Ask the Readers: What Possessions Would You Take in the Trunk of Your Car?

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

A recent commenter here on Zen Habits (unfortunately I forget which one) mentioned he tries to keep his possessions so simple he can fit them all into the trunk of his car.

He loves the idea that at a moment’s notice, he could pack up and leave.

That’s either minimalism to an admirable extreme, or someone on the lookout for the law. Let’s assume the former.

So, while I doubt my possessions would fit in the trunk of any vehicle that didn’t have “U-Haul” written on it, and I’m not suggesting you should either, this got me to thinking. (That’s never a good sign.) And it led me to wonder what your responses would be.

So here’s the reader question:

Could you simplify your possessions to fit in the trunk of a car? Which ones would you take?

The interesting thing about this question is that it forces us to consider which possessions are most essential. And if we can’t simplify to that extreme, we should be asking ourselves, “Why not? Why are these possessions so important I wouldn’t get rid of them?”

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share in the comments.

Note: I’m still in Japan at the moment. Check out our Japan travel blog, and all our photos in Japan, day by day! – Leo