What's In My Bag?: A 4-part Series
Another year, another update on my remote, travelling setup for work and play...
I skipped this series in 2021, mostly because I really limited my travel and didn't work much when I did. 2022? We've already been to Alaska, San Francisco, South Carolina and Mexico City, so here's what my current road warrior setup looks like.
development setup
There's two main machines I roll with when I travel - my trusty Chrome Pixelbook and my 16" MacBook Pro - M1 Max. I did sell the Intel 16" MacBook Pro w/ 64GB of RAM, and my new machine has 32GB instead. However, it just tears through all of my current workloads with no worry - the M1 hype is real.
So how do I decide which machine to take with me? I use the Pixelbook if I'm traveling and I need to carry my work MacBook Pro (which is the Intel 16" model). This saves some weight and keeps me focused on personal workloads that's not too heavy - just some email, looking up things to do, and some light project work. The MBP M1? That's for when I'm just personally traveling, or traveling for business outside of my day job (business meeting from Breakpointt Studio, livestreaming on the go, or one of my photography projects). I'll likely replace the Pixelbook with an M1 MacBook Air w/ 16GB of RAM, or possibly downgrade my 16" M1 Max to a 14" M1 Max.
And true to form to my outlook on needs back in 2019, "I think I might need to move to a laptop and platform that allows me 32GB + mobility" still holds true.
remote work setup
As I mentioned, I still have my Google Pixelbook. I did add one new tool to the team that has made all the difference.
reMarkable 2 e-ink tablet This tablet has been a game-changer for me. It gave me all the writing tools I wanted out of the iPad Pro when I tested those out in previous years, but super lightweight, and with all the feel and portabability of a Moleskin notebook. I've been immensely satisfied with this purchase, and have started working on some quality of life improvements for myself (and others!). However, sometimes it's a tad too big, so my next addition to the team will probably be...
Supernote A6X The 8-inch form factor is perfect for those flights when I don't get my upgrade or the seats are narrow. Also much more bedside friendly when I first wake up and want to write some thoughts as I do my morning routine. The only tricky part would be how to transfer notes between the proprietary formats each platform has... future tutorial idea!
photography (new!)
While I've usually carried some sort of camera with me at times on different trips, this is the first time I've had a dedicated camera/photography travel set, as I've gotten back into it as a hobby and side gig.
First up, I've long retired my Nikon-series digital SLRs. They served me well, but the move to mirrorless was so great for me. And I love the Sony alpha series.
Sony ⍺6100 This camera is my main streaming and studio camera, and I use it on the go for basic photo-taking and also as a webcam. It's autofocus is perfect enough for live-streaming, it's lightweight, and it takes the full suite of e-Mount lenses, so it's a good option for when I don't want to bring out the other cameras.
I also have an ⍺6400, ⍺7iii and a ⍺7R iv - I'll probably make a separate photography in my bag post to detail what my kit is for personal and professional photo travel.
tools and accessories
Anker PowerCore III Sense 20000mAh I had to retire my old Tzumi PocketJuice - it took a hard fall off of a counter, and that was it, sadly. The Anker PowerCore III has the same capacity, but lighter and with power delivery for fast charging devices.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones The Bose QuietComfort 35 series has finally been dethroned in my setup. The sound cancelation is the best I've ever experienced, and the battery life is amazing. I don't think I'm ever going back to the Bose. I use these on every flight, most work calls, and when I'm out and about and want to focus.
AirPods Pro A personalized gift from my partner, these are my daily driver. For those Target runs or more casual walks about town, and not necessarily for active days.
Powerbeats Wireless Pro Still going strong 2+ years later, these are the best workout headphones I've had. Period.
iPhone 13 Pro I finally upgraded the iPhone XS Max, and moved to the iPhone 13 Pro. Why not a Pro Max? Simply, I no longer needed such a large screen. Otherwise, it's the trusted communication device through which everything in my life is run, essentially.
SanDisk Extreme Pro NVMe SSD The best performing external drives I've ever had. Speedy. Durable. Reliable. Best performance/price ratio in my opinion. I've used these while editing 4K and 1080P video flawlessly.
Langly Alpha Globetrotter XC My trusty camera bag when on the go. Also fits 5 of lenses, batteries, charger AND my MacBook Pro, my reMarkable, headphones, and other accessories. I love this bag.
BNX N95 Mask NIOSH Trifold Mask I keep at least a 10 or 20 pack of these in my bag when I travel. Still necessary. Stay safe.
conclusion
...well, there's my 2022 setup in a nutshell. What's in your bag these days?
How are you traveling?