I'm not so much a minimalist as I am cheap. I did two Sprint triathlons this past summer, and I had heard that triathlons were a great way to part with a lot of money. So I challenged myself to do these with less than $50 dollars worth of additional equipment. I purchased a bottle cage, a water bottle that fits in a cage, toe clips, and two pairs of swim goggles. I also purchased two bathings suits, but I needed those anyways.
I did my events in a regular swim suit and I threw on shorts and sunglasses during T1. No tri suit and no wetsuit because the events were in lakes with water temp in the 70s.
I was looking at these "What to bring" lists, and I probably brought less than 1/3 of the recommended stuff to my events. It got noticed by those around me that everything I had fit into a small duffel roughly the size of a purse. I felt like a visitor from outer space, because a lot of the people around me had buckets, coolers, wheelie suitcases, and someone even had a folding chair.
Do you try to minimize "stuff", or have you found that some key items make the event much better for you?
I did my events in a regular swim suit and I threw on shorts and sunglasses during T1. No tri suit and no wetsuit because the events were in lakes with water temp in the 70s.
I was looking at these "What to bring" lists, and I probably brought less than 1/3 of the recommended stuff to my events. It got noticed by those around me that everything I had fit into a small duffel roughly the size of a purse. I felt like a visitor from outer space, because a lot of the people around me had buckets, coolers, wheelie suitcases, and someone even had a folding chair.
Do you try to minimize "stuff", or have you found that some key items make the event much better for you?