The summer holiday is approaching, and planning where to go and what to pack is a dilemma for many. Lene and Matt (@eastbycycle) have gotten a head start on their vacation and will be cycling to Singapore over the course of a year. For us, this is a fantastic story to follow and at the same time, collect proof that our vision of owning fewer clothes, using them often, and for everything you do really works in practice.

Logg #1
1 garment for everything

In March we set off on an adventure east - bycycle. Leaving Bodø by train and ferry we escaped the final grips of winter in the north and started pedaling from Kiel with Singapore as our final goal.

When packing for the trip we knew that our few possessions would be put to the test - clothes included. So, with limited space we could only take a few items that would have to work for everything both on and off the bike. Whether it be wild landscapes, big cities, freezing nights, endless days of heat and not least the constant rigors of cycling, we also hoped to still look good (relatively speaking).

After a couple of months on the road it’s a good time to reflect on our choice of gear. We currently find ourselves in route to Albania from Montenegro where temperatures are rising, hills are getting steeper and contrasts from home are ever growing. We are constantly questioning what we need and what we can go without on the bike - a balancing act of flexibility and necessity.

It’s now safe to say that after slogging our way up never ending hills at walking speed, feeling every gram we’ve packed, we are fully on board with the idea of using 1 item of clothes for everything (or a couple of items in our case - we’re not animals). The flexibility and freedom it gives us on our trip is priceless and more and more often we are now finding ourselves thinking of things we can do without rather than things we want or miss.