I’ve been burned too many times by forgetting a charger on a week long trip or not having the right adapter for that big demo, so I’ve become a bit picky about what I carry on a daily basis and especially when traveling.

Here’s a rundown of what’s on me when I hit the road:

1. Multi Time Zone Watch - I typically wear a Citizen Skyhawk. Not expensive enough to get me in trouble, but good at its job.

2. Reliable Pen - This is the CountyComm Embassy Pen, which is not the best pen I’ve ever used, but reliably makes it unscathed through the worst I’ve thrown at it.

3. Phone Battery Case - I don’t know how I lived before I discovered battery cases. This is the Mophie Juice Pack Air, and while it’s not the most robust case (I broke my first one with a two foot fall), it adds hours and hours of battery life to my phone. Perfect for those long cross-country flights or days on the train.

4. A Notebook - This is just a trusty Moleskine, which I have a fondness for, paired with a bandolier my wife found for me on Etsy. My pen of choice at the moment is the Micron Black Pen, specifically in size 08, or 0.5mm, which gives a nice thick line that is great for diagraming.

5. Power Adapters - Do yourself a favor, no matter what brand of laptop you carry, spend the extra and get the manufacturer's adapter for your countries of choice. Here I have the UK adapter, which comes in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit, paired with my personal favorite converting adapter, the Kensington All-in-One Adapter, the build is not exactly super, but it’s compact and converts to all the standards you’d every need.

6. Laptop Charger - This is just the standard MacBook Air power adapter, with the OEM extension cable.

7. Sundries - This is the nitty gritty stuff, which I’ll highlight below, but it’s worth noting the organizational device I use is a Cocoon Grid-It in black. This simple board with grippy bands woven across it has massively improved my travel packing efficiency and has made it easier to find things when I’m need them.

8. Laptop Sleeve - Since you’ll have to take your laptop out and put it in a bin for the TSA to fondle, you really don’t want to leave it naked. My last laptop had numerous scratches and dents on the lid from where the lovely agent working the conveyor belt dropped my keys on it or stacked my bins for me without looking to see if they were first. This is the Acme Skinny Sleeve for 13" Airs, which is stylish and effective without being too bulky.

9. Laptop - I won’t get into the politics of Mac vs. PC, but I will say that a maxxed out MacBook Air 13" is the best laptop I’ve ever carried for travel.

10. Mouse - A lot of people have switched to the Apple Magic Trackpad, but I, being a grizzled veteran who prefers mice, still carry an Apple Magic Mouse for any potential graphic design or cursor intensive work to be done.

11. Headphones - Vital for drowning out engine noise or chatty neighbors, a good pair of headphones makes the trip feel a bit shorter. In the past I once carried the Audio Technica Active Noise Cancelers but I found them a bit too bulky for cross terminal hikes at O'Hare. Now I live and die by my Etymotic HF3s. While not active cancelers, the isolation is great for that exit-row seat right on the wing.

12. Business Cards - Carry double what you think you might need. Moo.com’s awesome LUXE cards are incredibly impressive and worth every penny.

13. A Sturdy Wallet - I have a thing for leather goods, and I absolutely adore the Bellroy Travel Wallet. It has room for multiple credit cards and IDs, as well as two sleeves for cash in multiple currencies, a passport holder, and even a tiny pen for filling out those damned immigration declarations forms. All that and it’s still small enough to fit in a back pocket!

I always try to get a little local currency before I leave town as my local bank gives me much better rates than the currency changers in the airport or the ATMs at my destination.

The Sundries:

1. Backup Headphones - These are an old pair of Apple In-Ears that work fine for the rare case that I don’t have my primaries on me.

2. Backup Phone Charger - Standard backup USB Cable for my iPhone

3. Backup Pen - The Fisher Bullet Space Pen is just a great backup pen, reliable, and doesn’t take up much space.

4. USB Drives - Just a couple Kingston Data Travelers, typically 8gb or smaller so that they’re disposable (no one ever returns them).

5. Square Reader - A must have for accepting payment or demoing cool new tech.

6. Cleaning Cloth - Nondescript cleaning cloth for glasses and devices. Pink so it gets returned :)

7. Lip Fix - Travel is rough on your lips.

8. “UGH” pack - Travel is rough on your body too. Just some Advil, pepto, etc.

9. Network Adapter - Network adapter for those of us that have laptops without ethernet. This has saved my sanity more than once. (Note to self, add ethernet cable to the list.)

10. Backup Backup Charger - Extra USB cable and power adapter. Usually I leave one at the hotel plugged in so that I don’t forget to plug in each night.

11. Extra Power Adapter

12. HDMI Adapter - Don’t get caught without the adapter you need for that big demo.

13. VGA Adapter - Just because they’re a VC doesn’t mean their demo gear is the latest and greatest.

14. DVI Adapter - Maybe have two of these. They disappear on me quite regularly.

15. Airplane Adapter(s) - Bring an extra in case your coworker forgets theirs!

What does your travel gear load out look like? Anything I’m missing? Let me know!

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