I am a digital nomad. This means I don’t have a place I call home and travel the world. It’s not that I don’t want a home, but I love to travel and learn more about the world. I combine working and traveling in one. As you might have guessed: I don’t have a home office where I do all my work. Nope, I carry it with me. I have two bags: A backpack for all clothing and non-essential stuff and a day backpack for equipment and essential stuff. And to give you an idea of what devices I drag along with me to create content for you, here is what’s in my day backpack:
It looks like a lot… And it is. But most devices are chosen because of their power and weight.
Lenovo YOGA Pro 7i
I would be nowhere without a laptop. Sure, I could write a lot on a tablet, but video editing, software development, game development, and much more wouldn’t be possible without a laptop. It took me a long time to find a good laptop. I have tried a few over the years, but most of them just didn’t work for me. Then I saw the Lenovo YOGA Pro 7i.
This laptop has 16 GB of internal memory and a 13th Gen Intel(R) Core -7-13700H (2400 Mhz, 14 cores), which is very good for heavy tasks.
The video card is also one of the reasons I bought this laptop. It has two video cards; an Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics (1 GB RAM) and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (6GB). Especially the last one is perfect for video editing, gaming, and image generation (AI / Stable Diffusion).
Thanks to the 1 TB disk I have plenty of space I don’t have to worry about storage. But somehow I always manage to fill it up. But that’s why I have an external disk, just for some extra storage of stuff I don’t need that much.
Of course, there are some downsides. It gets warm very quickly and the fans are almost making the laptop take off into outer space. The sound is sometimes a bit too loud. To give it some extra air, I placed the laptop on a small stand.
And although the battery is outstanding, when using it for heavier stuff, the battery runs out pretty quickly. But I guess that’s normal for all batteries.
This laptop is one of the best pieces of equipment I have had in a long time. I can do everything I want and more.
Samsung 7T 1TB SSD
I have a lot of documents. Images, videos, PDFs, and much more. Most of the important ones I have stored in the cloud, but it’s a good idea to store them in 2 places. I don’t store finished videos in the cloud simply because they are enormous.
To keep the storage on my laptop at a minimum (which I usually fail) I store a lot on an external disc. The Samsung 7T has been with me for a pretty long time now and it never fails me. Due to the USB-C connection, it is super fast (1,050/1000 MB). When I use a USB-A connection the speed is significantly slower.
There is a newer variant that has fingerprint or password protection. Just know that this is awesome, but it does need extra software and won’t work on your TV if you want to connect the 7T to it. I have used Bitlocker to encrypt the disc.
External USB-C monitor (Nomad Setups)
I must say this piece of equipment has been the best purchase of 2024. I love to work with multiple monitors and back when I had a home I had these big, 28″ monitors. Sadly, I can’t bring those with me. They are just too heavy.
Then through social media, I found Nomad Setups. They have monitors, especially for digital nomads. At first, I didn’t believe it, but at one point my curiosity took over.
I also found other monitors of other brands, but they are bigger, heavier, more expensive, or worse in quality. But the Nomad Setups monitor is just perfect.
They have different screen resolutions and I choose the 4K OLED. It also comes with a stand that can be adjusted in height, which isn’t the best, but it works. The monitor also comes with a sleeve and some cables. The best part of the monitor is that it can work on a USB-C connection only! You don’t need an extra power supply. This only works if your laptop supports it.
This monitor is awesome for working, but also gaming. In combination with my laptop, this is a great setup.
Sony WH-1000XM3 Headphones
When I work somewhere outside, like a coffee shop or an airport, I can be distracted by all the sounds. This is why I have noise-canceling headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM3 is perfect for this since the quality is outstanding and the noise canceling works. It is connected to my laptop (or phone, tablet, etc) by Bluetooth.
It’s also perfect for gaming and listening to music. The extra bass makes the sound even better. The battery lasts long and charging it doesn’t take long.
Yes, there are newer variants of these headphones on the market and I think I am going to replace the WH-1000XM3 soon. But for now, it works just how I want it.
DJI Pocket 3 and DJI Mic
Although I haven’t released much, I do make videos. For this, I use my phone and the DJI Mic the most, but the DJI Pocket 3 is a great addition to the device family.
Although DJI is a bit controversial, I love how easy they make it to use the devices. I also had a DJI Mavic Mini drone and thanks to DJI it’s super easy to learn how to control a drone.
Anyway, the DJI Pocket 3 is a pocket-sized, 4K, with a gimbal video recorder. It has a tracking mode and much more.
Although the colors of the inside recording aren’t the best, it also works as a webcam. The webcam inside my laptop isn’t the best, so using the Pocket 3 is a good alternative. Just connect the Pocket 3 with USB-C to the laptop, choose webcam, and it’s set to go!
While the laptop and the Pocket 3 can record sounds, it isn’t of the best quality. That is why I got the Pocket 3 creator combo. Besides the Pocket 3 it also includes a power bank, a tripod, and the DJI Mic 2. The DJI Mic 2 comes with a nice clip and a windscreen.
Samsung Tab S6 Lite
When I am on the move I could get bored. I mean, an 11-hour flight with Chinese entertainment isn’t the best way to fly. This is why I have a tablet. Another reason why I carry a tablet is to read scripts, make notes, draw, listen to music, and pure entertainment. The Samsung Tab S6 Lite is from 2020 and really in need of replacement, but it still does what it needs to be doing.
This tablet works on Android and has a resolution of 2000×1200. It has 64 GB storage, but I could add another SD card. The Octa core (8) and the 4 GB memory work perfectly for simple stuff. The battery is very good although there is no fast charging.
The tablet is also equipped with WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth (5.0), and USB-C connection.
Logitech MX Keys
Since the laptop is on a stand and I am looking directly at the external monitor, it’s not convenient to use the laptop keyboard. Hence the external keyboard. I don’t want a keyboard with AA batteries that run out every 10 minutes or a keyboard that has a cord. So I ended up with the Logitech MX Keys.
It comes in 2 variants: The one with a numpad and the one without. I have the one with the numpad, but I couldn’t live without it. It makes it a bit bigger than needed. This keyboard types really smooth and it’s rather quiet. Although it is a bit heavy it’s a very nice keyboard to use.
The MX Keys can also be used on a tablet and/or phone and you can connect it to 3 devices. The keys have lights, but you can turn them off.
The battery lasts a long time and can be charged with a USB-C cable. I use the cable from my laptop when that is fully charged.
Logitech MX Master 3
And last but not least: A mouse. I have big hands so I need a big and steady mouse. The Logitech MX Master 3 is such a mouse.
The laser and 4000DPI makes it accurate and the Bluetooth connection is ideal for when you don’t have many USB slots on your device. It can also be used on a tablet, phone, and other devices with Bluetooth.
Just like with the MX Keys, you can connect 3 devices to it and switch between them with one button. The other 7 buttons can be set up how you like (except for the left and right button). The size of the mouse is of ergonomics design, making it work very well for a longer period of time.
But it’s rather big. It’s 51mm height, 84 mm wide, and 124,9mm deep. Not ideal to take along with you in a bag, which is already stuffed with other devices.
Other Equipment
Other stuff that I need to take along with me, that aren’t in the day backpack, are my Samsung S23 Ultra phone, a DJI Action cam (for diving, etc.), and an e-reader.
Although the Samsung S23 Ultra is a great Android phone, it’s pretty big and heavy. And the zoom… Well, it’s not really what they advertised. If you want to have something with a really good zoom, get a dedicated camera. But the phone is perfect for gaming, recording normal video, and taking normal photos. But if I am going to replay it I won’t go for the ultra again. Size does matter in some cases.
The DJI Action cam is rarely used. I use it for outdoor activities such as diving, on a motorcycle, or other activities that need a sturdy camera. In other situations, I would use my phone or the DJI Pocket 3. This action cam is on the list to be removed from my bag.
