Love it! I live in London where schlepping (combined with dreadful weather) is a way of life. It's the perfect excuse to skip the gym :)

Personally, I think schlepping all that weight is hard on my back and looks rediculous. For grocery shopping I've got a cart that works like a charm. In the US they're usually associated with bag and cat ladies, but really that's just the presumption that scares away people from even trying it out. I take pride in looking chic and effortless with my cart, and people always ask "Where did you get that?" Your local hardware store, people.

Your laundromat is a mile away?!?!? There must be an easier way.

I usually don't mind the schlepping, but I am in the deep south and when it is 95 degrees with wicked humidity, it can get really brutal. That's the only time I question my lifestyle.

It only gets me down when I'm already down. I used to love it. I felt so self-sufficient. But lately this summer, I think nothing of nothing more enjoyable than getting ready for work in the morning and hopping into a nice clean car and throwing all my day's necessities on the passenger seat for a change, instead of sitting with them all on my lap on a smelly subway car while the brief A/C blast dries the sweat off my 6:45 am brow. Summer is tough in the city.

I grew up in Dallas and have recently moved to Chicago and at the age of 27 I have spent a whopping 5 months of my life with access to a car (sometime in college and i don't miss it). I spend a lot of alone time and shlepping around makes the day just fly by to me. I'll leave to get something done at noon and I'm back at close to 5 and already need to consider to dinner (and will most likely need to run back out and get ingredients for that). The most arduous task is grocery shopping, which I do twice a month, because of the sheer amount and weight of stuff I need to carry and that's even with buying larger/heavier items (milk, heads of lettuce, sacks of rice) at the convenience store down the block. I guess I've never considered it working out; just a happenstance of my life since I also am in a run club and take boxing lessons.

I still can't decide whether pounding the pavement in blistering heat or in freezing winds is worse.

Hah, this is awesome! And explains why I gained 10 lbs when I moved from Chicago, where I was car-less to a more suburban city!

I live on the third floor of a 3-storey walk-up in the middle of a pedestrian-oriented area of the city, and I mainly walk or cycle to get around. Schlepping is a way of life. I find that if you use a backpack instead of shopping bags, it's easier on the arms and back. Also see if your city has a car-sharing service that you can join for the occasional trips to IKEA and such. (Of course, that would require having a license... which the OP doesn't have.)

I've lived in Los Angeles my whole life without a car (I know--weird, right?) and I only find this possible because of the endless variety of stuff you can purchase and have delivered via the internet, especially Amazon.com free delivery for Prime members. I also am lucky in that I can have my groceries delivered from the local Vons (at a price), and my laundry room is in-buiding.
Those of us sans automobiles learn to be pretty resourceful!

This was one of my favorite parts of living in Pittsburgh (near Pitt campus), I'd walk everywhere, always up and down hills, so didn't need to work out to stay very fit. And if you did go to the campus gym, walking up to it from 5th Ave was a workout in itself!

Now that I live in the country and drive everywhere (and work at a desk all day) I find myself really needing to join a gym :(

I enjoy schlepping. You have to be more deliberate about what you buy, how you carry it, and how far. I shop online a lot more because driving in rush hour traffic can be a nightmare. And even though I still drive to the grocery store, I walk to nearly everything else.

Love schlepping. I walk 1.4 miles to work (yes, I Googled it) so by the time I get home I have walked 2.8 miles more than I would have if I took the bus. The nearest grocery store is .4 miles from my office, which means the groceries get schlepped exactly 1 mile and three flights of stairs. In addition to the calories burned, I also get a sense of calm from my morning and evening commute that I would miss if I took the bus or a cab.

LOVE THIS !!! So true :) couldn't have hit my point any more.. I feel great reading this:) Me and my hubby live in N.Y.C (Bronx) . and we walk everywhere. We are so close to the train which takes us 10 mins into Manhattan. We have had cars and on off, but all the shopping and everything at our fingertips it's almost a waste of money having a car. I feel more healthy/active knowing we do this instead of being lazy. My family all live in suburban areas and they barely move. They literally take the car up the block. It's so sad. I am definitely proud to be an " urban schlepper " lol.My high rise has a nice laundry room in the basement so I am lucky that I don't have to go far at least. But hey it's still a schlep up and down 6 floors. And P.S. I agree again the only time that it is a big deal is our yearly pilgrimage to Ikea (which we rent a car for ) but is still hard getting all the stuff in our high rise building. But definitely worth the pay off since our apartment looks great ! This is the new way of living and I think we are starting to outnumber people in houses or cars.. now a days :)

HATE Schlepping!! I have a car, but live in an apartment building, and when I have a box of food from costco and a watermelon and other shopping with me, parking on our lot in 100 degree heat, then walking it to the building, opening the heavy door, the WORST is opening the elevator!! With no free hands I have to use my feet and butt to pull the heavy door open and pull back the cage, ride the elevator 5 floors up, open 2 more doors, and then do it all again!! It kills my back. I can't find a grocery cart that meets my needs and can fold up and tuck somewhere (I have 0 storage). Can't wait for a house!

I've been schlepping for a good decade now! I did it through my 20s when I was living in very pedestrian/transit friendly cities, and I'm still doing it with a one year old in tow. My husband and I are saving for a down payment, so we don't own a car to save on cost...making do to achieve our long term goals. We've talked about getting a car lately though because it's becoming difficult to babywear + schlep (our city is not very stroller friendly). You can bet we'll get a car if we decide to have another child though. It's just not possible to after that!

I didn't realize how much schlepping I did until I was pregnant. Then schlepping came to a halt... no point of throwing even one extra pound on top of that extra weight. Some days even my yoga mat feels like a burden to carry. As my husband and I enjoy the last few days of spontaneously going out to eat, I've had him carry my id so I don't even have to carry a purse (most of my maternity clothes don't have pockets... otherwise I think I could handle the id :) )

The idea of not having a car is so foreign to me...I've lived in rural areas almost all my life. When you live 5 (or recently, 12) miles from the nearest grocery store, "schlepping" isn't possible. I do admit, though, that I drive the couple of blocks to my mom's house, too, since I have 2 kids and they live down a very steep hill that I really don't want to push a stroller back up. :)

The schlepping is why I finally bought a car, but urban living without a car is sooo good for you! I've lived in several cities in Asia and did SO much walking - people didn't do grocery shopping for a week... they went out into their neighbourhoods every few days to get their fresh produce. I was never as in shape as I was in Japan, with so much walking, so many steps up and down into the subways, etc. Our car-focused culture pays a great sacrifice. Stay car-free as long as you can!

I recently got a truck, but have now stopped taking it everywhere and switched back to riding my bike. I just feel healthier and have more energy when I ride to and fro. You can't beat the views and you never have to find a spot or pay to park!

I love it. I have a car but I use it as little as possible. I enjoy the incidental exercise and not having to pay for and use gas. I live where I can walk or bike to everything in less than 5 miles - I always find my apartment this way. I am about to move to a city with public transportation too and I cannot wait.

The author must live in the Bay Area (BART mention) so I'm surprised she didn't mention the extra points/calories for lugging all that stuff UP HILL or, as it's been the case in my recent past, UP TWO HILLS. I find I'm much more interested in schlepping now that I live in a somewhat flat part of Oakland.

I moved to a walkable city for university at the end of August of '98. Everything I needed was within a 45 minute walk, with most services being just minutes away. I'd always been a couch potato, but suddenly I was walking everywhere. When I arrived in the city, I was a size 22. By the middle of November, less than three months later, I was a size 12!!! Schlepping is *awesome*!

I'm probably going to be a life long schlepper since I am without a license/car. The buses are my wheels for when things get too heavy for tired arms. And good friends when items are really too big and heavy.

Beware though; scheduling many schelping events too close to each other can result in injury. So when in doubt, plan realistically for what you can/cannot carry. My neck, shoulders and arms always seem to be in some state of pain since I'm lugging groceries, laundry weekly. Thank goodness for massages!

I forgot to mention that I've nerdily taken to doing curls/shrugs/etc with my grocery bags- I find that actively engaging the weight is easier on my back & joints than just letting it weigh me down. And it makes me look super-cool, of course.

And @Dana Velden- the hills here definitely deserve a shout-out!

How do you purchase alcohol or other age restricted items w/o a license. When I lived in NC (and didn't have a license) most liquor outlets w I've always wondered about this for people who live in places where nobody drives or has a license.

As for schlepping. I loved doing it when I lived in Europe, but I felt more comfortable doing it because it was more a part of the culture, right down to the urban planning. I didn't feel that way many major USian cities, particularly LA (which I LOVE, but it's definitely a car city. Being w/o puts you at a distinct disadvantage) and am fascinated how people are able to do it, especially when they have the option to have a vehicle or have regular access to one.

Personally, being in the 'burbs has made me in better shape. I dined out and had drinks a lot when I lived in a city, which I don't do nearly as much in the burbs. I also never went to the gym much when I lived in a city and I do so regularly out here in the burbs.

ack, that should read, "Most liquor outlets wouldn't accept my NC issued state ID for alcohol sales."

Are these calories or Calories (aka kcal), because 1 calorie = .001 Calorie. :|

I'm close enough to do some errands on foot, but it's too far to carry very much. Now that I have kids, I can use the giant basket under the stroller to carry groceries, library books, etc..

I actually did end up with a painful injury from carrying my baby up and down to the car (not not even in his heavy car seat, mind you, and he's also not that heavy). So while I always felt like Superwoman schlepping a bunch of bags, or a baby plus a bunch of bags, my doctor has informed me that regularly carrying things in something other than a backpack or cart is hazardous to my health. Boo.

Living in Phoenix makes it hard to walk anywhere. Not only does the temperature stay near 115 during the summer, but the city is planned to be very widespread. We also don't have much public transportation in the suburb areas. After I moved to Tucson for college though, I started to ride my bike and take the bus more. I should start walking to the grocery store too since I moved a couple of blocks away from it.

I loved schlepping when I lived in London and had no car for 5 years.

Now, I live back in Perth, Western Australia. If I didn't have my car here, I'd lose my mind.

@spiritedsparrow, I did a semester in Tucson. It's surprisingly easy to get used to walking ten minutes each way to go grocery shopping in 100 degree heat! (Thank god for dry heat, huh? If it had been humid, I would have been a puddle on the ground.)

Love schlepping in short distance. Walking to laundromat and grocery stores are not far away. City street parking is not easy to find. I get home faster then looking for a parking space in the area. I am car free for 8 years.

Im with wanderbliss...and I walk to work everyday, rain or snow, with a gym kit or football kit. The worst though is taking a 2 litre bottle of water, its so freaking heavy! my boyfriend is 30 and has never driven a car ever. Ah London life.

I agree... getting lost in love at IKEA should be counted =D I always buy/carry/schlepp more than I planned @ local farmers market...

@good time teeth - Los Angeles is definitely a car city - but Washington DC is very walkable. Mass transit can take you anywhere from DC, Virginia, and Maryland. I can be in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs in 45 minutes by subway. With the subway and a short bus ride, I can get to the Rock Creek Park hiking trails.

Part of it is changing the way you approach your lifestyle. We have a car, but it's so much more convenient and cost effective for me to take mass transit to work. The DC area has built a good deal of insfrastructure around mass transit, so between the bus and the subway, I have access to a ton of grocery stores and shops.

Love this post. Schlepping is such a part of our daily life. We live in downtown Baltimore and own a car, but we rarely use it. Now that we have a baby the stroller makes schlepping stuff home so much easier. When I take the bus though it's easier to wear the baby, than try to unload/ reload & fold/unfold while balancing a baby. On bus days I wear a backpack on my back and the baby in front. It's can be over 50lbs sometimes! Still I love it:) I love that my 11 month old is rarely stuck in a car seat and instead gets to experience the world at the street level.

there have been times when I sold at flea markets where I would drag all of my merchandise through the NYC streets and subways in a wagon in 100 degree weather. I called it uber schlepping. Now I have a dog that I take out 4 times a day for a total of 3 hours. That is the only activity that trumps schlepping... and its way more fun. I swear I lost 10 pounds the first two months I brought my pooch home.

Schleppers Unite! I've been schlepping my whole adult life (that's at least 3 decades). I've always lived some where that is walkable and with good public transportation. Never had a car or a license. You just have to plan your route and pick up the heaviest stuff last. Buying gallons of paint means taking a shopping trolley to the hardware store.

It also requires grocery shopping more frequently. If I'm walking home empty-handed, I'll just stop to buy one heavy item, like a cantaloupe. My grocery schlepping has been greatly reduced now that I have a box of organic veggies delivered to my apartment once every 2 weeks.

I always carry several rolled up tote bags with me. Walking also means finding cool stuff, like books, on the sidewalk.

Another schlepper here! Also never learned how to drive - so when I moved out on my own, it was within walking distance of work in downtown Toronto. When I moved to Ottawa, I was within walking distance of the Byward Market *and* a grocery store/liquor store.

Then I moved to London (Canada). Poor transit system compared to the previous two cities and a food desert downtown. I can walk to work - but this summer has produced high heat and humidity most of the time, so I have been taking the bus or riding with co-workers. At least I own my house and have my own laundry.

I cannot wait for cooler temps to come...

I schlepped when I lived in NYC for college. Sometimes, when I'm lugging groceries into the house from my trunk, I remember my schlepping days and wonder how I ever did it. I do remember feeling like a pack mule often. Especially when I'd go home on weekends and I'd have to schlep every art supply I owned home to work on projects. Not fun finding a seat on the LIRR with all of my crap in rush hour. Yeah... I don't miss it at all.

I have mixed feelings about schlepping around NYC. I love the walking, but often get back strain from carrying groceries, etc. My best tools/workarounds so far have been 1. My Ameribag purse, which I wear all the time and eliminates so much strain on my back, 2. My backpack (for groceries), and 3. My cart (for laundry).

Thank you for this. I just moved to LA a few months and had to leave my car behind. I don't mind walking very often but the people out here regard me with amused horror at my non-car based lifestyle. It's nice to be reminded that i'm not crazy or weird. :)

I live in Edmonton Alberta, which is not a city built for non-drivers. I don't drive at the age of 37 (I tried in my late teens and again in my early twenties for my license but didn't pass and sort of gave up). I do walk to work (about 12-15 mins) and grocery shopping at three stores close to me and schelp to my favorite bakery and Costco (very close and I take a cab back home) and various other places on our lousy buses and our LRT system. But have grown tired of it and feel pathetic without a license at my age. So starting September I am starting my driver's education from scratch (in class training and everything because I haven't driven in over ten years). I hope to have a license at the end of October. And I will not give up. I still plan to do a ton of walking, so much stuff is close to me to justify driving when I can walk. But I do look forward to having a car someday and just being able to drive to Costco or my bakery or my favorite mall or Italian centre and not have to worry about weather conditions and making bus connections.

Oh schlepping. I'm queen of carrying everything with me since I leave my home early and return late at night: meals, reading for entertainment, school work, supplies, layers of clothes for the microclimates, gym gear, and whatever else I need. Mostly I schlep it on my bike, and schlep my bike on Bart and up hills to my third story apartment. Viva the pack-animal!

I live in Antwerp, and since it's not a big city and I can't drive yet (although I'm 21), me and my boyfriend go everywhere by foot, and occasionally by tram or bus.

A few weeks ago I decided to go shopping. I also had won a surprise package with some mystery bio-stuff in a contest, which I chose I'd pick up from the office. Because I figured it would be a few gift cards or something, I decided to pick'em up because maybe I could use them while shopping. Turned out it was a whole goodie-basket, including a bottle of apple cider and a cookbook! I shlepped the whole bag with me on my shopping trip.

While I'm glad to hear I burned some calories lugging my CSA veggies home from work, it just puts all this tension in my back! So it's not a good feeling like the gym

I grew up in a city where you need a car to do basically everything; awful public transit, poorly maintained road shoulders for biking, and sprawled urban planning, making walking unfeasible.

Then, I moved for school to the easiest 'schlepping' city ever. I was thin before, but 6 years later I'm actually fit from carrying 10 kg flour sacks, cool end tables, crates of records and my various sweaters/books/snacks across my chosen home. My grandparents have only ever lived in my hometown and they still wonder how we 'city people' do it.

It doesn't make me feel like a badass at all. Schlepping just makes me sweaty, tired, and annoyed.

@GOOD TIME TEETH You can have a state/province issued ID without having a license, and plenty of people also have their license but don't have a car.

I live in Boise (which I call the Little Big City)- I ride my bike everywhere. Anywhere from 6-10 miles per day- from the gym to work to my lovie's house. I sometimes totally feel like a pack mule with all my bags, but I feel like its an opportunity to get in some cardio!

I love schlepping, but I do not love the way I look when I do it. I was definitely more comfortable schlepping when I was younger and didn't care what I looked like. Now... a little more difficult to be the "bag lady" going down the street. I live in Long Beach, CA now, so walkable-driveable-bikeable city. When I have some time from myself (ie weekends) I am sure I will schlep smallish totes up and down the blocks. Hahaha.
I love this article though. Ode to schlepping. But will look for a bike soon, to help. Hahaha.

@Dione, you can do it! And you'll be a better driver than the average person because you'll be that much more aware of bikers and pedestrians.

@olegrrl - Thanks for the confidence boost:) I really appreciate it.

I couldn't live without my bike, rack and baskets. I became a much happier "schlepper" after I got those. We live just a liiiiiiitle too far from the grocery store (25min walk) to do any larger hauls without a cart or the bike, and I don't have time, patience or the mental strength to brave that coop every day.

I swear sometimes I look like the Beverly Hillibillies when I have that bike fully loaded and bungeed.

I love schlepping and feel privileged to now again live in a city where it is a possibility. I lived in the country for decades, where a car was needed for all errands. I hate driving. I love walking the hills. I find all sorts of furniture, books, lamps, clothes and nick-naks by walking around schlepping. Unfortunately I don't always plan for the amount of stuff I buy and often end up with painful shoulders the next day. I, however, have no need to join a gym. Isn't this the way life is supposed to be? Oh the joys of city life!

@Dione,
I live in Edmonton and don't drive either! We should take that class together :)
Good Luck!

I was an English teacher in Paris for a year and had to carry around two or three heavy bags with books from one office building to the next. About 20-30 hrs of metro/walking per week (and the metro is just about as tiring as walking. Sweaty people, rude people, no place to sit, trying to balance your heavy bags so they don't hit the people next to you)

I still live in Paris and still have to schlepp things around. I find I spend more money because of it because I end up buying items over the internet (not always cheaper with delivery) buying food at the local convenience store when I'm too lazy or even going out to the restaurant when I'm really too lazy.

Also, my back is always hurting (and I'm only 26!?)

@DESIGNGRATISLONDON- water bottles definitely deserve a mention! So necessary when youre out & about all day, and so, so heavy. I was in a car with someone recently (a rare occurrence) and was marveling over the fact that I could just leave my water in the car, and it would be there waiting for me! Luxurious.

My husband and I both lost 11 lbs in a month after moving to San Francisco, simply by walking to and from work.

I don't mind the schlepping when I'm walking. It's the schlepping on buses that drive me crazy, especially through busy neighborhoods like Chinatown. I'd rather walk 4 miles with bags hanging off my arms than cram in a dirty, smelly bus.

It's funny — I'll complain about dragging my luggage up the hill from Bart to our apt, and my mother-in-law (who lives in the East Bay) will ask, "Why don't you just grab a cab?" Seems like a logical solution, but it's only 7 blocks… hee hee.