Software I use, gadgets I love, what's in my travel bag, and other things I recommend.

I get asked a lot about the things I use to stay productive and travel lightly. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.

Suitcase

  • Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L Travel Pack (2020 version)

    I take this suitcase everywhere with me. It's the perfect capacity for avoiding checked baggage fees, and it's made of a durable material that has handled all environments I've thrown at it. It has a clamshell opening with two separate chambers, two exterior pockets, and can be worn with on eshoulder or across the chest based on how the straps are configured. I use the 2020 model, so I can't speak to the newer version.

  • Fjall Raven Ulvo Rolltop 23 Backpack (Mountain Blue)

    Waterproof backpack with a rolltop closure. I use this as my personal backpack when traveling, and it's the perfect size for my laptops, headphones, acessory bag, and books/journal.

  • Cotopaxi Del Dia Cubos Travel Cubes

    To keep my stuff organized when traveling for weeks on end, I've gotten great use out of the Cotopaxi travel cubes. They're made of a durable material and mesh sides. I use the small and large sizes for my clothes, and the medium size fits a pair of shoes perfectly.

  • Leatherman Style PS

    Having a small multitool with me has proven handy many times over. I love this one because it's TSA friendly (no blade + scissors are below the limit), and it has a carabiner clip so I can attach it to my backpack or suitcase.

  • Patagonia Black Hole Cube 3L

    I use two of these as my dopp kit. They have a big main compartment with a mesh side pocket. Perfect size to carry around and leave next to the sink in a hotel room.

  • Humangear GoTubb & GoToob

    Nifty container solution for pills and travel liquids.

Electronics

  • 13.6” MacBook Air, M2, 16GB RAM (2022)

    This is my personal computer, and it has handled everything I’ve thrown at it with ease. Granted, I haven't been playing games or editing videos with it, but its light weight and long battery life make it ideal for taking with me wherever I go.

  • Apple iPhone 14 Pro

    This phone has been a great upgrade from my iPhone 11 Pro. The camera is amazing, the battery life is great, and the screen is beautiful. Very little to complain about here.

  • Nintendo Switch

    I don't play a lot of games, but when I do it's on this little guy. Small size and all the games I want to play stored right on the SD card make it the perfect travel companion.

  • Sony WH1000XM3 Headphones

    Have been using these for 3 years at this point and I see no need to replace them. They're comfortable, have great sound, and they do a great job silencing the noises around me while in transit.

  • Kobo Aura H20

    I've had this e-reader since 2015, and it's still going strong. I love that it's waterproof and has a backlight for reading in the dark. I've read over 100 books on it at this point. I have a popsocket on the back of it to make holding it for extended periods of time more comfortable.

  • Apple Airpods Pro 2

    I use these for listening to music and podcasts and for making phone calls. They're easy to carry around in my pocket and have great sound quality.

Productivity

  • Raycast

    Great application launcher now with ChatGPT integration!

  • Craft

    Awesome notes application with a clean UI and a great mobile app.

  • YNAB

    I've been using this since 2019 for budgeting and tracking my credit cards and balances. No complaints, though I wish it was a bit cheaper.

  • Focus

    Simple tool for blocking distracting websites when I need to just do the work and get some momentum going.