Some people can’t work from home. Some people can’t work on the road. Some people can. Just like any job, productivity varies. No one can (or should be expected to) operate at 100% all the time. Wandering and working on the road has some unique challenges. Power and access are two of the big ones. As our lives have become more connected power and access become more critical. I can work offline for several days, wandering, writing, editing, and photographing. But eventually, I need to get back online.
I’ve written posts in airports, in cafes, on planes (WARNING: most airline seats don’t come stacked w/outlets and goodies like Emirates Business Class pic below), even on buses. When inspiration happens, document it, in writing, in images, just document it. I prefer working from the couch with my lap desk. I also like there to be some background tv or music. I even travel with my lap desk, sometimes. I stream from my computer or phone to my Chromecast if I have a TV. Once your Chromecast, laptop, and smartphone are configured you can move from house to apartment to AirBnB to hotel. And I’ve loaded up my 4TB SSD with movies and TV episodes.
Being a wandering nomad means lots of adjustments to the housing situation. There generally aren’t as many power outlets in rooms (or tents!). My bedroom in Kuwait had a total of two and by two I mean two single outlets, not the double outlets in North America. ‘Tho even in North America, outlets aren’t always where you need them. In my experience (Israel, Lebanon, Germany, Kuwait, Spain, Italy, Turkiye, and Iraq) electricity is much more delicate and susceptible to surges, spikes, tripping breakers and blowing light bulbs. All of the gear I travel with is 100-240v so I don’t need a power transformer. I did score at a hotel in Doha with universal power outlets, talk about understanding your customers! Newer ones even have USB ports.
I really like my universal power strip, because packs a lot in. Six universal outlets and four USB ports are generally enough for a power hungry geek like me. Worst case scenario, when I know I’m going to be off the grid for a while and need to charge up everything I’ve got my laptop and GoPro Speed Charging dock plugged in. Then my Samsung Galaxy S20, wifi puck, Bluetooth earbuds, GoPro, and iClever wireless keyboard all charging via USB. In cafes or airports, I’ve made friends by having extra outlets and USB ports to share! I actually prefer a wired mouse and wired headphones so I don’t have to charge them all the time.
If you think your wifi coverage is bad at home, try it when you have concrete walls, floors, and ceilings! With concrete, it’s not possible to hide wires behind the drywall. So I’ve also got a 10′ (3m) USB cable to stretch as far from the main power outlet as possible. It’s not elegant and it’s not pretty. But when it comes to watching a live hockey game at 0100 I don’t really want to get out of bed.
Your travel kit should include a universal adapter, at least 1 10′ USB charging cable, a powerstrip bonus for universal w/USB ports, extra charging cables, extra SD cards, an external SSD, and a willingness to be offline and off the grid for hours or days.
