Stuff I Like: Essentials for Nomadic Living
1.My cashmere wool scarf
This extremely light and incredibly warm item is a must have for me on the plane. I wear it most days in cold weather but when on the plane this scarf easily converts into the warmest blanket for my daughter. It is wide and long so it wraps around her body and keeps her far more cosy than most blankets. I can wrap it around my neck and the exposed bits of her body when she is in my ergo carrier. For the weight it is warmer than anything else I have and it feels good on the skin.
2. Ruya’s pouch: my Ergo carrier
I don’t use a stroller/pram. I prefer to carry my baby. It is harder work for me physically but so much easier when nomadic. The physical effort I welcome. I don’t ever have to think about how fit I am. I am also lucky because Ruya is small (15th percentile) so I can hopefully carry her in this for another year or two. The Ergo is 100% cotton, easily washable (cold machine wash) and sturdy. Once you get the hang of it and have all the straps fitted for your body, its seamless to use. I found the infant insert got to hot and Ruya sweated so I really started using this full on once she turned 5 months. Prior to that I recommend the Moby wrap.
You not only get to stroke and kiss your baby’s head all the time, you get the mobility of moving fast with the use of both hands. I can hike, navigate cobbled pave stones and haul suitcases. Oh and it serves as a bed too for when she wants to sleep.
3. Twelve South PlugBug World
This nifty adapter replaces large cables and serves as an international plug. You can also charge your mac and iPad/iPhone from one outlet. I like dropping cords as they are unwieldy and take space. I also like using less plugs. For the price its well worth it. You gain space and its easier to setup a charging station.
4. Reusable fabric shopping bag
I have three of these bags. They roll into the size of my fist, easily washable and dry quickly. Beyond serving the purpose of caring groceries I use this to carry dirty laundry, as a day bag, on the plane for stuff we need easy access to during the flight and as a place to put things needing sorting.
5. Gossamer Gear backpacks
We use the Mariposa Ultralight backpack and the Riksak 2. These backpacks are feather light yet hold a lot of weight and stuff. They are comfortable too. I use the Riksak daily for excursions with Ruya. It fits her diaper bag, my purse and phone, snacks, fabric shopping bag, extra jersey if needed and I can still put in a day’s worth of groceries. I use that and my carrier and get to have my hands free and maintain comfort. We use the Mariposa as a carry on for the plane - my partner usually takes this on the flight - and for extended hikes. It has a 35 pound max capacity. The only adjunct to these backpacks is that the fabric whilst very sturdy can tear if you put sharp objects in it. So far we have no problems with that.
6. My knife: spyderco tenacious
A good knife means ease in cooking. And food is a central experience every day. Usually places we stay in don’t have good, sharp knives and that always affects the cooking experience. This small pocket knife with a combination edge, is the one I use for most of my cooking. The serrated edge lets you cut easily into tomatoes and if need be saw into hard vegetables. The knife is big enough to handle most food, barring the stuff that is very large. Yet it remains light and compact - easy to put into a day bag. When out and about for extended day trips it facilitates food on the go. I savour how my hands mould into a knife I own, as I adapt to that tool and learn it. And since I use this tool multiple times a day to nurture my family, it makes sense to ensure I have a knife that does the job well.
7. Our mantra: do the simplest thing that can possibly work with minimum effort.
No matter what gear you have or do not have, its attitude which makes or breaks travel life. My partner coined this mantra and I relearn it often - usually when I am in really tough moments. Nomadic living is extreme. You get peak moments and incredibly hard situations. But beyond challenges this mantra is useful for everyday life. So getting clear on what is the easiest thing you can do often takes dropping all the extra content and zoning in on what actually needs to happen. You need it to work but it doesn’t have to be perfect - it just has to work. And then to do that with the least effort. The biggest hurdle for me has been giving up the belief that I need to struggle. Struggling got me a lot of resilience which I intend to keep but little joy. This mantra gets me the same and sometimes more with bliss.
