We dig into the process of choosing a bag in which to carry all your mobile devices (and other stuff). We hear about Juan’s attempt to merge two G+ hangout sessions (and how we might construct a serious system to do a better job of it). We talk about this week’s Google Docs outage, musing about what it might mean to cloud computing and contemplating where gDocs fits into the free-to-paid office app suite continuum. And we learn that it’s possible to hear about an earthquake that happens less than 100 km away by Twitter — before you feel the rumbling.
I find myself on the road quite a bit between my kids sporting competitions, vacations or work. So over the past 10 years or so I’ve developed my own personal system that seems to work well enough for me. My system includes a laptop friendly backback, using ziploc baggies to pack anything with a cord to avoid tangles, and as much portable power that I can reasonably afford.
Unfortunately the backpack that I’ve used since March 2010 is no longer available and that’s a shame because it is an incredibly good backpack. Although now that I think of it the backpack was on CLEARANCE from Dell when I purchased it so I shouldn’t be surprised. If you ever run across this model SwissGear Wagner backpack snag it because it was a steal at $35. Here is a link so you can see what I’m referring to: http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/dell-swiss-gear-wenger-backpack--fits-laptops-with-screen-sizes-up-to-17-red-dell-only-laptop-accessories-travel-mice-laptop-bags-docking-small-medium-business I would highly recommend SwissGear style backpacks in general, though because they are not only rugged, but they tend to have electronic-friendly designs with pockets and compartments to fit almost any style of gear travel.
Both Chuck and I use Ziploc baggies to pack. My primary purpose for using the baggies to to prevent any unnecessary cord tangles. But the baggies can also be used to prevent unnecessary liquid damage in case you are caught out in the rain or have someone spill something on top of your stuff while it is resting on the ground.
If you find yourself traveling even moderately, extra batteries are a must. I’ve always purchased 1-2 extra laptop batteries when I get my laptop, although recently I’ve found getting non-OEM batteries from places like batterydepot.com can be enormously cheaper. I also have found an extra external 6000 mAh brick battery will help out with your mobile electronics like your iPad, your iPhone/Droid and your iPods/MP3 players. I purchased a ZAGG battery from amazon.com earlier this year and instantly fell in love with it. At the very least I would highly recommend a smaller 1500 mAh charger to give you a little added charge boost at the end of a high-use day.
The other must-take with you accessory would be a 6’ extension plug with three outlets. I’ve used mine countless times in airports and hotel rooms. You can pick one up rather cheap such as this one. I also use a small 3 outlet surge protection that’s helped out a few times too like this one.
Other travel accessories that I take along each time are:
- Smaller Travel sized Plantronic .audio 630M chat headset
- Sony Noise Cancelling Earphones (Would love the Bose QC 15’s instead)
- 1 TB external USB Hardrive
- Smaller flash drive
- Armband for workout iPod
- Earbud splitter
- Device chargers
- Umbrella
- Water Bottle
- Energy/Protein Bars
~Shooter Out
ETA: Here is a link to the SwissGear backpack that I would choose if I were buying one now: Pegasus. It has the stronger carry strap on top and many of the compartments that my Wegner version has. There’s just something about the red Wegner that I like, though.
Most of what passes for a ‘messenger bag’ these days really isn’t. A true messenger bag has two straps, one for the shoulder and one for the waist. The bag is designed to be worn up on your back with the waist (or stomach) strap keeping it stable. The waist strap will have a quick release so the bag can be spun around to the front for access. It’s really designed to stay on you all day. (I used a surplus NATO backpack when I was a messenger, myself, but then I carried half a bike shop around with me.)
My current bag is a handcrafted leather satchel that can convert to a backpack seamlessly. It’s a design that I haven’t seen elsewhere, but apparently was popular in the old west. There’s similar ones that involve unhooking and re-hooking the strap, but this style is much cleaner. I have a sleeve for my MacBook (a unibody, so it’s pretty tough) and use a couple Crown Royal bags for cable storage. My iPhone is in a leather InCase belt clip case that rarely leaves my person.
My kindle and ipod touch go everywhere with me in whatever purse I’m using. I got the leather cover with built in book light for the kindle and also a lovely skin in case I want to go light!
My needs are a little different than most. My bag for daily use is a Domke F-803 messenger bag with dividers for my daily camera, a couple of lenses, and even a pocket that fits an iPad comfortably
I do a lot of bicycle commuting, and I’ll say a sternum strap is essential to me. My current pack is a North Face daypack, but when I replace it (probably this winter) I’ll be looking hard at Osprey’s line of active travel packs. I’ve got one of their Raptor series hydration packs for mountain biking, and it’s hands down the best I’ve ever had. They’ve got a couple different types of travel/commute backpack in 2 sizes each, with lots of compartmentalization and laptop pockets inside. Integrated rain covers, key and phone storage and some of the best straps and back panels I’ve seen in a pack sweeten the deal. If you’re in the market, check out their stuff. It’s also very well made.
Someone wasn’t using their GWC approved storage bag to properly secure their equipment.
~Shooter Out
Me too! I can get a lot of geek goodies in there!
I agree that Swiss Gear back packs are awesome. I have one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swissgear-GA-7316-06F00-Ibex-Laptop-Backpack/dp/B000VOC90Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316455854&sr=8-2 and I love it. Yes, it was expensive, but worth every penny. There’s plenty of room for almost anything you might want to carry. I don’t move my laptop quite as much as I used to, but I still use the bag for other everyday items. This is my second Swiss Gear bag. I had another one but I had to retire it when I bought a bigger laptop. It was also a great bag, it’s still in almost perfect condition. If I ever go back to a smaller laptop I’ll be using it again.
My backpack from college just totally died and my old messenger bag doesn’t meet my needs anymore. I’m also looking at being in school again next fall. So this was perfect–I am now educated enough to make a smart choice for a new backpack or similar-type bag. Thank you!
UPDATE:
About a month ago my wife purchased this exact product and it never worked out of the box. It would only charge the device for a few minutes before shutting off. At most we received a 5% battery bump from it (Droid, iPhone, or iPad).
Simultaneously, the wall plug broke on one I had since last summer. One of the prongs just literally broke off. I re-checked the reviews on Amazon and the 1 star reviews outnumber the rest now. I would recommend staying away from this product and locating a different external battery.
~Shooter Out