Traveling with your computer can be a hassle. Whether you are working off-site, on a photoshoot in a park, or even gaming with some friends, there are a few things you should have that will make your journey easier. So, if you are a creator on the go, a daily commuter, or somewhere in between, we have some ideas on what you should bring with you while you’re out and about.
Daily Commuter
If you’re a user who is just going into the office and coming home, chances are you want a loadout that is lightweight and compact. Picking a laptop has a direct effect on which kind of bag you choose. Larger laptops require bigger bags, while smaller laptops offer more options like messenger, sling, and shoulder bags. If you are a daily commuter, chances are you don’t want something big and bulky. You’re going to want something that is really easy to travel with whether you are going to the office or heading out to take care of some business elsewhere.
Messenger bags like the Samsonite Modern Utility fit the bill, giving you great features like a lightweight design, water resistant materials, and can carry a whole lot of peripherals from pencils to charging cables, and more. Most importantly, it has enough room to hold laptops up to 15.6-inches big or most 14” MacBooks. It also helps that it looks modestly professional.
It is always nice to have a solid mouse, especially a wireless one that connects via Bluetooth, uses replaceable batteries, and offers additional buttons for shortcuts, macros, and other important commands. I can easily recommend the Logitech Signature M650 L Wireless Mouse because it features all of these capabilities while remaining compact and lightweight.
I would also like to suggest a solid privacy screen for your laptop. A good privacy screen reduces the viewing area of your display so that only you see what is going on. These are typically lightweight with various materials that keep it in place while you work. Whether you are sifting through sensitive information, want to reduce glare, or add a layer of scratch protection to your laptop’s display, you can’t go wrong with a privacy screen. There are different sizes and variants, so make sure you pick the right one that matches the size of your display.
Creators on the Go
Artists, designers, vloggers, and other creators who manage their craft out in the wilds of society are going to have a lot more to pack aside from their laptop. Usually equipped with a powerful laptop with a crystal-clear screen, it’s easy to say that a backpack would be the first piece in solving this travel puzzle.
A nice large backpack that can hold your laptop along with providing you with additional pockets to hold other accessories is key. If you are someone who uses a drawing tablet, multi-pocketed backpacks could be of great use. Since you will be out and about more often, thinking about a backpack that offers some sort of weather resistance is a good idea too. Which is why I recommend the Nomatic Backpack, which offers a slim design and a solid, relaxing fit while offering vast expansion options. It’s also great if you are holding additional items like small travel cameras, cables, and more.
Let’s take a look at mice. The Logitech mouse I suggested before could easily work, but for creatives, you want something a bit more robust. Something that has additional buttons and might feel more comfortable to use over longer periods of time. Going back to Logitech once again, their MX Master 3S mouse is great! It offers ample buttons, a long-lasting battery, and a great optical sensor for added accuracy, great when you are working on highly detailed projects where precision matters.
For some creators, you may want to bring a tablet with a drawing apparatus or a compact drawing tablet. Either way, a thin and lightweight device that helps you draw while you are out and about could be absolutely game changing when it comes to unleashing your creativity. For stand-alone usage, a device like an iPad Air and Apple Pencil Pro can work together to provide you with great utility, drawing capabilities, and even let you enjoy some of your favorite media. If you are looking for something that works in tandem with your laptop because you like the software integration, then a devices like the Wacom Movink 13 solves that issue thanks to the full high-definition touchscreen, great modular pen stylus, and compatibility with multiple operating systems.
Another device that I would suggest is a solid USB hub. This will expand the capabilities of your system and maybe add some utility that isn’t standard to your laptop. For example, some laptops don’t have an SD card slot, but a USB hub could have one. This will help with saving information, connecting additional peripherals, and more. Most hubs are compact and lightweight, easily packed in a pocket for later use. Hubs like this CAMVATE Portable USB-C Hub offer ample connectivity and fast data speeds.
Of course, I can always suggest some sort of storage solution. External storage drives are essential to keeping your data safe. Despite being made for the great outdoors, a rugged storage drive that offers a bit of extra protection is always nice to have in the event of accidental drops and light impacts. If you are looking for some suggestions, you should check out our guide on the Best External Hard Drives and SSDs to help give you a couple of suggestions from some of the most reliable and popular brands. LaCie has a great Rugged Mini External SSD that provides a solid layer of protection.
An external drive isn’t the only type of storage you should have on-hand, especially if you are a content creator. Extra high-quality SD cards are definitely worth having on you and they often retain their value. We do have a guide that tells you Everything You Need to Know About SD Cards in the event that you don’t know exactly which one would benefit you the most. If you are new to the world of content creation, the SanDisk Creator Series SD cards are a good place to start.
Finally, if you are a multitasker looking for additional screen real estate, may I suggest a portable external display. These connect to your main system and give you a secondary display so you can expand your windows and projects onto multiple screens. Whether you are taking notes and researching topics, you need a pop-out screen when editing, or anything else, a secondary display could be the key to streamlining your processes. As long as your system supports either DisplayPort via USB-C or Thunderbolt, you can easily use a portable display like the 16” ASUS ZenScreen, which offers great clarity in a travel-friendly form factor.
Photographer Friendly
Photographers tend to rely on desktop systems but sometimes may need to use a laptop when shooting out on location. This is useful if you are trying to proof photos and do some on-the-fly editing. But there are some useful tools that could enhance your setup. Most 14” and 16” laptops are great to use on-site along with most 16” MacBook Pro models.
The question remains, where do you set up your system when you are away from a traditional desk? Luckily there are many different tools at your disposal. There are foldable laptop stands with height adjustment options. These are great for keeping your computer relatively close to your camera or off on the side. Stands like the On-Stage LPT7000 Deluxe are great for laptops as well as other mobile devices if need be.
A few items for the creators on the go like rugged storage drives are definitely a great tool you should have by your side, and the LaCie Rugged Mini External SSD should suffice for the most part. If your camera features a microSDXC slot and supports UHS-I and UHS-II interfaces, the SanDisk microSD Express Memory Card is a great device thanks to its newly enhanced design giving you increased data transfer speeds over standard microSD cards with support for high-resolution recording.
Since you are going to be taking a lot of photos, you’re also going to go through a lot of SD cards. So, organizing them into an order that makes sense would be most beneficial. Devices like the Ruggard Leda Memory Card Case is great for holding onto the cards you’re not using and for making quick swaps when needed. If you are using different types of cards, there are other options available too.
Storing all of your belongings could be a bit difficult, especially if you also want to carry lenses and other important camera equipment such as all the stuff mentioned above. You’re going to want lots of pockets, support for laptops up to 16”, and mounting points to hold equipment like tripods and stands. This is why the Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW III backpack stands out as a solid choice for photographers on the move.
The Social Gamer
When it comes to gaming enthusiasts, there are a lot of variables out there but there is only one constant: gaming laptops are huge. They are typically outfitted with larger screens ranging from 16” to 18” and have powerful components along with a rather large power brick.
You’re not going to carry around your gaming laptop under your arms as you venture towards your destination, you’re going to need a backpack. You need room for your peripherals like a mouse, maybe a spare keyboard, some storage drives, and the already mentioned power brick. This is why I can easily recommend a backpack like the Mobile Edge Core Gaming Backpack, which offers multiple models that provide ample space for all you need.
A mouse is always a nice device to have on hand. Depending on the level you play, you’ll want something comfortable and smooth with multiple buttons and some nice software to help you program various features along with adjustable sensitivity settings. I can suggest my personal favorite mouse, the Logitech G G502 HERO gaming mouse, which I use on multiple systems.
As for a keyboard, you’re going to want something light and compact. I know switches are also incredibly important, so you want to do some due diligence and recognize what kind of switches you like. This will directly affect the feel of the keyboard and how you interact with it. When it comes to performance and form factor, I personally feel the ASUS Falchion Ace fits the bill especially considering how it includes a keyboard cover that protects the keys from getting pushed in while in transit.
For more information on the products mentioned in this article, including additional info on specs, features, and more, be sure to check out the designated product page of each item.
