My laptop bag is my office away from the office. It's how I get work done when I'm out and about, whether that's a coffee shop down the road, or a coffee shop on the side of a volcano.
I can whip out my laptop and start getting work done.
But what's in my laptop bag?
Here, let me take out on a tour.
Do note that my laptop of choice is a 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro. The side and the operating system dictate some of my choices, but to be honest, most of the items I've listed here will work with most laptops.
Also, on top of the things listed here, I carry the stick Apple MacBook USB-C charger and a bunch of different cables.
Inner velcro panels to attach organizers, pouches and holsters. Universal carrying strap allowing detachment and use with our other bag models.
Detachable stabilizing strap, useful for bikers.
Two external flask pockets (0.5L)
Spacious main chamber with foam-lined laptop pocket, internal zippered mesh pocket, two drawstring closed pockets. External zippered pocket at the front.
Sometimes the hotspot feature on my iPhone just isn't enough for the job. Either the network I'm using for my phone isn't good in the area I'm in (and swapping SIMs is a faff), or I just need a more powerful hotspot.
And the Netgear 5G mobile hotspot is perfect. It packs a lot of power into a small device and has enough power to supply high-speed Wi-Fi for up to 32 devices.
Delivers up to 7x faster speed than 4G
Backward compatible for 4G devices
WIFI 6: Connect and stream up to 32 devices simultaneously at fast 1.8Gbps speed
Unlocked for 5G around the world using your provider's Nano SIM card
Requires Nano SIM card from carrier and activation of compatible BYOD (Bring Your own Device) 5G data plan that meets your data needs
Connect to your existing home router using the Gigabit Ethernet port for fast, reliable backup Internet connection
Battery lasts up to 13 hours on a single charge
Large 2.4-inch screen provides data usage monitoring, mobile signal strength, and network management information
The Flash Pro Plus is a chunky power bank made of aircraft-grade anodized aluminum and batteries that weighs in at a reassuring 580 grams.
It's a big power bank housing five 21700 Panasonic lithium polymer graphene composite cells holding 25,000mAh of power.
And the power bank can push that power out of four ports and two wireless charger pads.
My AirPods Pro are the very best earbuds that I've ever used. Packed with loads of functionality, comfortable, fantastic battery life, and integrate really well with the iPhone.
Active Noise Cancellation blocks outside noise, so you can immerse yourself in music
Transparency mode for hearing and interacting with the world around you
Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking places sound all around you
Adaptive EQ automatically tunes music to your ears
Three sizes of soft, tapered silicone tips for a customizable fit
Force sensor lets you easily control your entertainment, answer or end calls, and more
Sweat and water resistant
Jack Skeens / Shutterstock
The perfect way to keep track of my bag. I have one of these hidden in most of my bags and luggage, because it offers me peace of mind.
Simple one-tap setup instantly connects AirTag with your iPhone or iPad
Play a sound on the built-in speaker to help find your things, or just ask Siri for help
Precision Finding with Ultra Wideband technology leads you right to your nearby AirTag (on select iPhone models)
Find items further away with the help of hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Find My network
Put AirTag into Lost Mode to be automatically notified when it's detected in the Find My network
The MacBook Pro is limited in terms of the ports that it features, so a dock is pretty much a must. On top of that, the ability to fit an M.2 drive into the dock means that I have portable storage with me wherever I go.
The USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter features convenient, built-in SSD storage to easily boost memory space, back up data, and transfer files with speeds up to 5 Gbps – all without taking up an additional USB-C port. Supports SATA M.2 SSDs only
Enjoy crystal-clear 4K HDMI display output to your supported external monitor with a refresh rate up to 60Hz for ultra-smooth streaming and videos. Requires a direct HDMI to HDMI connection
Equipped with an USB-C Power Delivery (PD) charging port to help keep your setup charged while you work, up to 100W. Note: 15W is used by the hub for operation
Features two USB-A 3.1 ports for fast data transfer up to 10 Gbps – perfect for transferring images, backing up files, or expanding storage.
I have loads of these drives. They are robust, fast, and are a great way to take lots of storage with me when I'm out and about.
High-speed performance with read speeds up to 1050 MB/s
Works with Windows, Mac, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Android, Linux, PS4, and Xbox
Comes with USB-C 3.1 Gen2 and USB-A connectors
Durable design, featuring an anodized aluminum unibody core.
Drop proof up to 7.5 feet.
Extreme-temperature, shock, and vibration proof
I occasionally need an Ethernet port. This is why I have this. It's the usual high quality I have come to expect from Anker.
Hardware interface: USB, Ethernet
Operating system: Window, macOS, Linux
I fill up a lot of microSD cards when capturing video with my drones, so being able to ingest multiple cards simultaneously is a handy time-saving feature.
A high-quality card reader that's designed for professionals.
The ProGrade Digital USB 3.2 Gen 2 microSD dual-slot memory card reader transfers your data at lightning speed – up to 1.25GB/s (10Gb/s) from both cards simultaneously
An included adhesive metal plate attaches the magnetic card reader to your laptop to create a compact mobile workstation