KMK: How to Spend NO Money While Traveling Southeast Asia!

You just got clickbaited! This is actually just your plain ol’ minimalist backpacking guide. But to remain true to the spirit of the title, I will include “EXTREME” sections throughout that aim to show you the most extreme minimalist techniques for those who are interested.  

Alright! My name is Gavin; you may have read my other article on Ultimate Frisbee in Korea.

In 2017, having accrued roughly $10,000 from 2 years in the TaLK program working 15 hrs/week, I set off to backpack SE Asia.  With no student debt, my intention was to have fun.  Because of some strange strongly rooted frugality in my genetics I decided being minimalist on my travels would be appropriately “fun”.  I didn’t have nearly as much of a penchant for doing the whole “conquer every site, check-off” style of backpacking, so I figured minimalism seemed inline with my natural disposition..

I didn’t go too crazy, as I knew I would learn much from the experience as I went along.  Now 5 months removed, and living in a stable environment back home, I feel like I have a more retrospective and less biased outlook on minimalist backpacking, and minimalism as a lifestyle.  Acknowledging the uniqueness of my position of having not engaged in minimalism out of necessity, I intend for this guide to serve all backpackers through the spectrum of minimalism from those nonchalant save–a–few–bucks here and there people to backpackers need to engage in minimalism more out of expense-cutting necessity.  I personally intend to return in the future and potentially attempt a no money spent challenge while abroad.

SE Asia is a good region to backpack. Cheap, (mostly developed) infrastructure for travel, many people speak, and want to practice their English with you. (Use this to your advantage, btw).  Many people genuinely want to help you because they have a very unblemished stigma of Westerners.

For those interested in my personal experiences, I’ll recount them in another post I will likely never get around to writing. Nothing radical occurred, even having put myself out there quite a lot. And it didn’t seem like it at the time, but looking back I did have quite a few interesting experiences. Quick itinerary round-up. I traveled Taiwan- Vietnam- Laos- China- Thailand- Myanmar- Thailand- India. I definitely recommend, well all of them, but Myanmar, Thailand, and India all seemed particularly unique and awesome.

On to the good stuff.  This is a fairly lengthy guide, so I’ve attempted to index it into a few more easily accessible parts.  Believe me, I know how it is to open up an article and read through half of someone’s life story before you get into anything useful.  I’ve also TRIED to limit extraneous and more common travel information to cut down on length.

Travel. Just do it! First Steps.

Many people just don’t travel at all. Here I could list all the seemingly pragmatic reasons, yada yada yada, but it all boils down to your own determination, imagination and will.  You can travel. In any life situation. In the middle of some big life changes? Irrefutable circumstances?  Career, kids, responsibilities got you tied down? Pfff! All can be worked around.

Now,  I’m not proposing you drop your whole life just to gain travel experience, but if you’ve been considering travel, I strongly encourage you to pull the trigger and just do it for the experience. This is especially true if you’ve been meaning to but have  pushed it off because circumstances haven’t been favorable. You can have a horrible time and regret you ever went, but you inevitably grow as a person by traveling.  And you will likely look back on your experiences with fondness and appreciation.

PART 1: What to Pack

I forgot to save a list of what I packed, but I was intentionally minimalist from the get-go.  A good rule of thumb I read was to pack what you absolutely need AND what you can’t buy there. I followed this advice, and I could’ve packed even less, but I was really pleased with the outcome.

Here’s what I packed (in my Osprey Farpoint 40L) if memory serves:

-a short sleeve Merino Wool shirt

-a polyester button up

-a nylon long sleeve

-a lightweight nylon jacket

-Patagonia Khaki Board Shorts

-PrAna Stretch Zion, highly recommended

-x3 pairs of Ex Officio Give-N-Go Travel Underwear

-x2 pairs of Smartwool ankle socks

-pair heavier wool socks

-pair of lightweight Chacos

-pair of Sperry’s that I quickly scrapped

-baseball-style hat

-toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, nail clippers, razor

-x3 travel size containers of Dr. Bronners Unscented Castile Soap (added essential oils as I went for laundry/bathing (tried to use it as toothpaste, not recommended, haha),

-a small deodorant spray I made with water, sea salt, Bronners and essential oils.

-polyester microfiber towel

-a travel size first aid kit with gauze, bandages, hydrogen peroxide, some topical analgesic, bug spray from water and essential oils, some natural skin cream, chapstick, travel sunscreen

*I’m not officially endorsing any of these products by the way*

-an army surplus water bladder

-32oz Klean Kanteen (w/ koozie doubled as a “foam roller”)

-a frisbee

-Yoga Tune Up Balls

-MobilityWOD Voodoo Floss

-Packable Day Bag

-x3 travel bags of varying sizes to store clothes/toiletries

-a plastic laundry bag

– a type-C voltage adapter (don’t shell out $ on expensive ones, wait until you arrive)

-a Kindle

-phone

-waterproof passport/document holder

-money clip

-”fake credit card” (my old NH bank one)

-real credit card, license, health insurance in a plastic fold wallet I safety pinned hidden in mybag along with a small Sandisk microSD/USB for backing up travel documents

-a backpack rain cover I took from another hiking bag.

Looks like a lot when it’s all typed out. The only things I needed to buy more of were more toiletries (which was expected), a rain poncho, a permanent marker for hitchhiking signs,

I could’ve done without the extra shoes, the Kindle (ended up using my Galaxy Note 3 with the MoonReader+ App), one less pair of socks and underwear (believe it or not).

*EXTREME*

Pack a super concentrated castile soap with some amendments like essential oils and go savage! Dilute with water and use it for cleaning everything from teeth to hair to skin.

Wish I would have Brought, Considering for next excursion…

-stuff to give to people in need like medicine(check laws)/clothes/necessities (also ensures space for things to bring back). You have a major opportunity to significantly change lives while you travel. The purchasing power of your money is incredible compared to some local currencies. Why not take advantage of it and change a life or two out there?

-a foldable keyboard if I decided to try “digital nomading”

-a good rain jacket, although cheap ponchos sufficed

-hammock (no CS/Workaway planned? No problem)

-an ultralight yoga mat/sleeping pad

-some Keen UNEEKS. “Close-toed sandals”