Ask HN: What is your digital-nomad equipment?
I'm thinking about digitally nomading, and I was curious to hear what people here in HN that are nomading are using. Bags, Digital equipment and clothing / other gadgets.
The iPad is optional. It replaces my notebook for sketching and taking notes. It's also a great e-reader. It's otherwise disconnected from my online life and receives no notifications. I yet have to use it as an extra monitor.
The MacBook is too big, but it's the laptop I had. I'd get a smaller one. It's also sensitive to pressure against the screen, so it needs an armoured case to survive in my panniers. A tablet with a detachable keyboard would be perfect, but I hate Windows.
Airpod Pros and ear plugs are essential. Nomads don't always get to work in silent places.
USB-C is a game changer. I pack one type of cable, one type of charger. Everything is a power bank for everything else. I have tiny adapters for my airpods, my shaver and my motorcycle helmet. It saves a lot of weight and space.
Off the bike, I use a backpack that fully opens. It's great because you don't have to fish for stuff at the bottom of your bag.
That's pretty much it. The rest is more about limiting pack size for motorcycle travel. Packing light makes you more flexible.
One caution is that a loaded backpack can potentially be a problem in a crash (had that happen once, backpack had to be cut off me). I've moved more of my gear into my tail bag since then.
If I could have proper development on an iPad Pro it's be perfect.
I don't use a backpack on the motorcycle. It's stowed in my panniers for when I get off the bike.
> If I could have proper development on an iPad Pro it's be perfect.
I need docker. Internet is never guaranteed, so I can't have a fancy remote setup.
My favorite hack you already mentioned--the little adapters to turn usb c into lightning or whatever. They're tiny and cheap. I glued together one for apple and one for micro usb, and then I only need the one cable.
A MS surface is definitely the correct choice here IMO, in terms of hardware. I run "Ubuntu" on it to get a terminal, then ssh into my cloud machine where I can develop.
I also have a fully opening bag, and I spent up on it. Make sure you put both zippers down, and on the same side, to avoid spilling bag contents down the highway.
The fewer things I have when traveling, the better. Always.
The fully opening bag is only for when I travel on foot. I use hard panniers on the motorcycle, mainly so that I can leave everything on the bike and go on foot as needed.
And yes, travelling light is better. I carry everything - gadgets, tools, camping gear, rain gear, 0-to-40-degree clothing, full motorcycle gear - in my two 37L panniers. Again, it means that I can lock everything on the bike and go. It's very important.
Better to choose sturdy things than nice things.
I have a Thinkpad, a mid-range smartphone and a Kindle filled with books.
I use one large military backpack, otherwise only small bags that are adapted to devices (drone, laptop bag, etc.).
The clothes are divided into three categories, nice clothes (suit), normal clothes, and things that have a purely practical use (rain jacket, hiking boots, Poncho etc.).
Make copies of your documents and keep them somewhere different from the originals.
You can prepare well by trying to live like a digital nomad at home. Minimize your belongings, try to live out of your bag.
I sprained my ankle getting off a bus on a business trip to NYC and did a lot of hopping around on one leg. An injury like that takes maybe six months to heal, experts aren't sure if it ever really heals.
Since then I travel with the laptop and one phone and I'm also aggressive about minimizing what I carry in terms of clothes, toiletries, etc. I live in a rural area where the shopping is awful so if I go to a big city I might buy some clothes and even a bag to put them in. (I used to be a big fan of socks from the Nike store until they discontinued the large size.)
My tech gear:
Backpack: Osprey Porter 46
Laptop: M1 Macbook Air w/ charger
USB-C Hub (HDMI, USB-A, Ethernet)
2 socket powerboard with plug adapter
And that's it!
Don't over-invest in a bag. Get the smallest one you can manage, and ensure you downsize your full-time carry so that it's 30%-40% empty.
The only way you can make the process enjoyable is to figure out how to bring as little as possible.
Every extra thing you bring makes you more and more tired, immobile, and slows you down. Which is the opposite of what you want.
Basically, bring as close to nothing as you can manage. There will be shops along the way, to sell you basically whatever you need, and probably for less than you're used to paying.
Smallest bag you can get away with. I used a 28L North Face Surge II. The difference between a regular decent-quality backpack and an expensive "digital nomad" bag is mainly in how much they cost.
Clothes that don't smell bad and can wash and dry overnight in a hotel room/Airbnb/hostel: Ex Officio underwear, Icebreaker or other merino wool t-shirts. Avoid jeans (heavy, take forever to dry) and anything made from cotton. Choose neutral colors and a few items you easily mix & match, you don't want to carry a lot of clothing. Remember you can buy clothes pretty much everywhere. Pro tip: hotel shampoo will work for washing clothes in a sink or bathtub.
A phone with two SIM slots is handy. I used Google Fi for US service and the second slot for a local SIM anywhere I stayed for more than a week. iPhones have a virtual SIM and a SIM slot (maybe not every model).
I ended up traveling with a Chromebook because everything in the cloud and cheap. Laptops get stolen, lost, or broken and getting repairs overseas can present major problems, depending on where you go. Acer Spin series are better than the ultra-cheap models targeted at students.
Chargers and cables are usually easy to find but take quality versions of the cables/chargers you need. You probably don't need an AC adapter, hotels usually have them or buy locally, but a small universal adapter might come in handy. Make sure all electrical items (laptop and phone charger, electric razor) are 110/220v compatible. Don't take hair dryer, curling iron, etc.
Unless you go to very remote/undeveloped places you won't need things like a water purifier (bottled water is ubiquitous), elaborate first aid kit, tent, etc. Nomading is not camping.
Written prescriptions for any meds you need. Be aware of local drug laws, i.e. absolutely no Adderall or amphetamines in Thailand. Antibiotics and other common medicines available pretty much everywhere.
The biggest hassles I've seen nomads bring on themselves have to do with money and communication. Keep your US/local bank account and credit cards. Set up paperless (online) billing and autopay for any bills. Get a Schwab Investor checking account, they refund all ATM fees, and those can add up (plus Schwab has great customer service 24/7). Get two debit cards and at least two credit cards and keep them separate -- one in the wallet, one in the backpack or locked somewhere safe. Arrange for mail forwarding back home. I used Traveling Mailbox (US only), they scan your mail and put it online, they will even forward, receive packages, and deposit checks.
Take good photos of your passport and other documents, keep them in cloud storage and on your phone. Know what you will need to get your passport replaced because that can turn into a major hassle overseas.
US citizens: You still have to file and pay taxes. Anyone telling you otherwise is wrong. If you live out of the US for 330+ days out of a year you may qualify for the FEIE, a potentially big tax break. Non-US citizens should check on their tax obligations, it can get complicated with residency rules.
Local medical insurance probably not accepted outside your home country. CIGNA and other companies offer expat policies. Routine medical care is almost always cheaper than in the US but insurance is a good idea. Read reviews because some companies selling travel/nomad insurance don't like to pay claims.
Carefully check visa and entry requirements in advance on official government web sites, and then check again. You can get refused boarding the plane or entry for seemingly small mistakes. Looking clean and groomed helps get through immigration, you want to look like a tourist, not a backpacker or someone who will be trying to get a local job. Reason for visit is always "tourism," never tell immigration authorities you plan to work in their country unless you have a visa that allows work.
Don't overthink it and stress too much about equipment and all that. Take the bare minimum, like what you would need for a long weekend at a hotel or friend's house. You have to carry all that stuff. Mostly you won't need half of what you think you will need. Think hard before buying expensive nomad gear.
Enjoy!
You'll end up paying $N00 and $10-30/mo for a good one, but they are very useful for people who use words like "nomad".
You can Bluetooth them to your phone to do things like SMS, maps, weather updates, etc when there's no cell service. They also usually have "SOS" buttons, just in case.