Minimilism and Climbing

As one who is progressing toward minimilism, does anyone have suggestions for reducing the amount of clothing one has or gear? I use pretty much everything, but still feel like I have too much clothing. Maybe it's the fact that work clothing and climbing clothing don't jive for me. Anyone else having the same troubles?

So, first thought: minimal means as little as possible, but there's still such a thing as too little. Don't put yourself in danger or cause permanent injury because you want to be some Zen monk who only needs one chopstick.

That said, your body has the capacity to regulate its temperature. Clothing takes some of that burden, which means that your body has less incentive to become really good at keeping itself warm. If you put on a jacket when it's cool out, you're not teaching your body how to heat itself. So if you're serious about trying to shed gear, one possible way is to train to increase your cold resistance (ice buckets, cold showers, training Hunters' Reflex, lots of plain acclimation). If you can be comfortable moving in the same synthetic base layer from 90F and dry, 40F and raining, and 25F, that's a bunch of gear you don't need. If you're interested in stuff like that, look up Wim Hof.

Edit 2: Removed some poor advice about rain gear in cold, wet weather.
 Basically a lot of minimalism boils down to tolerance for discomfort.

From Outside Magazine (October '87):
"As far as gear goes, you don't need any of that shit. Nobody needs that stuff. If it makes people feel better to have a garage full of the very best gear available, great, I'll sell it to them. We're going to keep making the stuff, make it as good as we can, as functional as we can, but don't have any illusions that it is very necessary. If you want a real adventure, you leave all that at home and encourage the birds to shit on your head. That's when you start having adventure." Yvon Chouinard

Edit: if you're a gearwhore, giving yourself an allowance per year will be a good way to cut the crap. Something like $100-$150 per year will make you think carefully about what you really need. Or just lose your job and become a dirtbag, it's much easier to adopt minimalism with no income.

Take up bouldering and get rid of the gear.

No harness, no cams,  almost no gear. No pack! I've seen him use his hospital scrub pants to carry what gear he does use; (Things called Clog, Wabs,)
 & very little else for 'Climbing clothing' for 40 years,

Rich Romano

Skip...? forget his last name at the moment( Harper no... Gruen  or something, I blame Lipator, a high dose of Statin(s))
 & others were barefooting it up 5.11s

Hot Henry

EDIT:
Warrior wrote:Skip Guerin yeah?
Yes - Skip  Guerin! thnxs

Back a while ago maybe I missed your intent? No Tent,                                                                                                                                                                                then there was The Ueli Steck Project ,was a full concept in minimal alpinism, it was the cutting edge of fast and light , where evrey particepent has seen the light that cutting edge where you get the chop. that incorporated clothing, from a base layer super light high loft and super light Scholler type pants and jacket and a pack. I think it was 2011 or 2012? & all the clothing,left room in a ? all the numbers are fuzzy but  a 35liter pack in under a 2 pound system.

the joy is in the journey toys make the journey more comfortable.
 Im very good friends with a 6'4" rail thin, whip strong, Jamaican born guy who is a natural climber,A good Yo-Yo                                                                                                        He has size14 feet no rock shoes, I keep trying to give him a harness. He got to climb, doing demolition  but as a black man he sees no value in the activity. When he saw the prices of things, he quit, as it seemed an entitled white person thing, thing.

Gerrit Verbeek wrote
Above about 40F getting wet is a matter of comfort, not dangerous, so consider leaving rain gear at home on day trips. Basically a lot of minimalism boils down to tolerance for discomfort.

This is absolutely false and dangerous advice to be giving. Hypothermia is a leading cause of death for outdoor recreationalists. Most often occurs btw 30-50 degrees, but fatal cases have happened even in 60-70 degree air temps, especially when wind or rain are involved. The best prevention is to stay warm and dry, it is far more difficult to rewarm yourself than to stay warm in the first place, and being wet or exposed to the wind drastically increases the rate of heat loss. 

Oh boy! Here we go!

Minimalism. You only need one of the necessities. A few baselayers and a bad ass jacket. No jeans and tee where you work?

To make it all happen, minimize you space, space begat shit. I moved into a 4 door sedan to do so, I shed shit like a goose!

And Em is right, yer gonna die!

Are you going to start climbing barefoot? Just don’t move to Colorado, there is enough foot fangs in this state. 

Keep dry and your body is usually OK. Get wet, get in a pelting rain that's coming down at 40 or 50F (because, even though 10 minutes ago it was 80F on the rock, the rain was formed in the clouds that at 10,000 or 20,000 feet higher) and you're going to "lose it".  Yes, training for cold can adapt the body somewhat, but once your body temp starts falling below (about 92-94F ???) co-ordination and decision making fall by the wayside quickly.

IMO the best, lightest thing to carry is a totally waterproof (coated) rain jacket with hood.

 Next best is a windshell jacket. (Eg "Dragonfly")  Mine fits in an old SMALL chalk bag along with a polypro hat, small flashlight, small knife, small roll of 2-inch tape, 2-3 bandaids and a Cilff Bar.  It clips to my harness and "goes everywhere".  

minimal clothing = maximum stank

a preemptive sorry for your partners

Mitchell Wayne wrote: As one who is progressing toward minimilism, does anyone have suggestions for reducing the amount of clothing one has or gear? I use pretty much everything, but still feel like I have too much clothing. Maybe it's the fact that work clothing and climbing clothing don't jive for me. Anyone else having the same troubles?

If you are using it, keep it. 

My rule with gear or anything in the garage. If you haven't used it in a year you don't need it.

Sold my hexes and tied stoppers in 1986, Sold my pins, hammer and aid gear in 1993. 

Never once have I thought about getting rid of anything that keeps me warm or dry until it's worn out.

John Barritt wrote:

If you are using it, keep it. 

My rule with gear or anything in the garage. If you haven't used it in a year you don't need it.

Sold my hexes and tied stoppers in 1986, Sold my pins, hammer and aid gear in 1993. 

Never once have I thought about getting rid of anything that keeps me warm or dry until it's worn out.

Makes sense...

John Barritt wrote:

If you are using it, keep it.

This was always my impression of minimalism. Not about having the least amount of stuff, but having a legitimate use for everything you own, with no crossover; or having multiple-use items. 
Usually I ask myself if I already have a piece of gear that would work, unless I can shed some weight on my skis. Having an excuse to buy new skis or bindings is always a legitimate excuse. 
I’ve always been pretty good at eliminating excess crap in my life; guess it was all that Twight I read when I started climbing. But being able to detach yourself from objects is a good trait to have in general.

Quit job, no more work clothes.

I've been a minimalist for a while now, always looking for ways reduce what I have. That said, I always feel like I have too many down jackets and a few other related things, but I can't seem to get rid of them, why? Because they are used on expeditions. Point being, they serve a purpose even though I only use them a few weeks a year. Don't fall into that trap.

As far as clothes, only keep or buy what you actually like a lot. If you only kinda like something, get rid of it as all it does is cause you necessary dilemma.

Also, don't be afraid it where the same stuff to work (can be multiples of the same thing). I've been embracing it for years, and even that Zuckerberg guy does it.

I've applied it to cooking as well, generally speaking you only need a few simple spices, some some go to recipes and see what you can cut out without changing the taste. It will make you a good cook. Everyone should are a good cook because everyone eats ALL THE TIME!

Em Cos wrote: This is absolutely false and dangerous advice to be giving. Hypothermia is a leading cause of death for outdoor recreationalists. Most often occurs btw 30-50 degrees, but fatal cases have happened even in 60-70 degree air temps, especially when wind or rain are involved. The best prevention is to stay warm and dry, it is far more difficult to rewarm yourself than to stay warm in the first place, and being wet or exposed to the wind drastically increases the rate of heat loss. 

OK, you're right and I have a WFR and should have known better. As long as I can keep moving and am wearing wool or synthetic clothing I'm not too concerned about being wet in pretty cold weather, but I'll admit that's really reckless general advice to give. Removed it, thanks for the call-out.

Lay in the alley you call home and visualize yourself sending. When you do that, on a quantum level you have created that reality somwhere. Bonus points for doing it naked.

Water, inspiration.

sean burke wrote: Water, inspiration.

Raw water.

Mike Lane wrote: Lay in the alley you call home and visualize yourself sending. When you do that, on a quantum level you have created that reality somwhere. Bonus points for doing it naked.

Lay in my house naked or send naked? One of these is easier to do...hah!