variety of reasons:

  • Use it as a phone, to make and receive calls and check my voicemail.
  • Use it as an alarm clock.
  • Built-in camera.
  • Utilize the calendar function to track my schedule.
  • Keep track of my contacts.
  • Start lots of lists/notes to myself to capture data.
  • Play games.

The thing is…

I can already do those things with what I already have. Sure, my system’s not as flashy, it has more parts, but it’s entirely functional. Here’s what I’ve already got:

  • A cell phone that does far more than I want.
  • Including have 5 alarms that cover my alarm needs.
  • And a camera, even if it’s not quite as good as the iPhone’s.
  • I carry a Moleskine planner around. It’s small enough that it fits into my pocket, but large enough that I can track my schedule and other stuff.
  • Such as carry a contacts book in the back with more space than I have entries to fill it with.
  • And enough space for me to scribble in, as well as a handy surface to attach sticky-notes with that day’s todo list.
  • My current cell phone has some games on it, they just aren’t as fancy. Plus, I have more than enough to occupy me without killing time with games.
  • I always have a writing instrument or two with me, so I don’t have to worry about scrounging for a pen.

Why Would I Change?

Since my current system works just fine, and has for over a year now, there are only two reasons that I might change it.

  1. Because of my minimalist desires I can see where it would be a good thing for me to carry a single device instead of the 3 (cell phone, Moleskine planner, fountain pen) that I am currently using.
  2. It’s new and shiny and I want it. Basic desire. I don’t need an iPhone, but I want one because I see so many other people around me who have one.

Why I Won’t Change

Despite the two reasons above, I won’t be getting an iPhone any time soon. Here’s why:

  1. It’s a single device, yes, but is it wise to become dependent upon a more fragile system? My current phone can be replaced very cheaply. Sure, my Moleskine shouldn’t get wet, but it will dry out and keep working, which I’m not sure can be said about the iPhone. Likewise, I can drop my Moleskine and not have a heart-attack. I don’t ever have to be concerned that the batteries in my Moleskine might run out. Part of my minimalist goals are to minimize the stress and worry in my life; I feel that a gadget like the iPhone would be counter-productive in light of this goal.
  2. I don’t need it. Why spend money on something that I don’t need? This is the Modern Luddite coming out in me. The technology would be nice to have, but it’s not needed and isn’t necessarily “better” than my current system.
  3. I can’t get it without a data package. If I could, I might consider getting an iPhone. However, I just can’t justify increasing my monthly cell phone bill just to have a shiny new toy. If you look at my list of things I would use an iPhone for, you’ll notice that none of them require the internet. If I did want to check my email, I could easily use the WiFi access that I am around the majority of the time. A data plan is a waste of my money and would only provide an added distraction.

An iPhone (or any other “smart” phone, for that matter) isn’t something that I see in my near future. Even though they might offer some decent advantages to my current system, over-all they are not a step in the right direction. Too dependent on modern technology, too expensive, too distracting, and too stress inducing. I’ll keep my dumb phone for now.

The Luddite Writer

3 Comments

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen
Perhaps this is an example of my modern Luddite tendencies coming through, but I enjoy writing with a fountain pen. For that matter, I just enjoy writing (that would be part of why I run a blog). I write notes, scribble out todo lists, doodle in my margins, compose blog posts, jot down interesting quotes, and otherwise record things in a written format.

Because of this tendency for the written word, I always have a writing instrument on me. Since I enjoyed my Pilot Plumix so much, my fabulous wife presented me with a Lamy Safari for Christmas last year. I’ve been carrying it ever since.

This pen never fails to receive a comment from those around me, especially once it’s borrowed. Some love it as much as I do. Others try it for a few moments and decide that it’s not for them (writing with a fountain pen requires a different style than writing with a ballpoint.) Love it or hate it, a simple writing instrument manages to incite interest and provoke comments. That’s a pretty good day’s work for a pen.

If you happen to see me around and need something to write with, I’ll have this guy with me. Who knows, you might begin to share my passion after trying it.