All 51 Things I Own

March 9th, 2010

Express button-down shirtPenguin poloBanana Republic long-sleeved t-shirtKenneth Cole v-neck t-shirtCalvin Klein v-neck tshirtExile Lifestyle logo t-shirtBig Bird t-shirtSelf-Reflection t-shirtCube Rat t-shirtAmerican Apparel t-shirtCalvin Klein t-shirtExpress jeansPaper, Denim and Cloth jeansPatagonia pantsFossil jacketDiesel jacketCalvin Klein hoodieExpress and Banana Republic boxers and boxer briefsSocksDiesel shoesBanana Republic flip flopsBeltVibram Five Finger workout shoesNike workout shirtsNikeFIT Dry workout shorts/swim trunksTimbuk2 messenger bagVictorinox carry-on bagSunglassesSlim Slimmy wallet, passport, driver's license, cards, immunizations, cashMoleskine notebook and sketchbookPens and pencilsLumix LX3 Camera and caseGorillapod tripodUnlocked Razr and SIM cards for different countriesUniversal adapter13Incase Macbook Pro caseSeagate external hard drivesiPod Touch, armband and headphonesTrimmer and shaverGlasses and caseToothbrush, toothpaste, floss

One of the most popular posts ever here on Exile Lifestyle was All 72 Things I Own, wherein I took a photo of each and every object I owned in the world and was shocked to find that I had only 72 items.

Well that was back in November when I was living in Buenos Aires – a lifetime ago! – and seeing as how this is the 100th post here on Exile Lifestyle, I thought it would be a good time to revisit this concept and see how much I own now.

I had a vague notion that I wanted to be down to 50 items by the time I moved to New Zealand, and it looks like I met that goal. In fact, until today I was at 47 things…not too shabby!

But this morning a magical thing happened: 4 t-shirts arrived in the mail. T-shirts that I designed for Exile Lifestyle, my audience and myself. Yay! Oh wait. Guess I should have only ordered 3 shirts. Drat.

It’s okay, though. Because you know what? Rules were meant to be broken (especially rules created by you for a competition against yourself as part of a project also created by you).

I’ll continue to reduce as I stop using things (I imagine some of the other shirts I own will be on the cutting block soon), but at this moment I’ve got 51 and that’s just fine with me.

Below is a list of what you’re looking at in the photos above (in the same order). Click on any of the photos to be taken to it’s Flickr page where there is a more detailed description (including brands where applicable) and larger photo.

*It should be noted that I count some things together (the glasses and their case, for example) and I haven’t photographed the small tangle of cables I have to power the objects on the list. I also don’t include anything that is consumable (food, toilet paper, etc) or anything that I’m currently renting (my apartment in Christchurch, the furniture in it).

My 51 Things

  1. Button-down shirt
  2. Polo
  3. Long-sleeved shirt
  4. V-neck t-shirt
  5. V-neck t-shirt
  6. Graphic t-shirt
  7. Graphic t-shirt
  8. Graphic t-shirt
  9. Graphic t-shirt
  10. T-shirt
  11. T-shirt
  12. Jeans
  13. Jeans
  14. Pants
  15. Jacket
  16. Jacket
  17. Hoodie
  18. 3 pairs of boxers/boxer briefs
  19. 4 pairs of socks
  20. Shoes
  21. Flip flops (jandals!)
  22. Belt
  23. Workout shoes
  24. 2 workout shirts
  25. Workout shorts/ swim trunks
  26. Messenger bag
  27. Carry-on bag
  28. Sunglasses
  29. Wallet/contents/passport
  30. Notebook and sketchbook
  31. Pens and pencils
  32. Digital camera and case
  33. Tripod
  34. Phone and SIM cads
  35. Universal Adapter
  36. Laptop
  37. Laptop case
  38. 2 external hard drives
  39. iPod/armband/headphones
  40. Trimmer and shaver
  41. Glasses and case
  42. Toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
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  • I absolutely love the photo collage of all your things! Beautifully done, very artsy, and a fantastic way to visually see your stuff. Makes me want to photograph all my stuff (currently at 81 things)! Keep up the great work, Colin!
  • I finally did this and published my list here http://newhabit.org/?p=289. Thanks for the inspiration to getting this done!
  • Hi Colin - wow what a website. And you know you've shown how minimal can be anything but austere, a life of denial without humour, often the response of people when you mention minimalism. I love your 51 items - the colour is fantastic. I realised that in stripping down, I had way too much black in my wardrobe and now its being replaced with colour. and yes I have bought the t-shirt - Exile Lifestyle in Pomegranate. I can't wait - so easy to order even to the UK, and organic! I've been inspired my minimalism for 35 years and am finally putting everything into practice, at 45, with 3 kids and separated its not easy its so rewarding. I'm doing my best to blog my bit which is about wellness at but I wish I'd had the courage and sense to do this 20 years ago. You are a great inspiration and I look forward to reading much more. Mark
  • Scott
    This is very cool, and inspiring. As a minimalist father of 3, I may not be able to entirely contain the clutter contained in my house, but I have whittled my own personal footprint of possessions down to far less than what I owned over a decade ago. I work in technology and have taken full advantage of e-books to replace physical books, MP3s to replace CDs, digital scanning to save all important docs/mementos as .PDF or .JPG files, and other examples. As a homeowner I may not be able to eliminate everything not 100% immediately necessary (e.g. extra sump pump in case the one I have in the basement fails, which would be disastrous) and as a book lover I do have some difficulties getting rid of books I can't get digitally and MAY want to read someday. However, in all other matters I whittle down to the bone, even bringing in extra pens and pencils to work to put out for public use if I find I have too many at home.

    Thanks for sharing these details and I am envious of your ability to fit your life into a couple of items of luggage.
  • I recently (July, 2009) simplified my life down to 30 things and traveled throughout Latin America. As of this writing, I have 25.

    Maybe I should post an entry on the 25 things I own.

    P.S. Love that one of your things is a MacBook. :)
  • prufock
    I notice there are no blankets, pillows, sheets, sleeping bag, etc. Where do you sleep? No dishes either, do you eat out all the time?
  • Trevor
    I aspire!
  • Hi Colin,

    I'm intruiged... you chose to surrender the netbook? And that fab, brown leather satchel?

    Respect is due to the ruthlessness of your minimalism!


    V
  • I don't see why you should have to count toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. All of these things are consumables just like hair product and soap. Therefore I declare that Colin owns 50 things!
  • Scott
    I'm thinking about ways to minimize and one question came to mind for some unknown reason: No dishes or utensils? What do you eat off of and with? Or do you eat at restaurants or friends' all the time?
  • Tom
    Love the even more narrow list of possessions. I've been going through all my stuff (originally inspired by the 72 items blog post), and racked upwards of $600 in cash from selling on eBay or Craigslist.
  • elai
    Hey you could get new glasses from zenni optical for like $20 and have it shipped to wherever you are.
  • elai
    What do you put all of this stuff in when you move? A big piece of luggage? Or the 2 bags in your list? All of that clothing would take up a lot of space.
  • shorty
    what about brain baggage?-om tat sat-enjoy
  • Why don't you just auction off one of the extra tshirts.
  • Excellent, but no deodorant or aftershave at all???? I find that hard to believe ;)

    Any tips for people with kids, how do we remove clutter?
  • jan
    Where are all your toys? Don't you play any sport? What about skiis, snowboard, surfboard, tennis racket, water skis, skido etc etc. Or are those items just the ones you travel with?
  • I'm impressed and jealous! I can't practically compress my wardrobe so drastically at this stage in my life (college - can't afford to do small batches of laundry too often), but I plan to inventory/purge my belongings when I return home for the summer.

    Was there anything sentimental, though, that you had trouble parting with? I have a favorite animal, you see, so over the years people have given me lots of precious figurines and crafts in its image. I pack them away thinking, "One day I'll have a house to decorate with these things," but in truth I just feel bad tossing/selling them.
  • Way to go, Colin! You now officially have me beat. I have actually added a few items to my arsenal over the past few weeks, but I see it as a temporary setback. You continue to be an inspiration. Thanks a bunch! :-)
  • wow that is actually very impressive.... Im trying to think what I have that makes my stuff so much more than yours...

    What about your books?

    I have a...

    Kindle
    Sleeping bag (which I've never used)
    Silk Sleeping sheet (which is awesome)
    A Rain Jacket
    A Suit!
    Black Shoes & Waterproof Snow/Treking Shoes
    (Shoe count = 5. thongs, vibrams and black slip-ons - I left 10 pairs at home - im a shoe whore :P)

    I guess thats about enough to blow out my luggage. There are some pretty big things there...

    And I have way less t-shirts :P

    Ive been thinking what to cut down. I'm thinking about getting rid of my sleeping bag, but I paid $150 for it and cant bring myself to do it...
  • Mneiae
    Love the t-shirts/designs/descriptions. Thanks for sharing what you've pared your belongings down to! I thought that it was crazy to live with 72, but you've proven that you can make it work with fewer :)
  • lol, the Patagonia is NOT kiwi pants! More like stereotypical TOURIST, cargo pants is one of the key indicators you can use to identify a tourist from miles and miles away
  • I think counting socks and underwear as only two separate items is cheating - I am telling teacher.
  • @Nate: Haha, yeah, that is kind of satisfying. Minimizing 'stuff' is definitely a challenge, but I believe in you!

    @Kirsten: Glad you got some inspiration from it, Kirsten! Good luck on the RTW and thanks for noticing my sociological motives :)

    @Jamie Varon: All 3? Yes! Thank YOU!

    @Karo: Do it! Be sure to post a link here when you've got the photos up!

    @Laura: Nope, I don't hoard. I got rid of everything that I'm not carrying with me before I left LA via selling/giving away and a Shred Party. And yeah, this is it, but things that are disposable (like deodorant) are left off. So there are a few toiletry items (like soap and hair product and contact lenses) that are left out, but only a few.
  • Laura
    Hi Colin,

    I'm new here, enjoy reading, and have a question...

    For years I lived with very few things on my person. I could pack it all into a car and was very mobile. But at my parents house, I still had lots of things. Books, photographs, Christmas ornaments I had collected since I was a kid. Do you have a horde of things at a parent or friends house? Or is this really it? (No deodorant?)

    Best,
    Laura
  • This is great. I'm working on getting below 100 right now and will definitely be photographing what remains just to keep myself honest. Great job!
  • I'm jealous. I'm fascinated. And I'm inspired.

    Thanks.
  • I am just at the beginning stages of researching a possible RTW starting in November. This is soo helpful to see as I will possibly be in the same boat soon.

    And also, just very interesting from a sociological standpoint!!
  • I love these kinds of posts. It must be cool when someone is like, "I like your shirt!" and you can say, "Thanks, I designed it." I'd like to get myself down to 80 items, not including household things (furniture, dishes, etc.). It will be challenging, but well worth it.
  • @Tammy: Do it! And met me know when you do! I'll link back to you.

    @Andrew: No Kindle. I'd LOVE to have the excuse to get one, but I have the Kindle software on my iPod Touch at the moment, which is how I read most of my eBooks these days. I ditched the wine aerator while I was in the States, and though I would have loved to keep it, I'm experimenting with going as minimal as possible, and I couldn't justify it. No veal yet, though I hear they eat a lot of it here! I made that video a week or so ago, and I used my digital camera (it shoots really solid HD video). Thanks for the kind words! I'll be posting a new video every week, so send me a question if you'd like me to answer it, video-style!

    @Tresna: I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to furniture, but I do give priority to places that are furnished in a really modern way, nice colors and angles, etc. I like the look of Swiss design: minimal, you know?
  • Just thinking about getting my "stuff" down to just 51 things hurts my head! When renting a furnished apartment, do you have your own set of requirements for furnishings that fit in with your lifestyle? Or are you easy to please in this regard?
  • Colin this is my favorite post of yours, well I liked the last one as well, since it makes me question how I will eventually do it (probably 4 years out at the moment...) but yeah. Some comments.

    Still no Kindle? Personally I'm waiting for 3.0 since they just acquired a touch technology company so maybe thats your excuse as well...

    No wine aerator?

    Eating much veal yet?

    Also, when did you make that video you posted and what camera did you use? It was really good. (content and clarity of picture.)

    -Andrew
  • Colin - this is awesome! I love the idea of taking a photo of everything. At my last count I had 73 items, but that was before the big move to Portland. I need to recount and I might take photos too. So fun! :)
  • @Kristin: Thanks chick! Haha, hopefully I'll have some pants or something in there, too, but I AM open to new experiences...pantsless travel sounds like something Matt would do.

    @Brian: Thanks Brian! It was fun for me to put together, too.

    @Timo: Yeah, I keep finding the same thing. When I moved to Buenos Aires and found I had 72 items I was shocked mostly because I knew I hadn't taken a double-handful of my possessions out of the bag the whole time I was there, and didn't plan on it either. Made the whole 50 items thing seem a lot more realistic :) As for Skreened, I couldn't agree more. American Apparel tees have always been my favorite for their quality, feel and fit, and the print job on these suckers is just amazing. The quality is just off the charts (and they've got great corporate ethics...check out their website to find out more about that).

    @Early Retirement Extreme: Nope! Really hard to travel with that kind of thing these days, and I find that if I need a utensil, I can usually find one pretty easily (whether by eating at a place that gives plastic ones or just by buying one for a few cents at a market). Also, I'm currently renting a furnished apartment and those usually come with flatware and utensils.

    @Alan: Thanks brother! Looking forward to hearing about the process!

    @Steph: Haha, believe it or not I know that feeling well. My ex and I had a pretty sizable walk-in closet at our townhouse in LA, and it was packed to the brim. I had a whole lot of clothes because of the kind of business I was in and the kinds of people I was hanging out with. I find that as I travel, however, I see the same people less-frequently, so it's not as necessary to own so many variations of everything. Also: LA is so gilded that you have to dress a certain way or be left out...not so most other places, so long as you've got confidence and personality (these things aren't really necessary in LA, so long as you've got cash or fame).

    @Bruno: Yeah, it gets a lot easier once you get on the road...until you split, though, you won't know what you really need and what you just THINK you'll need. 84 is damnably impressive by itself, though! Love the way you set up that post. Hopefully people will click the link and be inspired!

    @zaci1: Thanks!
  • zaci1
    Inspiring =]
  • Hi Colin, I see you trimmed down from 72 to 51. I haven't started my trip yet, haven't had to carry all my stuff. Perhaps that's the reason I am starting with 84: http://travelingshorts.com/post/432802975/all-t...

    great pics!
  • That's amazing. Blimey, I've got 93 pairs of shoes and that doesn't include riding boots, trainers, slippers, sandals or flats. I must own... a million... no... a billion things! I've got years and years worth of VOGUEs... stupid mobile chargers I don't need any more... twenty jackets, 400 pens and pencils, books upon books upon books, 30 pairs of knitting needles... a sackful of makeup... Spider-man dolls, 52 Barbies, four calendars... I am feeling dizzy already... Bah humbug, I should do what you do and downsize to only... 50 things. I'll start with the shoes. I'll downsize to only 50 pairs. But where are your tweezers? How do you keep your eyebrows so tidy? Do you thread with the dental floss?
  • Impressive, Colin. When I move apartments this summer, I'll be staying in a room about half the size of my current bedroom. Looking forward to de-cluttering my life!
  • No knife or spork?
  • That's an incredible achievement. You really have managed to get rid of all the clutter. Every time I'm packing for travelling, I take less and less with me, but there's _always_ something I don't even take out of the bag.

    I have to check your designs in skreened. To anyone else, I can sincerely recommend skreened shirts in general (regardless whether it's Colin, me, or someone else providing the design). Definitely a good choice for a thin wardrobe :)
  • I find this impressive, crazy, and highly amusing. Thanks for sharing and putting things in perspective.
  • Nice! Well done, Colin! You'll be down to nothing but the ultra awesome self-designed shirt on your back in no time! (hot.)
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