by DJ Schofield |
Last Updated:December 27, 2022 Travel is one of my favorite things to do. For the past three years, I have lived a semi-nomad life. For example, in 2022, I was away from home for 67% of the days.
Most days were spent in hotels, Airbnb’s, VRBO, or friends/family places. Some of this traveling is for work, while most times, it is to explore a new place.
Some may be thinking… “why?”
I don’t have a great answer… but, I enjoy seeing new places, I’m passionate about travel, and I also have a goal of visiting all 50 states.
You may also be thinking, “how do you work?” or “what do you do for work?” Both are valid questions… I have worked my entire career remotely.
Most recently, I am a customer insight manager (data guy) for an outdoor power equipment company.
Ok, enough about me. I travel, I work, you get it. Now, you’re trying to do the same thing, or maybe you already do… whether you’re a newbie or had a digital nomad job(s) for a while, your setup can always be improved!
In this article, I’m going to do a few things. First, I’ll give some tips on working remotely. Second, I’ll go over what is in my current traveling office setup. Third, I’ll go over what’s not in my setup but may be beneficial for others.
NOTE: the links in this article may be affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission with no additional cost to you. So if you want to buy me a coffee or beer for me use the links in this article to purchase. Thank you for the support!
Determine Your Needs
The first step in setting up a traveling office is determining your needs and the kind of work you do. For instance, if you’re a traveling sales rep, your setup could look much different from a developer’s.
You should also consider what kind of traveling you will do. Are you going to places for a few days, a week, a month, or longer? The duration of your stay may dictate the gear you bring with you.
Another consideration is if you’re staying in one place or jumping from place to place. When I jump from place to place, I try to pack as lightly as possible. This makes picking up and moving a bit easier.
Next, consider how you’re traveling… are you flying or driving? If you’re going to Europe, maybe most of your travel will be by train? I always pack extremely minimalist when flying. I never check a bag. This prevents bags from getting lost and waiting at a baggage claim.
In general, there are a few key things that nearly everyone will need, like a laptop, mouse, etc. The rest will be personal preference. My goal with this article is to serve as inspiration for your travel setup.
Tips for a Travel Office Setup
1. Stay Light and Compact
This may be difficult for some, and it may take some getting used to, but traveling light is a game changer. The lighter your gear and the less you pack, the easier everything is. The goal is to have the lightest and least amount of gear while staying as efficient as at home. Implementing Trip interruption safeguards in your packing strategy is key to this approach.
This can be difficult to achieve for some, but many people overpack. Then they realize during the trip that they don’t need half of the needed stuff. Of course, this becomes much easier the more you travel. At this point, I pack the same things for every trip. If a trip is longer than 5 days, I still pack the same things and make sure I have a way of doing laundry just in case.
I promise you don’t need a different outfit for every day of your travels (I know many will disagree with me on this lol.) You most likely don’t know anyone at the place you’re at anyway. Even if you did, they probably wouldn’t notice or care that you wore the same thing twice in one week. I wear the same thing every week, even when I’m home, and have far fewer people comment on it than you would expect.
2. Protect your gear
There are two key protections you need: impact protection and water-resistant protection. Nothing kills a trip more than dropping and breaking your laptop or getting wet and no longer working.
These are fairly easy catastrophes to avoid by having the right bags/luggage and protective cases for your gear.
3. Prepare in advance
This is for the newbies… make sure you prepare your gear and pack at least a day in advance to ensure you don’t forget anything. You may even want to make a checklist to ensure you have everything. Once you get the hang of traveling, it will be second nature, and you can pack an hour before you need to be at the airport!
Ultimate Traveling Work Setup
1. Apple MacBook Air
I’m a fairly big Apple guy. My choice for a personal laptop is a MacBook Air with M1. I like it because it’s light, portable, and enough for what I need.
I also have a Mac Mini at my house. It is my “heavy lifting” computer. I leave that on at all times, and I can easily connect to it from anywhere using TeamViewer.
This is a more recent setup I’ve been playing with. Technically, I could travel with one laptop, leave the other two on and connect to either of them from anywhere. This may be something I experiment with in the future.
My MacBook Air is used for my personal/side hustle work. I do a lot of writing, researching, and coding on this computer. For things like Photoshop and video editing, I connect to my Mac Mini. I’ve never actually had speed problems with the MacBook Air, but my Mac mini is just tough to beat.
Another small thing I always bring is an adapter for my Macbook. This only applies to the newer Macbook airs and Pros. Since they don’t have a USB, HDMI, etc., I bring this adapter, just in case. I only need this because my mouse uses a USB adapter to link to the computer. Eventually, I will upgrade this, so I no longer need the adapter.
2. PC Laptop (work computer)
Of course, it isn’t ideal to carry two computers, but at this point, it is still how I travel. This is an HP Elitebook laptop provided by the company I work for. This is a must-have for me so that I can work from anywhere.
I’m not really for or against this laptop, it is what it is. Personally, I’m not a huge Windows fan. It is a little bulky for my liking, but again, I don’t have a choice… unless I go the TeamViewer route I mentioned earlier.
My recommendation is to try and consolidate to one computer if at all possible. I don’t think most people would have a problem doing this, but some may be in a similar but as I am. After all, I still carry two phones as well. Maybe I have a technology addiction problem!
3. Portable monitor
The Lepow portable monitor was an incredible addition to my travel pack. It allows me to be almost as efficient as I am at my house with two monitors.
No, I don’t have the top-of-the-line portable monitor, maybe one day I will upgrade, but for now, I have the budget-friendly option. Overall, It has surprised me and has done everything I needed.
Size: 15.6 inches
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Screen type: Full HD IPS
Refresh Rate: 60 HZ
Weight: 1.76 lbs
One “upgraded” option I’ve been looking at is the portable dual monitor setup. They look sweet and have great reviews, but they are a little expensive. The only real issue is these monitors aren’t compatible with Mac M1 or M2 models.
So I wouldn’t probably have to go with something like these monitors since I’m an Apple guy. Either way, they’re both very similar.
A dual monitor setup would be a little heavier and bulkier but may be worth it for the added productivity.
4. Mouse
For a mouse, I bring my RedDragon gamer mouse that I use at my home setup. At some point, I will update this and get a bit more of a “travel” mouse.
For now, the RedDragon mouse does a great job. It is comfortable and has a few ups and extras that are nice. To me, comfortability is the only thing I care about when it comes to a mouse. They inherently aren’t very big anyway.
Eventually, I am going to upgrade to a travel mouse. I am leaning toward the Microsoft Arc Mouse when I do. This mouse has great reviews and is super compact since it is collapsable. More to come on this upgrade in the future.
The Apple fan in me tells me that I get the Magic Mouse for travel. I’ve never used either one, so I can’t give much of a recommendation. To be honest, there probably isn’t much of a difference, and can’t go wrong with either one.
5. Nomadic Backpack
The Nomadic backpack is a MUST. Sure, it’s a little expensive, but 100% worth it. I have the 20L travel backpack. It is an awesome backpack with many different pockets and compartments.
This pack is also expandable to a 2-3 pack, so if you go on short trips, you can bring one bag. This could also be great if you get on airlines like Spirit or Frontier (not recommended) that don’t include a carry-on or checked bag.
I cannot recommend this bag enough. I will eventually do a full review of this since I’ve had it for around 2 years.
6. Bose 900 Headphones
The Bose 900 headphones were easily the best addition to my travel setup. It would be difficult for me to go back to not having them.
These were my first pair of noise-canceling headphones. I chose these because of their portability and high ratings on calls. They are also my first pair of over-the-ear headphones. That part took a little getting used to, but it wasn’t bad.
The best part of these is I can take video calls from literally anywhere… airport, coffee shops, or restaurants are fine because they do a very good job of cutting out background noise.
7. AirPods
I can’t be an Apple guy and not have AirPods… so I usually bring those with me. I mainly only use them at a gym or on walks. I love them for talking on the phone on walks or in the airport. They’re just smaller and less bulky than the Bose headphones, but they’re not a necessity.
If you decide to go with the Airpod Pros (noise-canceling in-ear headphones), you may not even need to bring the Bose or any other headphones. Personally, it will be tough to substitute the Bose headphones with AirPods. They would have to be incredible, which I haven’t tried, so I wouldn’t know… someone who has used both, reach out to me and let me know!
8. IPad Air (sometimes)
The company I work for also provided me with an IPad Air. I sometimes bring this with me, especially when I fly. I mainly use this on flights to watch Netflix, read ebooks, check email, or do anything I need to do quickly.
The only plus of an iPad is the portability. I will say the Magic Keyboard is a MUST. To me, an iPad is useless without it. They’re expensive, but the design and the quick (and automatic) connection are the best I’ve seen.
If you’re going to use an iPad to replace your computer I would definitely go with an iPad Pro. The larger screen is a must-have in my opinion. Since I don’t always travel with my iPad or use it that much I don’t really have a need for the pro. I prefer my Macbook Air as my personal computer.
9. Travel Adapter
This only applies if you are traveling to other countries, but a must-have if you are. Trust me, I traveled to Switzerland (my first time in Europe) this year and quickly realized the power outlets were different. Not sure why nobody told me this in advance, but I guess this is common knowledge?
Either way, make sure you have a travel adapter for traveling to other countries.
10. Chargers / Adapters / Wires
This is an obvious one, but I would also add to ensure you have quality chargers. Confirm they are in good shape before traveling, and bring a backup charger if necessary. I usually have 2-3 phone chargers with me at all times, just in case. Multiple chargers also come in handy if you’re traveling with others who may have forgotten a charger.
I recently got a new magnetic battery charger from Anker that attaches to my iPhone and also has a pop socket on the back. This makes for an easy way to charge my phone while traveling without using wires or searching for an outlet.
What’s missing from my setup?
My traveling office setup isn’t complete and is missing some things that others may find necessary, but I don’t. Below is a list of additional things to consider and recommendations for each.
Portable/Foldable Keyboard + Laptop Stand
I haven’t added a portable keyboard to my traveling work set up intentionally. I don’t need it since I have my laptop and an additional screen. It seems like just another thing I have to pack without adding much value.
However, if I were to get a traveling laptop stand or if you definitely want one, I would 100% go with the Roost Laptop stand. I’ve used a friend’s before. It is small, lightweight, and very sturdy. It is perfect for you if you want to use a keyboard and only use the screen of your laptop.
Battery pack for Laptop
I haven’t become THIS much of a nomad yet. Everywhere I’ve had access to power, I’ve never had a problem keeping my laptop and other devices charged.
I only see this being a problem if you’re in a very remote location or if you’re traveling in a van. I’m sure there is some situation where outlets aren’t available, and you must have a portable power source. If this case, I would recommend the Jackery power cubes.
I haven’t personally used these, but I had a trusted friend (who lives in a van) recommend them to me. Of course, these aren’t very feasible for traveling by plane but are perfect for road trips or other forms of travel. The reality is the batties, with a lot of power, are heavy.
Wireless Hotspot
Wireless hotspots are similar to battery packs for me. I’ve never really seen use in them, but I probably should. Roomer has it that public wifi (coffee shops, coworking spaces, etc.) isn’t safe.
In a perfect world, I should probably always use a wireless hotspot and a VPN to provide the best security. This seems like a lot of work, and I’m lazy, so maybe one day I’ll get around to improving my security.
FAQ
What is a traveling office?
A traveling office is a term used to describe the gear you bring while traveling to ensure you can remain efficient in your work. So things are 100% necessary while working remotely, while others are just “nice to have.”
How do digital nomads get paid?
There isn’t any short, quick answer to this outside of digital nomads getting paid by doing some job “remotely.” This could be a corporate job, freelancing, or an online business that can be done from anywhere. The opportunities for this are endless.
Do digital nomads use Airbnb?
I’m sure there are a ton of digital nomads that use Airbnb. Personally, I think Airbnb is HORRIBLE for digital nomads, especially if you are traveling solo. Hotels, VRBO, Sonder, etc., are WAY better for one main reason: FEES.
If you can’t already tell, I’m a little over Airbnb. I think they are SO overrated for numerous reasons. They have service and cleaning fees on top of a room rate that is already comparable to other options. 99/100 times, they don’t come with breakfast, food, or room service either.
I still occasionally use Airbnb for traveling with groups, but I refuse to use them while traveling solo.
Wrapping it up
Working while traveling or traveling while working is exciting. The world is huge, the opportunity is endless. Preparing for your travels is important to ensure you can effectively complete your work.
The only way you’ll be able to make the “digital nomad” life work is with efficiency and productivity. It is a privilege to work from anywhere and to keep that privilege, you must perform. I hope this list of gear helps you in your future travels and in achieving your future goals.
Cheers!