Even prior to the world stopping for 2 years with everyone sent off to work from home, I was a remote worker who also spent part of the year as a digital nomad. Mr. Misadventures and I go to France for at least 1 month every year (or longer depending on the year) and last year we spent 1 month in Lisbon.
I will be doing a repeat of that this year, except instead of just 1 month in Portugal it will be 2! Not having the proper setup for work is manageable for a week or two but not for longer lengths of time. I have now perfected my remote work kit and I thought I would share it!
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These are the remote working tools you need!
Laptop or iPad
When I travel I usually have 2 laptops: one for work and a personal laptop for everything else. After working in corporate America too long including a stint at a bank, therefore, regulated, I don’t mix work and personal. Never forget everything on your work laptop is tracked!
Portable monitor: SideTrak Solo Touch Pro HD
For my next trip, I will bring my work laptop and my new iPad Air. Neither has big screens and I often want to have 2 screens/monitors to work on. It is what I have for my home setup and what I want for my remote setup.
Enter SideTrak Solo Touch Pro HD [Gifted]!
The SideTrak Solo Touch is a freestanding portable monitor with a really nice design. Honestly, it has been a game-changer and made my work and productivity life so much better! It has a touchscreen as well for working with the controls (brightness, etc.).
It is lightweight -2 pounds! So I bought a 15.6 inch Lacdo Laptop Sleeve Case and it fits in my backpack along with my laptop.
External Hard Disk
Gone are the days of massive external hard drives and expensive memory. I carry 1 terabyte of disk space with me in a tiny Samsung Portable SSD T7, a 2×3 card size disk! I have a ton of photos and documents I need access to and I don’t always want to be connected to the cloud (in fact I hate it). This little baby is amazeballs!
Samsung Portable SSD T7, image credit: Samsung
Peripherals
I worked at Logitech for 13 years so I know what that word means It’s a fancy word to describe the category of products that are basically your computer accessories. Things like mice, keyboards, and webcams.
I can use the trackpad on my laptop and I definitely use the keyboard, but I like having a mouse too. So I travel with a Logitech MX Anywhere.
Logitech MX Anywhere Mouse, photo credit Logitech.
Mr. Misadventures and I share a Logitech Combo Touch iPad Air keyboard case that attaches to our iPad Airs (he has one too).
Video, Conference Calls + Lighting
Of course, both my laptop and iPad have built-in cameras, but I have to look at myself all day on conference calls and I am not a spring chicken so I prefer good lighting and an HD camera. My webcam is also from Logitech (loyal to the end!). I use the Logitech Brio 4K Ultra 4K HD. I bring a Lume Cube (you can also use the Lume Cube Video that comes with a tripod/stand) to soften harsh light from hotel or Airbnb light fixtures!
Most of my conference calls are on Google Meet or Zoom. If your remote background is not optimal then you need to prepare a background. Both Zoom and Google Meet have some default backgrounds you can select from or you can create your own in Canva. I have done some fun ones!
My Google Meet background I created in Canva.
Don’t feel like doing your makeup? No problem! There are filters you can use/buy that make you look like you do. I have a co-worker who uses them all the time and she looks beautiful!
Accessories
Unless you have a very thoughtful Airbnb host (and don’t get me started on hotels!) you will never have enough outlets for all your electronics! I always travel with a small power strip, a Belkin wall mount surge protector, and this Anker power and charging cube.
Don’t forget the cables! My Apple Watch, iPad Air, and iPhone all have different cables (argh).
Pouches
I have written about my love for pouches for carrying different categories of things in my tote bag when I am out and about but I also use them to organize all my cables and accessories for work. I am a HUGE fan of Mochi Things!
That’s it! That’s my kit for remote working. It allows me to have an efficient setup with comfort and without sacrifice.
Oh, and hey, if you aren’t a remote worker yet and want to be, here’s how to find a remote job!