Messenger bag

For nearly a decade now, I've been using some iteration of a custom Timbuk2 Laptop Messenger Bag, sans the handle but with "compression straps" for making it lower-profile when I don't have much in it. I'm a firm believer in messenger bags over backpacks, preferring the tradeoff of easy access to a sore shoulder. I'm also a firm believer that anybody who takes a bag with wheels onto the CES showfloor is specifically trying to make my life difficult.

13-inch Macbook Air

This is the mid-2011 edition and it has served me well, with the combination of power, weight, and reliable build quality that has made it a favorite of the Verge staff. If (when?) a Retina-version becomes available, I'll probably buy the last non-Retina-version possible — you can keep your extra pixels, I prefer battery life.

iPad mini (Verizon LTE, 32GB)

Say hello to the first (but far from the last) tool in my bag for getting online. I haven't looked at my larger iPad 3 since I got this, if only to ensure I won't rue the lack of a Retina display. The iPad mini is light enough to keep in my bag, and I'm hoping that I'll use it for both browsing and hotspot duties so I can save my laptop's battery for more work-related tasks.

Phones

My primary phone for CES this year will be Samsung’s Galaxy S III, which I chose for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s Android and I’m more productive on that platform, especially when it comes to email. Second, it has LTE on AT&T, a must. Third, it has a replaceable battery, because having a phone last all day on a single charge is basically a pipe dream at CES. That said, I’m a phone guy, so I’ll be carrying an iPhone 5 and a Nexus 4 as backups — and it’s entirely possible at least one more will sneak in there.