In a minute, I'm going to be skyping with Rob Greenfield.
We actually just met in Costa Rica, we spent a bunch of days together hanging out, making
meals and having a fruit ceremony and chatting about what we're both doing...
He's an extreme minimalist.
He has a backpack with 44 items and that is literally everything in his life is in this
one backpack.
Now, Kristen and I have minimized our lives significantly to live in a tiny house, in
200 square feet.
So, we understand what it's like to minimize everything in your life.
Rob has done it to the extreme...
For the last year, I have been growing and foraging 100% of my food.
This is it...
This is all 50 square feet of it.
And now he goes around the world and gives talks and teaches people how to minimize their lives.
But he does a lot more than that, he spent like a year foraging and growing his own food,
never going to a grocery store or a restaurant or anything, and then he spent time dumpster diving...
Not because he's poor, just as a social experiment, to see if you could do it.
And he's done just really unique experiment and all revolving around like sustainability
and creating less waste.
He's doing amazing things.
So I'm very excited to chat with him.
We didn't have a chance to do it when we were in Costa Rica, so now we're far apart, in
different countries and we're gonna have a chat and actually go through his backpack
of his items.
Rob Greenfield, it's awesome to be talking to you finally.
Yeah, over the Internet.
Over the Internet...
We spent like the last week side-by-side and didn't have a chance to make a video and now
are thousands of miles away and we'll make it work.
You're probably one of the most interesting people I met at Envision, even though I met
so many interesting people in your life choices and what you're doing and I'd love for you
to give like a little quick intro into what you're doing.
Sure. Well, basically my goal in life is to live in a way where my actions are in alignment
with my beliefs, so I can wake up every day and feel good about life generally and go
to bed feeling good about life.
And we live in a time today where it's actually really challenging to understand our actions
and how they affect the world around us.
That's basically my job, to understand my life and how it affects the world and make
changes so that my actions are truly in alignment with my beliefs.
And so, on top of that, I do extreme projects that are designed to really catch people's
attention, catch media's attention so that we can talk about important issues, the important
issues of our time; environmental issues and social issues and how we can create a world
that's more just, more equal and more sustainable.
Absolutely and like - you're someone who not just like walks the walk but talks to talk
and you give presentations around the world and you're literally living out of a backpack.
Yeah, so I have 44 possessions currently, all on this backpack and this is not a special backpack.
Someone was basically throwing it away, it was actually part of Patagonia's Worn Wear
where they were gonna turn it into luggage tags and tear it apart and I said "that's
still a good bag".
So, I kept it.
So, there's 44 total items and I just want to say that 44 is an arbitrary number, it's
just what it happened to be - actually it was 43 and then as I was counting in it, I
realized it was 44.
I do like the number 44, it's a nice round number but I just don't want anyone to get
stuck on the idea of the number, it's about the meaning behind it.
It's about the philosophy behind it, it's about the simplicity, it's about living in
a way that's more sustainable, more just, you know, creating more equality through my actions.
And so, you know, the 44 also is it's a cool way to grab people's attention and get them
to think about how much stuff they have, but it's about the message behind it.
So, we'll start with two possessions here...
I've got my pot and my spoon and this is so that I can travel...
It's my bowl, I can cook with it...
If I go out to eat, I put leftovers in it and then personally, you know, one of my things
is that you don't need like fancy bamboo utensils that you spend 15 or 20 bucks on, you can
get a spoon or a fork at a thrift store for a quarter.
So, you'll see in my possessions that it's - I try to you know, keep things pretty simple
and not over complicate things.
I'm wearing three of my possessions right now; I have my shorts, my shirt and a pair
of underwear on.
Yeah, I remember when we did laundry, and you're like "hey, can I throw in all my clothes?"
and it was like a little hand book.
Not much.
I've got a wool sweater, I got that at a thrift store for $12 and then I had five shirts,
but I lost one, so now I have four shirts.
So I have four shirts, they're all the same; one is long-sleeve and three our short sleeve though.
And then I have a pair of socks, I have a second pair of shorts.
Okay.
And then I have my second pair of underwear.
And then all of these go inside of a cloth bag.
And then lastly as far as clothing goes would be my sandals.
And I want to acknowledge at the moment, I'm in a warm climate, I'm in a warm environment
in Costa Rica.
Actually today I go to Berlin Germany...
First thing I do when I get there is I'm gonna get some warmer clothes.
So we live in a time where resources are abundant; we don't have to live a life of scarcity.
I don't have to afford possessions because more possessions than humanity needs already
exist on earth.
So, when I need something, I can go buy it at a thrift store or I can exchange for it.
So I have 44 possessions, but my life comes in contact with other things, things come
and go and of course, one of the absolute most important things is simply sharing.
We can share resources rather than everybody having their own of everything.
Yeah, so in that case, when you like acquire like a sweater or some long pants or hat or
something, when you are about to leave Germany, would you then donate it or give it to someone
on the street?
Yeah, if I don't need it anymore then I'll bring it back to a thrift shop, basically
like a rental system where I've just used it for a few months and then return it and
- or yeah, I give it to somebody that I'm coming across.
Often it'll be a friend that you know, likes it and then I can give it to them.
So, let's see a few other things; I have a cloth towel that can be used as a handkerchief
when I'm sick or just for drying hands or cleaning up messes.
I have - along with my backpack, I have another backpack, and this is another one that was
being thrown away and this I can use for grocery shopping or as a day bag, so I don't have
to lug everything around.
I have a water bottle, and this is just a glass bottle from the recycle bin.
I had a nice metal thermos but I lost it which I always do so I try to keep my stuff to be
things that it doesn't matter if I lose it.
This came from a recycle bin, so - also it means I have - I don't have to be as protective,
which is nice.
I can be more carefree by not having over the expensive items.
Yeah, I lost a good water bottle in Costa Rica...
Right before Envision on a bus.
So like it rolled away and it was gone, I don't know.
So this is my natural personal hygiene.
I believe the body basically functions, you know, the reason that I'm barefoot is because
I believe the feet were designed really well over tens of thousands of years and I believe
that they're designed better than the Nike or Adidas can design based on only a few hundred
years or less.
And so, the same with my body, I don't think I need Old Spice to exist, I think I can exist
without it and I proved that...
I've been giving thousands of hugs over the last eight years since I gave up deodorant
and they're great.
Occasionally I smell a tiny - you know, a little bit but also I look at it as the human
body probably wasn't designed to not smell.
The human body smells a little bit and that's fine.
So just a few thoughts on that.
So this is my natural hygiene.
I have a toothbrush.
People will always ask why it's not bamboo.
This is one of my luxury things and it's because bamboo always rubs my - side of my mouth and
so I just - I've tried them all so far back to this plastic.
I try to minimize my plastic and that I don't feel guilty about you know, three or four
plastic brushes per year.
I have my toothpaste of course to go along with that.
I have it in a refillable jar.
That's a biodegradable toothpaste so I can - it goes in the gray water.
I have - speaking of gray water, I have my biodegradable plant based soap which can - gray
water means that it's plant safe, it means that the water that I wash my hands with can
then go on to the plants and be used to grow food rather than going to a wastewater treatment plant.
Right.
Body moisturizer and I would have had sunscreen but I lost that.
So the other things, hitting [?] your nail clipper, pretty basic.
Yeah, important.
I have - also for my mouth, I have my wax, there's time I floss and this is silk, so
it's biodegradable, can just be composted.
I have my earplugs and I have Lavender essential oil which is really helpful for relaxing,
especially before going to bed or any time when I have a little stress.
And then I have a small pair of scissors and I have my hand powered hair trimmer.
I try to have as few electric items as possible especially since today most electronic items
are designed for the dump, they're designed to break.
So, this thing is probably 40 or 50 years old and it simply works by hand power and
after I get off the phone, I actually have to trim up soon.
And then that's inside of a little bag and then all of that goes inside of a bag.
So that's my natural hygiene.
We're getting down to the end of the possessions here...
A couple other things, let's see, I've got my notebook for writing and there's a pen
to go with that.
I try to spend less time on the computer and more time writing by hand if I can.
I carry one book at a time, right now I have Fast Food Nation.
Most of my books are designed to educate me on topics.
The last book I had was Omnivore's Dilemma and then we're getting down to the end here.
Of course, there's the computer that I'm on right now and the headphones and then the
plug for the computer.
I have tea, I always carry a loose leaf tea and a tea ball to strain it.
I try to create as little garbage as possible, that's just one tiny little tip on you know,
not creating garbage.
And then the last items are my passport...
Oh yeah, actually I missed one other item to go along with my passport.
I have two forms of identification and that is my passport and my birth certificate which
is - so, passport and then cash.
So I have no credit card, no bank account, you know, the idea of this, everything that
I own literally is now sitting out on this table.
In front of me there's nothing stashed anywhere else in the world and this is it, the 44 items.
That's pretty amazing.
I mean, I'm sure that anyone watching right now is equally as amazed and they're like
yeah, but what about this and I need this and I need this, and like you know, you're
proving that you don't actually need these things.
Like these things are available should you need them, but you don't have to own them
all the time.
One thing I just want to acknowledge to go along with all of that is that this is not
me being independent, like the idea of everybody having your own snowblowers, the idea of "Independence",
but I think independence is an illusion.
There's 7-8 billion of us and we need each other and all that nine million species, we're
dependent on them for our existence and money, you know, and the idea of money, people think
they're independent, but behind every dollar we spend, there's someone there, there's an
ecosystem there.
There's other species that all of this depends on.
So, for me, this is not me saying I'm independent from everybody else by having this few possessions.
What I'm doing is embracing that I am completely dependent upon humanity.
I'm just showing it, I'm just embracing it and trying to connect the global community
rather than live in a way where I'm able to remove myself from it.
And I think you're entirely doing that.
Like I've - even though we've minimized our life, I look at you and I'm like, I can go
further with this.
And I think what a lot of people don't realize is the first shirt you throw away, the first
picture you get rid of or something, it's difficult.
But there's a snowball effect when you keep going and when keep going and all of a sudden
like yeah, you can get rid of shirts, you can donate this.
You know, almost anybody who downsizes, they start to see the benefits; how you can be
more free, you can be more present, you can spend time doing what you love rather than
organizing your stuff and having to pay for a cleaner to move everything around and all
the insurance and the registration and the maintenance.
Instead you can spend time doing what you loved; spending time with people you love,
doing your hobbies and your passions rather than collecting a bunch of stuff.
It's true, it's true, stuff that needs maintenance and needs your care and people like you know,
become a slave to their items.
There's another video that you have coming out about your backpack going into more detail
of each item?
Um, no.
Actually already on my YouTube channel which it's youtube.com/robgreenfield.
I have a video that's about half an hour long that really kind of goes into this and into the life.
And then there's another video that is tips on how to downsize your life.
And for people that are like inspired, that is absolutely the video I'd recommend because
that's like my whole framework on how I went from basically being a hoarder to getting
to this point and the tips for people to start, just to start where they are.
Yeah, it was a great video and I'm glad you got rid of your 700 beanie babies.
[Chuckles] Yeah.
Alright brother.
Well, it's been great chatting with you and I appreciate you spreading the message and
look forward to seeing you hopefully in Canada one day.
That'll be great man!
Good luck on your journey, good luck in Germany and thanks for sharing every single thing you own.
All right, sounds good brother.
Take care man.
Rob, cheers to you man.
You are inspiring.
What a cool guy...
Make sure to follow his channel, go check out all his stuff, follow his Instagram...
You'll get a ton of tips.
Learn about how to minimize your life, how to live more sustainable and he's also just
a really cool guy.
So, thanks for watching guys and make sure to go check out his video on his backpack.