I was recently reading about American history, particularly the early colonists and the later Oregon Trail settlers. Suppose you were uprooting your entire life and traveling across an ocean or continent with only the possessions you could fit in a typical automobile today. When sailing, each family presumably had an allotted cargo volume, and that was that. On the Oregon Trail, people often over-packed, but were forced to abandon family heirlooms and heavy furniture along the way. What seemed important back east became dead weight, especially as they began climbing the passes over the mountains.
With that in mind, what could realistically bring along on such a journey today? If you were to pack up and leave, living on what you could carry in your vehicle for weeks or months, how would you do it? Imagine more choosing a digital nomad life, not disaster preparedness or a survivalist retreat. Of course, this varies based on your vehicle. A family of four could fit little in a hatchback, and a single individual with a pickup truck can haul a lot. We also have the advantage of grocery stores and other resources along the way instead of wilderness.
I think back to family cross-country trips when I had a Radio Shack cassette player and a case full of tapes. A smartphone or tablet can hold hundreds of e-books, audiobooks, and a massive music library. Assuming you have access to electricity, even without the internet, digital cargo today takes up little space. As a kid, I also had backpack full of books, games, and activities. Crayons and coloring books or activity books are still useful, and playing cards and dice are compact, to say nothing of travel-size versions of tabletop games. Entertainment can be low-tech still today.
Of course, having some supplies on hand for emergencies is still a good idea, and tools for anything from a mild inconvenience to starting work from scratch in a new home is still worth considering. Divital work needs little more than electricity, internet, and your laptop, but other work can require specialty tools. An auto mechanic needs more than a Leatherman, an adjustable wrench, and a bit-swapping screwdriver. A tailor needs more than a thimble, scissors, and some needles... but that reminds me of a video.
Drafting and design is mostly digital today, but I have a set of French curve templates and one of those flexible curve tools from my board drafting classes, oddly enough. My sewing kit is much more basic, but so are my skills and needs.
That's not really my goal with this tangent, though. If you were on the road and trying to earn a living, what basic tools are sufficient for the task? All your tools for working with cloth or leather could take up about the same space as a laptop bag or briefcase, and serve for many years. If you are an artist, consider what painters would pack when going out to capture the wilderness in oil on canvas, and simplify your typical studio kit based on their precedent.
In contrast to Bernadette Banner's considered approach to minimalism without gaps, I don't think this hobo tool mindset from Waypoint Survival below is enough for someone planning to live off the tools they carry as a tradesman.
Even with a cell phone at hand and AAA a call away, some tools are good to have on hand. A ratchet and socket set is indispensable for auto repair. A more complete toolkit today probably needs a couple dedicated screwdrivers with flathead and Phillips heads (#1, 2, & 3) plus a screwdriver with interchangeable bits for specialty purposes. Screwdrivers are not pry bars, so get a proper crowbar if you need that. A set of linesman's pliers or slip-joint pliers, needlenose pliers, Channellock-style pliers, and an adjustable wrench will go a long way. A rubber or wood mallet and a ball-peen hammer would help cover most situations where something needs percussive maintenance. This would all fill a modest tool bag or tool bag.
In the Oregon Trail era, pioneers would sometimes leave behind the wooden handles for shovels, mattocks, and other tools. These can be fashioned from raw materials later on. The iron and steel parts are heavy, but irreplaceable for those building homesteads from scratch, far from industrial centers. Today, people working seriously in the trades need more than the basics, or even a serious general-purpose tool kit. There's a reason auto mechanics tend to have huge tool chests that stay at their shop. Electricians and plumbers each have their own specialty tools, and need more than a simple tool bag to have everything they need on hand. Even a dedicated hand tool carpenter needs a variety of bulky tools, and a traditional tool chest for proper storage takes up space.
That reminds me, sea chests and trunks were the common luggage options through the early 20th century. Modern nylon gym bags and luggage are not entirely an improvement.
Anyway, did I have a point? Not really. This is just a loosely-connected series of thoughts on travel as I try to decide what to do myself. I've been unemployed since I resigned from the library 11 months ago, trying to get a handle on my physical and mental health. It's time for me to seek new opportunities, and that is likely to mean travel. So here I am, looking at my personal history and the people of the past as I weigh what I need to do, and you're along for the ride. If you actually read all this, tell me about your favorite birds in the comments.
If you are going anywhere for the holidays, I wish you safe travels, whether it's a short bus ride, a cross-country plane trip, or a 3-day drive in the family car. Don't forget to enjoy the journey! And if you're here in the US and reading this post in time, happy Thanksgiving!
Image sources: van, covered wagon, Mayflower II
Tawny owl There are loads near me!
When I travel, even for shortish journeys I always take a solar panel, just in case. I guess that is a sad symptom of modern living. The fear of having no electricity
I need a solar setup sooner rather than later. My Raspberry Pi runs off a cell phone batter bank, but it needs topping off.
That's one of the reasons I got a decent solar panel, to top of my power station. A 100-watt panel is quite good and when folded, it isn't too bulky. I just love the free juice!