I've learned to travel light
I have travelled a lot and my backpack has gotten smaller and smaller on my trips to the point where I now travel with a very small backpack. I've learned that it is far easier to buy many items when I get to my destination than carry them along with me.
Indeed on a recent trip to Saskatchewan my airfare was only $14 HBD (one-way for 900km flight) but for me to carry anything larger than a "personal item" would cost an additional $55HBD
Now with a vacuum seal bag I can carry two changes of clothing, plus a few toiletries in a bag about the same size as my 13" laptop. That will only get me to my destination though plus a day or two while I figure out what I really need.
If I was going somewhere for a year like my friend @jjmusa2004 wrote about I think I'd want a little more to go on. In that regard I've always wondered just what I would want to have if I were to live in a one room house in the Philippines (or Nigeria if I was there). Or perhaps if I was living in a tent in a refugee camp or even just a tiny little cabin on my property up in Rosswood, BC.
Just the clothes on my back, the shoes on my feet, and the cellphone in my pocket wouldn't cut it.
A tiny cabin with tiny amenities
I'm hoping that @jjmusa2004, @monica-ene, or @rare-gem will reply to my thoughts here. They are in Nigeria and are far more knowledgeable about what people really need there than I ever will be. But here I go:
This is the from room in my cabin up in Rosswood.
Right now it is so empty even a minimalist is going to say no thank you. However, with a small fold out table, a couple of more comfortable chairs and a bit of space to store a few important items I think it has a lot of potential.
The kitchen is still getting worked out. The countertop is far too large and there certainly need to be a few shelves but at such a small size I don't want anything large in there.
The bedroom is very tiny and certainly needs a little nightstand to put a change of clothes, charge my phone, and put a little light. However, beds and the space they take up is very over rated. A nice futon on the floor, a sleeping bag and pillow and a good nights sleep isn't that challenging at all.
I will admit that if I were in the Philippines or Nigeria I'd probably want mosquito netting to keep the bugs away. In the summertime I may want it for Rosswood as well đ
The technology makes all the difference
A place to sleep, a place to cook, a place to eat, a place to sit and a place to washup/shower are all I really need. The technology to do all those things easily can get a little interesting (and expensive).
I took a picture of the items I'd want to have if I were on my own in a tiny place.
A foldable Solar Panel
This solar panel folds up to about the size of a laptop and puts out up to 100W. It has numerous outputs but it has either a barrel plug to charge the power box or a USB-C to charge up my laptop or power box. So nice not to have to be 100% reliant on the power company!
Computer / Mouse
How can I keep on posting on Hive without a laptop? Sure I could use my cellphone but that's kind of a pain with the little screen and no keyboard. I'd want to be able to make a little money with Hive. Also playing games, watching movies, listening to music all better on a PC.
As a little side note. The laptop has USB-C output so if there is no sun I could actually use the laptop to charge my power bank so everything else could continue working. It's nice my laptop can work as a backup power bank.
Rice Cooker / Steamer
I missed labelling it in the picture but that little rice cooker is the most efficient way I've found to make a meal. It uses only 200 watts and can make a meal in under 30 minutes. 100W of power to cook a meal. 1hr of full sun and a solar panel to cook a meal. Awesome. Side note. It could also boil water if I needed to make some drinking water.
USB Light
At night time a light is a necessity! Can't work without a light. Can't see to go to the washroom without a light. That USB powered light uses only a few watts of power but makes a great worklight. A must have in my books.
Power Box
Now I have a 2000W power box and I have a 100W power box but both had issues. The 100W isn't powerful enough to make a meal. The 2000W unit weighs so much and costs so much that it isn't that useful. A 300W unit like the one here which can charge from solar panel or charge from the laptop is awesome. Enough power to make a meal, charge a phone, power a laptop, fun the fan, or even freeze some water in the fridge/freezer!
Fan
When I was last in the Philippines I found that a fan was an absolute necessity! The little USB rechargeable fan was great for taking with me on the bus or while I was walking. So much nicer not to take in the heat of the day. Sitting in the shade of a mango tree, sipping a drink and having a fan blowing on me is awesome. Unfortunately it wouldn't last all night âšī¸ The desk fan connects directly to the power bank, moves more air, lasts all night and made sleeping possible. Never underestimate how important a good nights sleep is!
Fridge / Freezer
Believe it or not that Bodega unit there can act as either a fridge or freezer. Pick a temperature down to -20C and it will happily get the contents to the temperature using only 30W of power while it is cooling and 1W of power on standby. Using the sun to cool my drinks? Awesome! Of more value though would be to keep meat at a safe temperature until I cook it. Either way being able to reliably store things at a cool temperature is important. It only holds a little so I need to be careful in what I choose but still it is something I consider a must have.
Toiletries
Gotta have those. Mosquito repellant, deodorant, toothbrush and shaver (USB rechargeable of course) are important. I may want to live like a bush man but I don't want to look or smell like one!
USB powered fire starter.
That funny pen looking thing actually uses batteries to make a little stream of lightning at the end. Maybe its just an electrical arc but it can be used to reliably start a fire a few hundred times on a single charge. For those days there is no sun being able to make a fire to cook food is a lifesaver. Or light candles. Or start a garbage pile on fire (although not making garbage is even better).
Cellphone
Now you will see two phones there. A big phone is nice. Long battery life, nice screen and much more. The small phone is much less useful. It still allows phone calls, sends texts, has a camera and flashlight, and will broadcast WIFI to my laptop. Staying connected is important! I'd certainly want one or the other to keep me connected.
There are two other items I'd want but wasn't able to put in the picture. A USB powered UV light sterilization water bottle and a USB powered camp shower.
USB Powered UV Light Sterilization water bottle.
I can't show you a picture of my own bottle because my son stole it to take to University. However, here's an article on the technology and an image from the article:
The quick version is that there is a UV light in the cap. The light is powered by a USB rechargeable battery. Get water that isn't turbid, put in the bottle, push the button on the top and it will sterilize the water for you. A lifesaver...literally...in a place where there may be virus or bacteria in the water. Sure it won't get rid of heavy metals or deal with turbid water...but it is so much better than nothing for clear river or lakewater.
Camp Shower (and bucket)
Now in the Philippines I've learned that you can get clean with a bucket, some water and a scoop. It just isn't much fun. I've also found that there is a simple usb powered device where you drop the pump in a bucket, push the on button on the showerhead and give yourself a nice shower. Very simple but so much better than the scoop. A full shower on about 8-10l of water.
Check out the camp showers here
Now I do own two of these showers (or ones very similar) however, they are both up at the cabin in Rosswood, along with the buckets to go with them đ
I guess a privacy curtain is also nice when using them but that's another story.
Starting small and going from there
Of course it is nicer to have bigger and more capable appliances. Sure I love a bigger fridge, bigger TV, better stereo, "hot" water instead of bucket temperature water, and so on. More solar panels for more electricity so I'm not constantly budgeting every watt would also be so much nicer.
However, if I was delegated to a refugee tent or a tiny room with one window in Nigeria I bet the items above would make a dingy 8x10 room into something far more bearable.
- Simple solar I can hang out the window for electricity.
- a hot meal and a cold drink with purified water
- a nice screen to entertain myself
- a way to keep in touch with friends and family
- a way to keep cool...even if just a fan
and more.
Sure they are small. Sure they aren't perfect. However, they are also simple and can be added little by little as funds become available.
Just my thought but if I wanted to keep it simple this is where I would start.
Final thoughts for the Earn, Spend, Give crew
Now I know that cross posting isn't allowed but I was originally going to post this in #EarnSpendGive (my community) for ideas on whether the community members would be interested in trying any of these items out or if they think any of them would be useful.
As I'm posting here, well, I'm asking @jjmusa2004 @monica-ene and @rare-gem if they think any of these items would be useful to try out in Nigeria.
Thanks guys
And for the minimalist crew
I'd love to get your thoughts on my ideas.
My first post in this group but it seems like a place I could get some good ideas.
Thanks for reading.