5 Minimalist Essential Gear Picks for a Stripped-Down Lifestyle

The allure of minimalism draws us all in at one point or another — whether the philosophy sticks or not is another thing. When you commit to living without extraneous noise, excessive design or overly flamboyant details, you can focus more on what matters. That’s not to say that minimalism lacks good design or functionality or aesthetics; in fact, you may find the exact opposite is true. To wit, five gear picks based on that lifestyle: all essential, no extra.

2018 Indian Scout Bobber

“Strip It Down” — right there, in the tagline, is everything you need to know. The Bobber is an everything-you-need, nothing-you-don’t motorcycle. Bobbers are, essentially, custom or custom-look motorcycles based on the decades-old principle of removing excess bodywork in favor of a streamlined, lightweight and modern design, but leaving the shortened, or “bobbed,” tail fender intact. You could buy some other bike and strip it down yourself, or go with Indian’s take: a 100-horsepower V-twin engine in the middle and little else other than the beautiful shape surrounding it. (Pro tip: go for the Thunder Black color scheme.)

We’ve highlighted this modern, minimalist field watch before: “The dial is simple — just black and white. Its adorned with Helvetica numerals and comes with a vintage-inspired case that’s just 37.5mm in diameter. While the watch is affixed to a black NATO strap, several other NATOs, mesh perlon straps and leather straps are available for an additional cost.” Needless to say, a sturdy, reliable watch that tells time is all you ever need on your wrist.

Lotuff makes all their bags by hand in Rhode Island — artists and craftspeople work passionately to hone every detail on every bag until, from tip to tail, each is perfect. The duffle is unlined; its hardware is solid brass; there are no metal feet. The selling point here is the leather, a thick, sturdy bridle leather that will last generation after generation. An unadorned, humble, heirloom-quality duffle is our kind of minimalism.

This half shell helmet is about as “stripped down” as one could get yet remains DOT certified. Still, there are no adornments, no vents. Just clean, simple and effective.

Your everyday carry — or at least your home tool collection — should include a go-to pocketknife. There’s no need for an assisted-opening, enclosed, leather-wrapped, jewel-studded affair. All you need is a blade and a handle — a sharp tool that gets the job done and is well made. Good looks are simply a bonus.