Maximizing Your Minimalist Backpacking Experience.

Be sure to see our short introduction to the essentials of extreme minimalist backpacking by clicking on the video tutorial link below.

Essentials for Extreme Minimalist Backpacking

Fires, Stoves and Not.

Backpacking without a stove or a fire? 21,000 people will die today of starvation and malnutrition. Yet, the desire to eat like we're at a five-star dining establishment keeps our backpacks heavy, bulky and our hearts unmindful of this reality. Hey, I enjoy fresh and delicious meals on the trail. Even those dehydrated food choices are yummy. Yet, I often remind myself that 21,000 people will die today from starvation. This sobering fact allows me to often be comfortable on the trail without a stove or without a fire.

Fires, in many circumstances are a dangerous and even illegal option. I love using fire to make a meal and stay warm in cool, cold or wet conditions. However, a stove is usually the preferred method of preparing food in the back country. Yet, even a stove takes up space and requires more "stuff".

I get a very satisfying feeling when I eat in the beauty of nature and replenish calories spent, with nuts, oatmeal, dehydrated fruit and a few edibles along the trails.

A pound of almonds is roughly 3000 calories, and combined with oatmeal, sweetener and some fruit, it is a healthy and lightweight option for the minimalist backpacker. Quick oats can simply be eaten with some creek water, sugar and dried fruit. This humble alternative to more common trail cuisine nourishes the heart and soul while sauntering through the very places and stepping on the very soil from where it was grown and, in the case of nuts, prepared "ready to eat".

Try a short over-nighter with this in mind and I assure you that your outing will offer a special reward that bathes the soul in quiet contentment and joy.

Minimize to Maximize

There is no greater inspirational metaphor for life than backpacking and living out of doors. Globally, the bane of our existence is our insatiable desire for comfort, show and luxury. As a result, our personal health and well-being suffer while we try to carry a pseudo-happy attitude through the crowded and cluttered streets of our lives.

This delusion infects all of society and culture. Consequently, we find ourselves groping for anything to mitigate the pain and lack of fulfillment including: pills, electronic devices, mood-altering foods and chemicals, expensive cars, homes, toys and more. Ironically, the very indestructible-sense-of-well-being we seek to possess, eludes us, all while the natural world and the finger of god are beckoning us to a satisfying and sustainable life of peace, contentment and an abiding joy. This is simplicity. This is minimalism. This is the recipe and the design for happiness. Lighten the load! Embrace what is real! Have less, do more, be more.

We are Mountain Min. Seize the day, choose life!

Mountain Minimalist

Part 2: Gear and Philosophy. The Barn

Backpacking without a backpack? In this series Mtn-Min covers the basics behind creating a micro-environment using ground cover as the primary tool for insulation and protection from wind, precipitation, cold, condensation and convection marrying a revolutionary new product with an age-old gift from mother nature. The ONLY piece of gear you want in a survival situation and the choice for extreme lightweight and minimalist backpacking.

Part 1: Gear and Philosophy. Using Wool.

Series 1 on minimalist backpacking. All Brent is wearing in this video is ALL a person needs to backpack virtually backpack-free! Be sure to follow us for updates and exciting field reviews, tests and understanding minimalist philosophy.

Eating and Minimalism

"Whoa, I'm stuffed. That was an awesome meal." This is likely something you've said many times and have probably heard it many times more. It certainly sounds like a good thing, doesn't it? I mean, all that yummy grub served up at the family holiday get together, the county fair, the church social and the all-you-can-eat buffet?

But, perhaps it is not something of which we should be proud. Every second of every day someone dies of hunger. 1,000,000,000 suffer from hunger on our planet. 1 in 6 people do not have enough food to sustain life and health! One billion people will NEVER say what you just said as you struggled to get out of the recliner to use the restroom after that turkey dinner!

Here in the West, we suffer the effects of poor diet and yet we lay back on our sofas with a remote in hand while we pass gas, belch, use a 1/4 roll of toilet paper and move uncomfortably all while declaring, "I'm stuffed. That was awesome".

This folks is an illness. A disease that we don't want to recognize. A cancer of thought. But, minimalism fosters a healthy attitude towards eating.

While most of us would say that how food tastes is the most important part of eating, the minimalist says, "I am happy to have healthy foods and control over my desires" Taste may be important, but it is not the motivating factor when it comes to food consumption.

My last backpacking trip was delightfully light and enjoyable. No stove, no messes and no bulky foods to lug around. Eating a cup of oats in cool water, with some dry milk and sweetener and thoughtfully chewing on almonds and walnuts while surrounded by incredibly beautiful mountain vistas is far more energizing and rewarding than filling a plate at grandma's table several times before filling it yet again with cake and ice cream.

Minimalism fosters mindfulness and awareness. As a result it builds intellect, compassion and creativity. So, enjoy that apple, but not just because it tastes good! Enjoy it because you are becoming more and needing less.

mtn-min

Welcome to Mtn-Min

Welcome and thanks for stopping by! Our fun, educational and inspirational July is almost underway. Be sure to follow us as we offer innovative and ultra-minimalist gear ideas for the outdoor enthusiast as well as life hacks to help you in reducing dependence on "things" and freeing up your time and life to the natural wonders and soul-soaring intangibles that await you.

We'll be discussing and sharing posts, videos and photos of minimalist philosophy in action. Whether it's using natural material to carry little or nothing in your backpack or the concepts and ideals that are the catalyst for preparing and eating food with a minimalist drive, using water, building immune function, sleeping techniques, using fire when appropriate, mitigating common risks to health and mobility, footwear options and barefooting, and also, how to have fun and go to bed smiling and waking up refreshed and free!

See you right here again, soon!

mtn-min

Water You Doing?

Water is my friend. We should not use our friends. At least, we should not abuse them, take advantage of them or take them for granted. Water is OUR friend.

We use our friend, sadly, and we abuse him. If Water were a person with self-esteem and cognitive abilities he would certainly disown us.

Here are some interesting facts that manifest our unhealthy relationship with Water.

The average person uses 100 gallons of him everyday. The greatest use of our friend is the flushing of our toilets, followed by bathing, showering, cooking, brushing teeth etc. That hundred gallons does NOT include the huge amount of water it takes to raise the meat that we eat, build our homes, run the power plants, construct the roads, sustain commerce and...you get it. Yes, we need to have sanitation or we'll end up like every other failed culture and empire where people congregated in huge numbers on top of one another while they stroked their love for show, luxury and comfort.

As with any healthy relationship, I began giving thought to this years ago and have made significant changes in how I respect my friend. As a result, I have found how much more I enjoy listening to him, watching him and touching him. In fact, that 100 gallons? I don't even use a twentieth of that amount. Yes, I am an extreme minimalist but I love my life. I enjoy using a few tablespoons of water to brush my teeth and most of my dental care comes from the huge amount of nuts, apples and celery I eat.

I don't shower everyday yet I socialize with a large number of friends and acquaintances who will attest to my non-odor offending state. (Perhaps because I eat fruits and vegetables as 60-70% of my diet, am stress-free and spend most of my days-with the exception of sleeping-hiking and enjoying the outdoors).

When I shower ( if I am not cleaning up with creek water on a warm sunny day), I use less than two gallons of water and can wash my hair, scrub and rinse in less than 2 minutes. I would not think of using a dishwasher. It's fun becoming more and more cognizant of this relationship with Water and it changes my psyche and adds to my sense of well-being. NO, I am not making a difference. One person can undo what I try to accomplish in just the blink of an eye. BUT, I am going through life with a happy (almost giddy) heart and mind while I spend the most of my time doing what I love and enjoy, and, in the company of one of my best friends...Water!

Do you care to revisit your relationship with him? A good place to start might be to consider the 1,000,000,000 people who would love to have a relationship with him, if even only to the extent of my own.

No Vacancy

You may not know it, but you're in the hotel business. It's true. Your life consists of many rooms that you rent out to numerous guests. Some permanent, some temporary, but all of them long to hole up in your life and many of them have no desire greater than to suck the life out of you. Greed is a regular guest, as is anger, resentment, jealousy, desire for power or control, possessions, stress, longing and selfishness are just some of them.

Yes, there are other guests that knock on your hotel door to get a place to set up shop, but even guests like compassion, kindness, love, happiness and gentleness are often miserable because the other guests in your hotel are loud, rude and sick!

Minimalism is the skill you may want to possess. Minimalism allows you to evict the unwanted squatters that are robbing you of time with loved ones, time to enjoy the outdoors, time to relax, to laugh, to get healthy and to genuinely possess a constantly abiding sense of joy and confidence.

Minimalism says, "I don't want anything. I have more than I need and I am free from want and desire".

Minimalism is not A way. It is THE WAY. Around the globe, even in "poor" countries, our species is addicted to things and the desire for more. It drives our cultures. It IS our economies!

Minimalism is the ability to find your true self and consequently become from free from the things that fool us into thinking we are happy, satisfied and free. Once those things that are fake and foolish began to disappear, we find ourselves hurting, struggling and groping. When the job takes a dive, when the need to pay the mortgage keeps us spending a third of our lives away from what we would really like to be doing, when the relationships sour, when the walls of dependence start to crumble and fall, we then find our cute little hotel is filled with demons and impostors.

As a minimalist I have spent the last decade doing the things I most enjoy. Meeting people, backpacking, eating healthy foods, laughing and spending time in awe of the natural world and its creator. My biggest decision each day is usually, "where do I want to hike or go backpacking?" As a result, I have fostered an indestructible sense of well-being in my life and meet lots of people because most people enjoy being around a genuinely happy person.

Virtually every major religion stresses the need for a minimalist lifestyle. Even the logical atheist finds that life is devoid of purpose and meaning when the hotel is filled with garbage. Yet, even those who follow certain religious traditions seldom actually LIVE by those tenets.

Let me suggest that each of us take time to clean house. Start getting rid of material things, start unloading the emotional baggage and determine now, to fill the hotel with beautiful, respectful and helpful guests. Then when struggle, discontentment, want, sadness, failure and bitterness knock on the door, simply point to the NO Vacancy sign. It is never too late. Do it now.

Minimize to Maximize

There is no greater inspirational metaphor for life than backpacking and living out of doors. Globally, the bane of our existence is our insatiable desire for comfort, show and luxury. As a result, our personal health and well-being suffer while we try to carry a pseudo-happy attitude through the crowded and cluttered streets of our lives.

This delusion infects all of society and culture. Consequently, we find ourselves groping for anything to mitigate the pain and lack of fulfillment including: pills, electronic devices, mood-altering foods and chemicals, expensive cars, homes, toys and more. Ironically, the very indestructible-sense-of-well-being we seek to possess, eludes us, all while the natural world and the finger of god are beckoning us to a satisfying and sustainable life of peace, contentment and an abiding joy. This is simplicity. This is minimalism. This is the recipe and the design for happiness. Lighten the load! Embrace what is real! Have less, do more, be more.

We are Mountain Min. Seize the day, choose life!

Mountain Minimalist

Insanely Minimalistic. The 1 Pound Backpacker!

Welcome to mtn-min.  In the race towards light and minimal, we have crossed the finish line. It is a story of not just doing things, but being. Being free, being at peace and being in natural settings. 

We live the ultra happy life of minimalism, where the less you possess, the more you have. 

When it comes to embracing the outdoors, we know there is very little that a minimalist-minded person needs or wants. Just as in life, backpacking is most rewarding and renewing when carrying a light load and a happy heart.

You are probably here because you're interested in "The Barn". The Barn is named after a great minimalist named, "Barney". 

Barney, perhaps like your own canine friend, inspired a huge bent towards having less and doing more. In his 13 years he was a beacon of calm, content and always ready-to-go. Our new Barn will give you that same freedom and peace as you carry only your heart and a few light things into the mountains, woods and forests. Check out the videos and tutorials on this site and get prepared to start a new adventure into health, harmony and happiness. 

The Barn

Imagine your next adventure with less than a 24 ounce base pack weight. It is only possible now and we invite you to join us in the journey. Explore the video tutorials offered here on our site, and thanks for stopping by.