Yeah, a 20L pack might be a bit extreme but I already own a kick ass 20L waterproof pack. Once I get around to packing I might find I have to consider something around 30L.
For me the minimalist thing is one of the great attractions in the idea of a long hike. For some time now I have been growing associations between minimalism and simplicity and comfort and complexity. One thing I certainly took away from the cross Canada tour last year was the simplicity of living life uncluttered. I certainly didn't miss having to clean the house or sort through my mountain of stuff to find the right item. That said, back in the real world just one year and I can already see myself slipping back into "needing" the exact right bag or jacket or shoes and not just making do with what I have.
In this sense I like the minimalist element as a device in the transition to a new way of living. In the future I want to learn to make do with less stuff. I think that will be easier to do after a few more months living with almost no stuff. It's like this: to go from having 20 pairs of socks to having 8 pairs of socks might seem like a big sacrifice. But to go from 20 pairs to 3 pairs for a few months and then back up to 8 pairs might not seem so bad. Once I've learned how to live with only 3 pairs of socks 8 pairs will seem like more than enough socks rather than less than half the socks I had.
That's my theory anyway.
I can say for sure that when I first got back from the bike trip I seemed to have an overwhelming amount of stuff. I got rid of what I thought was a lot that fall. Then I cleaned up to sell my house and realized I still had way too much. So I got rid of more stuff to ready the house for showing. I've gotten rid of still more stuff during the move and I still have a ridiculous amount of "essential" stuff in storage.
This needs to change
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