All 72 Things I Own

26 Nov 2009

MY RATIONALE

As a minimalist, it’s important that my possessions do not own me and that what I do own serves multiple purposes, is high-quality and as sustainable as possible.

That being said, I’m also very style-conscious and want to make sure that I have what I need to successfully run my business from the road, live a fulfilling lifestyle, and enjoy a healthy social life.

So as part of my effort to further reduce and optimize my possessions, here is a list of everything I own and photos of those items.

Already many items on this list are on the chopping block, as I haven’t used them in the 2 months I’ve been in Buenos Aires and doubt I’ll use them for the rest of my stint in Argentina.

Note: I’ve packaged smaller things together into one item, so for example I’m counting all of my pens and pencils as one item, and the same holds true with the small items that I keep in my wallet.

Other note: I’m not counting transitory items that come and go quickly – things like currency, food and soap. These are technically possessions, but they don’t take up the same kind of ‘ownership space’ in my mind, and I’ll likely be getting rid of them as soon as I leave anyway.

MY STUFF

  1. Green tshirt
  2. Dark blue v-neck tshirt
  3. Green/grey long sleeve tshirt
  4. Tan tshirt
  5. White v-neck tshirt (with Google Homepage drawn on it…ah, Halloween)
  6. Light blue polo
  7. Yellow polo
  8. Grey polo
  9. Light blue military-style shirt
  10. Light blue shirt
  11. Torn up jeans
  12. Rock star jeans
  13. Fashiony jeans
  14. Green casual jacket
  15. Dark blue fancier jacket
  16. 5 pairs of boxer briefs
  17. 6 pairs of socks (solid colors and argyle)
  18. Brown leather belt
  19. Brown leather watch
  20. Slim Slimmy Wallet, Passport, ID, Debit cards, Credit card, Pesos, Business card with notes scribbled all over it
  21. Cheap sunglasses
  22. Newsie-style hat
  23. Brown leather flip flops
  24. Brown leather sexy shoes
  25. Vibram Five Finger workout shoes
  26. Umbrella
  27. Nike+ workout watch and sensor
  28. Workout shorts
  29. 2 sleeveless workout shirts
  30. Travel journal
  31. Medium and small Moleskine notebooks
  32. Array of pens, pencils and markers
  33. iPod Touch and armband
  34. iPhone headphones
  35. Unlocked RAZR
  36. Brown leather satchel
  37. EEE PC 1005HA netbook with sleeve
  38. 15″ Macbook Pro
  39. 15″ Mabook Pro sleeve
  40. Wireless Mighty Mouse
  41. USB-splitter
  42. 3 USB-powered hard drives
  43. Mini DisplayPort to DVi adapter
  44. Mac Software install discs
  45. Lumix LX3 digital camera with case
  46. HF100 Digital HD camcorder with remote
  47. Gorillapod tripod
  48. Spare 512 MB SD card and microfiber screen-cleaning cloth
  49. Rechargeable batteries
  50. Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
  51. Nose and facial hair trimmers
  52. Hair product
  53. Prescription glasses and case
  54. Spare contact lenses, case and solution
  55. Carry-on bag
  56. Wine aerator

FEEDBACK

How many things do YOU own? Do you think it’s important to know? Sound off in the comment section below!



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53 Responses to “All 72 Things I Own”

This is very cool, to see all the things you own laid out. I’m in the process now of getting rid of things. I’m nowhere near 100 but that is currently the goal. Thanks for the inspiration to head that direction (because why hang on to stuff I don’t use?).

Mary / Nov 26 09 at 12:28 pm

Congratulations Colin, It’s wonderful that you follow the minimalist way and adhere to the 100 things principle.

I’m in the middle of cutting out my stuff and I hopefully will post about it once I archive it. Thanks for the inspiration!

Alejandro Reyes / Nov 26 09 at 12:41 pm

Awesome, Colin. I’ve been going through a similar process over the past couple years, in anticipation of doing something similar to what you are doing. You obviously beat me to the punch, but I love to read about your process and see what you have chosen to carry in your “one” bag.

The more streamlining you can do, the better. I love this minimalism stuff. It’s refreshingly liberating in countless ways. ;-)

Crystal Silver / Nov 26 09 at 1:17 pm

Interesting, very interesting post. I still have lots of things that distract me every day, and unfortunately I don’t know how many things I own.

Oscar - freestyle mind / Nov 26 09 at 1:21 pm

When we get right down to it we don’t need anything more than the essentials: food, clothing and shelter. I like this post for showing this.

brian / Nov 26 09 at 1:43 pm

I love that a wine aerator makes the cut! We have a few more gadgets on the camera front, but think we’d make the 100 things principle. It’s a nice feeling!

Audrey / Nov 26 09 at 3:25 pm

I have roughly 420 thing. Took a photo shoot like yours last weekend. It’s cool to know and see what size my anchor is.

Pyro / Nov 26 09 at 4:23 pm

Heya Colin! I recognize that blue long sleeve shirt in the 4th row there — it’s the one you’ve taken with for your sidebar’s featured image. :)

You have a wide choice of colors for your shirts = good. I kinda have quite a number of black tshirts and polos in my cupboard now. lol.

Daniel / Nov 26 09 at 4:40 pm

That’s brilliant, Colin. I want to see a link to the wine aerator though. You have heaps more shirts than me. I stick to three or four, max. I tend to carry to much electronics though … Yes, even more than you, and that stuff is heavy!

Craig / Nov 26 09 at 6:24 pm

Nice article…now where are the sweaters, scarves..etc? :) no winter clothing other than the jackets? Loved the fact that you have to ‘own’ a wine aerator…

mariela / Nov 26 09 at 6:58 pm

Hey Colin, interesting collection. I’m with everyone else, a wine aerator? Why this particular item is so important? In any case it’s always cool to see something like this, in particular I like the way you’ve framed and laid out each item. Although I wonder if you might be at 55 because I don’t see earphones as an item independent of the player you need them for.
Well done!

Caron Margarete / Nov 26 09 at 8:48 pm

Hey Colin,

This is so interesting to read, simply from a voyeuristic stand point, but also from a minimalist that has a good sense of style!

It’s so fascinating to see what someone more techy-minded than I sees as the essentials… thanks for the peek into your list.

Karen

Karen / Nov 26 09 at 10:10 pm

This is sooooo cool to see. I’m still in the progress of downsizing to under 100 items (not including furniture, dishes, stuff like that). I don’t need to be anywhere as mobile as you, but it’s just nice to have less stuff to think/worry about.

It’s nice to see your brown leather sexy shoes, I remember them making it into a previous post! Those things are sweet.

Nate / Nov 26 09 at 11:39 pm

I’m glad you washed your clothes before you photographed them ;)

Also, how long are you keeping the Google homepage shirt? I think that would surprise me making the cut over the aerator any day (because that thing is suhweet!)

Kristin / Nov 27 09 at 3:29 am

Hey Colin,

I’m curious. Is this really all you own or is it all you travel with? I ask because I’ve never been willing to part with things like family photo albums, certain heirlooms from my ancestors, etc. although when I travel I travel very light.

Carmen / Nov 27 09 at 7:13 am

Thought I would just mention that you don’t need all the latest high-tech gear in order to be location independent. I know you are at a stage where you can afford it and know what you need to spend money on, but some people might get the impression that they need to buy all the latest gear before they can even get started.

NomadicNeil / Nov 27 09 at 8:32 am

Nice. I definitely need to downsize too. I a couchsurfer friend with exactly 50 possessions, at all times.

Jeremiah / Nov 27 09 at 10:11 am

ok I seriously need to downsize the amount of stuff i own…when I think about it I own a lot of useless crap

Anthony Feint / Nov 27 09 at 10:53 am

@Mary: Thanks! Glad I could help you get the motor running…once you start reducing the number of things you have, it’s a little addictive. Once you start to get rid of things you don’t use/need, then getting to 100 isn’t that difficult.

@Alejandro: Definitely keep me updated! Would love to see how other people’s lists compare to my own!

@Crystal: Oh yeah, it’s SO liberating! Since I got here just a little bit early, I’ll try and make as many mistakes as possible so that you can bypass them when you arrive (very shortly, I would imagine)!

@Oscar: Yeah, it’s not for everyone (or at least not for everyone at every point in their lives). If you don’t feel any pressure from the stuff you own, don’t worry about it. If you start to, though, you should make changes immediately!

@brian: You said it! I’d love to keep reducing…will be eliminating a few items from this list shortly, actually, so I’m on my way!

@Audrey: Haha, yeah, I have my priorities :)

@Pyro: Really nice way of defining the principal; knowing how big your anchor is. 420 is actually pretty tame, so well done!

@Daniel: Yeah, that’s the one! I actually wore al ot of black when in LA (I’m a designer..it’s my color!), but I wanted to try wearing NO black for a while to see what happened. If nothing else it would be a challenge, but I’ve heard it can improve your mood (not that I need it, but I thought it would be interesting to try). In any case, I have one pair of black boxer briefs that were labeled ‘blue’ at Banana Republic. Damn you, BR!

@Craig: You can check it out at vinturi.com – one of the better investments I’ve made! I try to carry many shirts, too, since you can wear the hell out of jeans, but eventually shirts start to show their wear, smell, etc. Easy to prepare for different occasions, too!

@mariela: I actually need to buy a sweater of some kind, since I’ll be heading down South in a few weeks! I don’t really have anything warm (prepared for the Summer here). Oops!

@Caron: Haha, okay okay, so the wine aerator is there because it represents part of what this trip is about. Everything else has a very practical purpose, but the aerator is just for fun, socializing, etc. Things that I am trying to do more of. Enjoying life! Woo! It makes every bottle of wine taste so much better, so it’s definitely helpful in the ‘enjoy life more’ respect! And let’s be honest, the thing is beautiful. It kind of looks like a sex-toy when wrapped up in its little velvet bag and packed in my carry-on, but these are the sacrifices I make for wine.

@Karen: My pleasure :) Glad you liked it!

@Nate: Totally, not everyone needs to be ultra-mobile. It’s nice to be that way when you DO find yourself needing to move around, though! Also: glad someone else likes my sexy shoes; I’m going to be traumatized when they need replacing!

@Kristin: Haha, I’m actually going to give the Google shirt to Carlos before I leave. I bought it and drew on it to make a cheap and easy Halloween costume, not to keep.

@Carmen: This is really all I own! If you look at my post on the Shred Party that Kristin and I had before we left LA, you’ll see that we actually got rid of all those little heirlooms and stuff, too. The idea was to lighten our load and stop investing emotions in ‘things’ and instead keep it with us instead. We went shred-crazy!

@NomadiacNeil: Definitely true. Some items are on my list purely because of what I do for a living, or because I haven’t been doing this long enough to find a better solution. I would, for example, love to only carry one computer, but at the moment a Macbook Pro is too expensive to carry around all the time (too much of a thief-target), but a netbook is too weak to do the kind of work I need to do. I’ll try to get better at this and keep everyone updated as to what solutions I discover! Pack light and as tech free as possible!

@Jeremiah: Nice! I’d love to get down that low, and Couchsurf more for that matter.

@Anthony: I think we all do (looking at my list, I actually feel the same way, so you’re definitely not the only one who’s sharing that sentiment)!

colin / Nov 27 09 at 12:04 pm

Hey Colin good to see this post finally appeared (I talked to you about it over at under 30 ceo). The two computer thing surprised me for a bit until I saw your explanation.

Do you ever go to formal events? If so how do you pull that off do you rent something or barrow something?

Andrew / Nov 27 09 at 2:40 pm

I love this post because

a) it makes me re-think my possessions and what it means to own something and if I need all that STUFF.

b) it is a list. I am somewhat fanatical about lists, especially making them. I think I’ll do that. make a list of my stuff and then subtract what I don’t need.

grazi

Laura / Nov 27 09 at 7:08 pm

You fit all that, including the Macbook and EEE, into one bag? What’s the final weight for it all? Travelling light has become somewhat of an art over here in Europe, where you can get very cheap (almost free) flights but have to stay within draconian weight restrictions and literally carry only one bag (including hand or camera bags). Do you miss items like a Swiss Army Knife? Very impressive, I have to admit, although having managed working on an EEE 901 while travelling for a few months last year, I’d jettison that and just rely on one machine. What made you choose to bring the two?

Dave / Nov 27 09 at 10:10 pm

I love that you have a wine aerator!

Cris Dobbins / Nov 28 09 at 4:00 am

So many shirts! ;) Do you ever wonder that future children or relatives might resent you for getting rid of photos and heirlooms?

Then again I’m having trouble getting rid of some t-shirts I bought in Rome when I was 15 and that I could never wear again for so many reasons, so I’m speaking from someone at the other end of the spectrum.

Jane / Nov 28 09 at 8:20 am

Wow, Collin. You sure know exactly how to pack light. I still cannot justify detaching myself to many of my stuff that I don’t really need with me. Nice choice for the laptop bag by the way :)

Ton / Nov 28 09 at 6:22 pm

Tremendously creative post Colin. I look forward to reading into your blog. You have style and class. A example for many entrepreneurs young and old. Cheers on your success.

Bradley Will / Nov 29 09 at 5:28 am

Hey Colin, I’ve done the same thing this past month, mostly getting pictures of things that I intend to get rid of. It’s a lot more than I previously though!

I was thinking of making a light online app for keeping track of the things you use and how much you want to keep them.

Would you use such a thing? Would anyone else here put their items into some sort of tracker?

Ross Collicutt / Nov 29 09 at 8:09 pm

Can I have your apple monitor adapter? I need one :P

chezz / Nov 30 09 at 2:36 am

I like the concept of “ownership space” in your mind.

Do you not own any books?

J.D. Meier / Nov 30 09 at 8:03 am

@Andrew: Yup! Thanks for pushing me to finally get this up! I’d been meaning to for a while, but sometimes knowing someone else is waiting for you to do something is really the kick in the butt it takes to get it done. As for formal events: I haven’t yet been to a funeral or wedding, but if I need to I’ll likely either go LA-fancy (nice, but with jeans instead of dress pants), rent (should the occasion allow for it and require it), or just buy a pair of pants to round things out. It will be difficult to do a funeral since I’m not wearing any black, but then, I guess that’s why I would likely be renting ;)

@Laura: Thanks Laura, glad you enjoyed it! Trust me, you probably don’t need everything you think you do. Also, I’m a fellow lister. Sometimes I write emails in list format because it’s 1) elegant and 2) hilarious. Also: 3) Easy to read.

@Dave: When traveling, I usually keep my satchel at my seat and put the carry-on in the overhead compartment. The EEE comes with me at my seat, while the Macbook Pro goes in the carry-on. They all fit in the one big bag, but having the small one allows me more versatility. Not positive about the weight, but I’ve only had to check the carry-on once so far, and that was on a tiny propeller plane that had room for about ten people and needed to be carefully balanced (apparently so we wouldn’t tip over in flight…was feeling REAL secure on that journey!). Basically, I didn’t want to have to bring my Macbook Pro out with me if I wanted to work at a coffeehouse or on a day trip because 1) it’s pretty expensive, so I would miss it if it were stolen or broken, 2) the EEE is MUCH lighter and takes up a lot less space, and 3) I kind of wanted to start adjusting to using a smaller, less powerful computer because it’s my dream to someday be able to reduce down to a less bulky machine and still be able to do everything I’m accustomed to on my MBP. So far, so good!

@Cris: I’ve got my priorities!

@Jane: Haha, I do wonder about that from time to time, but honestly I didn’t really have anything in the way of heirlooms, and any photos that were really important were scanned first and now reside in the corner of one of my portable hard drives.

@Ton: If you want to reduce, you’ll figure out a way that works for you eventually. Sometimes all it takes is a catalyst..some event that pushes you to finally do it.

@Bradley: Thank you, sir! I’m checking out your blog right now and it looks pretty rad! Will definitely be wading deeper later today.

@Ross: I would definitely use an app like that, and I think many other people would, as well (Baker over at Man VS Debt, for example). Keep me updated?

@chezz: Haha, there’s an Apple store just around the block from me. Maybe we’ll pick one up for you when we meet up for our goodbye cup of coffee?

@J.D.: I actually had a massive collection of books that I left behind when I moved from Missouri to LA (though I think they donated most of them to the library…there were hundreds, so I don’t blame them for wanting the space back on their shelves, closets, etc) and when I moved from LA I sold or gave away the 40 or 50 I had lying around. Now I only buy ebooks, partially because it’s too difficult to carry around tangible books when you have so little space, and partially because I’m trying to go as paperless as possible (I only use toilet paper and business cards right now!). I do have dozens of ebooks on my iPod Touch already, though, and I’m finding that I actually like having my whole library with me at all times, and the small screen doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.

colin / Nov 30 09 at 2:48 pm

Its always good to have someone expecting something to get the motivation to do it.

I think over at U30CEO I mentioned the Kindle, and was surprised that you didn’t have any books or kindle or anything of the sort. I figured it was more a personal difference than anything. With that said, have you considered a kindle? Yes it is another item to add to the list, but I think it is the best of both worlds having your full library and not having it just on the computer but in a more book like setting with a bit larger a screen and no LED backlight. Plus if you’re in a 3g area there is a very basic web browser in the kindle as well.

Also, random, Apple’s new “Magic Mouse” will you be upgrading?

Andrew / Dec 01 09 at 4:56 pm

@Andrew: I actually really, REALLY want a Kindle, but that’s also just one more device to cart around and worry about, and I already have the Kindle software (plus a few other eBook-reader apps) on my iPod Touch. I’ve got a few dozen eBooks downloaded at the moment, and any time I need a new book I just download something from Amazon and boom, it’s all mine.

As for the Magic Mouse…we’ll see. This might be something I get while back in the States (in between Argentina and New Zealand), but at the moment I hardly even use the Mighty Mouse I have with me, so I may just leave both behind. Looks like a hell of a cool product, though!

colin / Dec 01 09 at 7:38 pm

Very clever, Colin. But it would be.

Mary Ellen / Dec 01 09 at 8:02 pm

Right on! I think it’s always beneficial to read posts that offer a unique, and more personal, glimpse into the life of the author. It’s far more motivational to see a post of this nature as it provides some real proof that such a lifestyle is possible.

I don’t use a number exactly but I limit my possessions to whatever can fit into my 47.5 litre backpack. And I always strictly follow an “obtain something, give something away” policy at all times so that I never have to buy a larger backpack!

Great stuff Colin.

Earl / Dec 01 09 at 8:19 pm

why a wine aerator???? I know Argentina has good wine…but it’s funny at the same time it’s confusing why???

Naomi / Dec 01 09 at 11:14 pm

Ok you have too much free time on your hands. Ands its awesome.

Jonny | thelifething.com / Dec 02 09 at 9:01 am

I see your point completely. Yet I think you’re wrong. Get the Kindle! (lol) I think it’ll have other bonuses that you might not think about like the wispernet connection and the basic web browsing etc. At the same time, its another couple hundred on a device that you’d have to worry about. Plus the Software for kindle is supposedly coming out for Macs as well eventually.

I know what you mean about the mouse, but when I am really working on something like my website and stuff I find it to help.

Andrew / Dec 02 09 at 7:22 pm

Hi Colin,
This was great to see you possessions! I’m starting to get rid of things myself in preparation for some international travel. I’m glad to see that you’ve got so many technology items with you, because I think that will be the hardest for me to give up.

ADam / Dec 06 09 at 5:24 pm

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Simple Living News Update / Dec 07 09 at 11:41 am

What I love most about this: it puts you in a position where you have to justify introducing something new into your life, rather than justifying its elimination. It’s not “I’ll keep this unless I have a good reason to eliminate it” — it’s “I’ll eliminate this unless I have a good reason to keep it.” Solid.

David Walsh / Dec 07 09 at 1:49 pm

[...] An awesome traveler that I discovered thanks to my awesome readers (Thanks Heidi) is Colin Wright.  Colin is a digital nomad like me, but unlike me, he hits a different country every four months!  I could get used to that idea.  In this awesome blog post, he talks about how he stripped his belongings to 72 items. [...]

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Awesome!
I am going to move soon and have already started downsizing my belongings.
I am not traveling, therefore I do have a little more clothing than you.
And I’m a girl. But no excuses, I was just curious as to how often you do laundry. Do you wash your underwear everyday? Every 5 days? What is your process?
Thank you!

Naomi / Jan 01 10 at 4:13 pm

Fantastic job! I would love to get down to a list this small. Especially because I tour for work. I’m going out I’m a few weeks with the goal of only taking 1 piece of luggage for a 6 month trip of about 46 cities. I’m sure it can be done. I just need to let go of the “just in case” and “what if” mentality.

Unfortunately, I still have a ton of stuff in storage because I do plan on living on my own after tour. So, I’ll need things like cookware, etc. Still, it’s only me, so I should need a ton. It’s a work in progress!!

Thanks again for sharing! Take care!!

Bender / Jan 07 10 at 2:41 pm

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[...] Anyway building on these traits, we have taken a conscious decision that this year will all be about participation - basically doing what we love doing anyway, by pitching up everywhere and taking part and getting involved, and at the same time creating a platform to tell our story…more on that later, but in the mean time if anyone out there has connections in the bus industry, or has an old camper-van in their garage that’s collecting dust, and you think that it’s better off in the hands of a foundation making a difference, please drop me a line…would love to take it off your hands. If nothing else it will help you live a more a minimalist lifestyle – this guy has it down to a fine art…72 items and counting down. [...]

It’s all about doing shit | bobsforgood / Jan 12 10 at 11:35 am

So many pens! =P

Daniel / Jan 19 10 at 7:25 am

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Wheres your sex toy and/or astroglide. wheres your ibuprofen?

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This is cool but so few clothes makes me wonder, how do you handle laundry? Are you having to find laundromats and wash clothes all the time?

Sarah / Feb 20 10 at 4:01 pm

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