what's in my bag? 2023 edition
Another year, another update on my remote, travelling setup for work and play. In 2023, I returned to traveling much more than I have in recent memory (although, still not quite at pre-pandemic levels). Here's how my travel setup has changed up a bit this year.
the development setup
Last year, I talked about my M1 Max 16" MacBook Pro and how the hype was real. Welp, I upgraded again. My main driver is now the M2 MacBook Pro, now with 96GB of RAM. I also opted to shrink down to the 14-inch screen, which I find to be just right.
I can hear the questions now - what on earth did you need 96GB of RAM for? I'll tell ya. Between testing out some docker images for "JWS", doing some more work playing with LLMs and training models, and having a number of projects running locally, I could really use the extra RAM. Plus, browsers have gone back into this bloated state where everything takes a ton of memory.
I still use the Chromebook Pixel as my backup or my lightweight outdoor machine. Running strong after all of these years, and super slim for those weekend getaway trips where my focus is on being unplugged.
remote work setup
This section is still holding strong. My reMarkable tablet has held up during a number of transitions and tweaks to my writing setup, as has my Supernote A6X. The additional tool I added for remote work happens to be software, and that is Reflect.
The Reflect app is setup on the notion of networked notes, similar to Obsidian or Roam Research in that regard. The main differences:
- end-to-end encrypted cloud storage means my data is accessible no matter which machine I'm using
- It abstracts away any hard use of Markdown
- The export gives you a nice, neat, structured JSON file that you can easily move about
- Connected calendars make it easy to reference meetings within (or as the basis of) a given note
- The iOS app, though in beta, is really nice, and also allows for voice notes
Other than that, same ol' same in this category
photography
I mainly travel with my Sony ⍺7R iv and 2 lenses: my 18-55mm and my 70-300mm. I usually also carry a dummy battery and 4 main batteries in my travel kit.
SanDisk Extreme Pro NVMe SSD I have two of these that I carry with my at all times - 1 for photography and 1 for backups/files. Reliable, fast, and rugged.
tools and accessories
I'm going to divide this section into a few subsections. There's a handful of additions that I've made to this area this year.
bags and cases
Ekster Grid Backpack another year, another backpack? Well, I just picked this one up, and I love how nice yet rugged it is. Comfortably fits up to a 16" laptop (which I tested with my M2 MacBook Pro and my older Intel 16" MacBook Pro). I sprung for the camera case and will be testing it on one of my upcoming trips.
Coach Hitch Backpack This one isn't new (it was a gift from Christmas 2021), but I have started to use it more during my travels. Perfect for when I want to travel lighter yet very functional and stylish. It's my fancy bag that also holds up well when flying around - I had my eye on it for awhile before I got it.
electronics
Anker PowerCore III Sense 20000mAh Still going strong. Still holds a really good charge and takes care of any device I need to give a boost when on the go
Apple Watch Ultra I love this watch. I've permanently retired all other watch/training wearables (well, except the next item on this list). Battery is excellent. I've swam with it, traveled to higher elevations with it, beached day with it, and it has just done the thing, and very well. The interchangeable bands are nice for dressing it up or down.
Oura Ring Well, if the Apple Watch is so great, why do I have an Oura ring? It's amazing for sleep and getting a feel for other biometric trends. It tends to recognize a few activities that auto-logs workouts for those times when I for get to start it on the watch. The data I get from it is different enough that I am happy with it.
And there you have it. What's in your backpack?