A Different Kind of Tiny Home

The Big House

My husband and I used to live in a three bedroom two-story house that came with a garage and a perfectly landscaped yard. It was beautiful. It had marble counter tops, a fireplace, and room for our Lazy Boy recliners. My husband was in the military, so we chose to rent properties until his last posting. This was the first time we owned a home. But, something wasn’t right. We had to drive downtown from our home in the suburbs to work, to acting class, and to my running group. We couldn’t walk to the pub or restaurants. We found that living in the suburbs just didn’t agree with our lifestyle.

Downsize Number One

As it turned out, we both felt the same, so it was an easy decision to sell the house and buy a condo downtown. Yes, downsizing from a three bedroom house to a one bedroom condo was challenging to say the least, but we did it. It was a big change, but we loved it. We loved the access to everything we liked to do. I personally loved that we had much less stuff. Life just seemed easier to manage.

sharpe_mondrian_unit1208_-23

Still Too Big and Stationary

While we were in the condo, my husband retired from the military. Then came the surprisingly difficult act of choosing where we wanted to live. All we knew was we didn’t want to stay. We moved to Toronto for a year but agreed that wasn’t right either. Knowing we didn’t want to go back to Ottawa, and in agreement that we wanted to travel, we decided to buy an RV and live in that. Then the real downsizing began. This time, we didn’t just get rid of the stored stuff, we got rid of almost everything. We sold all of our furniture and donated most of our household goods and clothing to a local charity.

img_4178

Almost Just Right

We’ve spent the last year and a half travelling in our RV and, although we are staying put for the winter in Vancouver, we still live in it and love it. Before deciding to hike the PCT, I would joke that I was going to keep downsizing until I had only a backpack. Apparently, that’s just what I did.

What’s in my smallest home yet?

20160920_104731

My Home

ULA Circuit – I chose this pack because of its features, size, weight, and price. The features I like are the mesh pocket on the back, the large side pockets, the small pockets on the hip-belt, and the hand loops and water bottle bungees on the shoulder straps. I also like the size because I won’t be able to over stuff it!

MEC 40-60L Raincover* – to keep everything in my home dry

My House

MSR Carbon Reflex 2 with Footprint – I chose this tent for a few reasons. First, I wanted enough space to bring my pack in and still have room to move around. Second, I liked the size to weight ratio. Third, I wanted a tent that had poles, although I can’t actually explain why. I was hoping to have a tent that could stand up without being staked. I didn’t notice when I bought the tent that this one doesn’t. After using the tent a couple of times, however, I decided that I like it and can live with it not being free-standing.

My Bed

Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt  – after looking long and hard at sleeping bags versus quilts, I decided on this one. It was totally customizable. To my complete surprise, the prices, which I thought were in USD, turned out to be in CAD, so I ended up paying much less than I expected!

Therm-a-Rest Neoair Xlite – I love the size and it’s warmer than my old one to sleep on.

My Transportation

Altra Lone Peak – These shoes were recommended to me for long distance running, and since they are so popular with hikers, I tried them out. I’ve had no issues with them, so they are what I’ll wear.

Injinji Socks – So far, I’ve had no problem with blisters using these socks.

Bedrock Cairn Sandals – Love, love, love these!

My Stove

Jetboil Mini Mo – I like this stove, because everything fits into the pot, it is easy to use, and it uses canister fuel.

My Water Supply

Camelbak All Clear Water Purifier with Pre-filter – Making this choice was difficult, because most people preferred other types of water purifiers. I read a lot of comments about other types breaking and that UV was a good option. This one comes with a water bottle, takes 60 seconds to purify, is rechargeable, and can treat 60L per charge.

Other Furnishings Still TBD

  • GPS
  • Charging ability
  • Specific clothing
  • UL Umbrella
  • Hat
  • Water bottles/bladder
  • Ice Axe

My Yard

The PCT!

*My links are to the places I purchased these items, so some are Canadian.

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

What Do You Think?