It’s how I roll…
June 21, 2009
Talking to a lot of people in security and consultancy in general, it’s pretty clear that a) we do a lot of travel as part of our job and b) pretty much have travel down in things that work for us, what we pack, etc. In some ways I have to be thankful in that I haven’t had to do a lot of travel recently – switching roles from customer facing consultant to an internal research/development/architect role means I get to stay at home more and work from my home office instead. I’m probably still on the road about 1 week of every month, month and a half, which compared to some of my other colleagues is very leisurely, but generally I don’t mind traveling – it’s nice to go to new places and explore, especially when it’s on someone else’s dime!
Main bag
I’ve spend ages (and lots of $$$) getting the “right” bag and I think this is the one for me. I’ve had Oakley bags, Crumpler bags, Timbuk2 bags, but the Swiss Gear Synergy backpack is what I’ve used for well over a year now. Some people have shoe fetishes; mine’s bags. I keep getting/changing bags so often but the fact I’ve had and used this one for so long must mean something!
Comms
Currently I have have an ATT Tilt phone which does me very well. Because of work I don’t have an iPhone (incompatible email – Blackberry or GoodLink – don’t even ask) which I guess I would consider, but I have to have email on my phone and I’m not carrying two devices. When it’s available on a GSM provider (ATT or T-Mobile in the US) I’m really going to look at getting the Touch Pro 2. In addition to the phone itself I always carry a spare battery just in case (after a long day of consulting, and especially IR work, batteries drain quickly – more reason not to go with an iPhone 
) and a spare charger so I don’t have to remember to pick up the one at home each time. For a headset, which I honestly don’t use all that much, the Jawbone 2 has been excellent.
Peripherals
I use a Kensington power supply with multiple tips for other devices I carry so I don’t have to pack multiple chargers. Yeah, I know the cell phone charger is a separate one, but I’ve found I have to carry at least these two or I forget to charge my phone each night! Looking to pickup a Belkin power splitter so I can use/charge multiple things when there’s limited power outlets like in airports and some hotels.
I also carry a Kensington laptop lock which I always use because it’s just too easy to walk away with a laptop and have seen it many times. I wouldn’t be all that worried about the data as I use SafeBoot and PGP VirtualDisks for client information, but being without a laptop would be a major PITA.
In the case is a headset/mic and a webcam. I use the two for staying in touch with home when I’m traveling and conferences calls via Skype. The choice for the Logitech headset was as much for the case as the headset itself – although the headset is good, having a solid place to put it and some other things at a squeeze, sold it for me as I’ve busted many others by not having having a place to protect them
Rounding out I have a general power converter (only needed when traveling international), a short USB cable (never know when you need one), and a Microsoft ARC mouse – a tad expensive for what it is, but has been the best travel mouse I’ve had in a while and folds up into nothing.
Entertainment
Sitting on a plane or in a hotel room can be boring. I have a 32GB iPod touch with lots of music, a few audio books and no video (see later). I’ll always have a separate media device as the last thing I want is to get off a flight only to find I’ve used up all the juice of my phone – if the iPod runs out, then I’m not stuck. Pairing with the iPod I have a set of Sure SE210 in-ear buds. I’ve tried the noise cancelling headsets and they make me feel like my head is underwater. These are really light, great sound, and I’ve used Sure stuff for years so I know are good quality.
I always have some book on the go (no Kindle for me for lots of reasons, but primarily when I’m done I like to pass my books on) and stuff some magazines into the bag as well (yes, that is Geek magazine – you got a problem with that?). Not pictured is that I have a Tivo (a real one – not a crappy DVR) at home and a SlingBox so I can catch up with TV. I also have a homeserver that I can grab videos off if I’m really bored, although that seldom happens; mostly the homeserver is for backups and offline storage and has meant that I can now ditch a USB hard disk I used to travel with.
GPS
Very recently I got a cheep TomTom. This is pretty new to my travel collection as I got fed up with paying (extortionately) for one at the car rental when going to a new place. I used to either use the GPS on my phone, or print out maps, but it’s good to have when you have to find a client’s office and also somewhere to have dinner in a place you’ve never been before. I make use of a few Eagle Creek cubes to separate things out (I can grab what I need easier when I go, and though TSA if necessary) and to make my bag a bit easier to manage
Misc
In the “i don’t know what to class this under”, there’s a few other things I have in my bag. A blow-up travel cushion helps me get some sleep on planes (I prefer to have a window seat where possible so I can prop myself up), as well as some ear-plugs if I’m not listening to my iPod.
I try to be conscious that talking lots makes your breath smell, so I have some TicTacks or breath strips/mints. An Oakley lanyard is useful sometimes for security badges and to hold keys so I don’t lose/forget them. The Oakey vault case (did I say how much I love Oakley products) holds my sunglasses while in the bag so they don’t get crushed.
Business cards are a necessity, as is my Moleskin notebook and Fisher space pen – my handwriting isn’t great so I don’t make that many handwritten notes, mostly I use my laptop, but in meetings I’m not a huge fan of peering over laptop screens and it’s easy to get distracted into the laptop rather than what is going on in the meeting. There’s a multi-function screwdriver/light/etc that was a Foundstone freebie a while back that I’ve just never removed from my bag, and some Crystal Light (always Orange for me) that gives water a little bit more taste (I always grab a bottle of water before getting on a flight – you have no idea how often the trolley service is going to be).
Laptop
I don’t get much choice with the laptop other than going out an buying one myself. As I can get though about one a year (which goes back to our fantastic Tim that swaps them for us and revives them back to life, good as new), I’m reluctant to get my own although I’d like a tablet like a Dell XT2 or HP TX2Z, depending on how well they fit with my home setup – has to support a external multi-monitor setup. So, after all that explanation I have a Dell D630 which does me fine.
Case
The final thing is the main case that I use. I hate checking luggage not only because of the probability of it getting lost, but the time waiting to pick it up at baggage claim, so I have a carry on. I’ve had Samsonite cases for years – my old Oyster case has literally been round the world a few times and survived 4 years of constant touring and being thrown in the back of trucks. I much prefer hard-side cases because they can take more abuse than soft sides and their zippers. I can’t even remember the name of this case I have because I’ve had it for over 5 years (with one trip back to a Samsonite repair shop for minor fixes) – this thing is an absolute tank! Generally I can easily pack for 1-1.5 weeks (or longer with a laundry stop) in here. I won’t go into packing this case because it changes depending on where I’m going, the client, climate, etc, etc, but I’m sure you get the idea.
There’s a lot of plusses and minuses in consulting as Curphey pointed out in an old blog post. Travel for some can be a no-go, but I’m pretty used to it from my previous career. If anything, the thing that get me riled the most about having to travel as part of work is the notice part – for an IR gig I expect to be on a plane within a few hours, but other work I at least expect a couple of weeks. Duration is a big thing as well with a lot of people, and I don’t think I could handle any more than 50% for a long duration.
However, travel can be fun, especially if you do it right. Lifehacker has had a series on people’s “go bags”, but I guess this is slightly different – this is my travel setup, and although I guess in some way it is my “day-to-day”, I know that in a different job without travel my bag would be very different. These are the tips and technology that I travel with, and I would bet that many others have their own. If you do and want to share, I’d love to hear about it either in the comments, or better your own blog post. .
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