UPDATE 05/01/18 - I have a brand new backpack, a new speaker and icing on the cake, a scanner (no kidding)!
This is it! I've assembled my new laptop setup.
Now that I've made a comparison of the best keyboards and trackpads for people that travel, it was time to decide which devices will complete my setup.
The keyboard
I've chosen the Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard because it's foldable and the most lightweight keyboard available with only 180g for 45-90€.
I've been using it for few weeks and for now, I can tell that keys are really soft, thus the touch experience is quite nice.
In the beginning, I had some trouble with the size of the keys (smaller than on my laptop), the space between them (no space in fact) and the layout: special keys (home, control, alt and fn) aren't in the same order as on my laptop.
In the end, I just got used to it. Now I'm perfectly fine and enjoy using the keyboard.
Mine is a Spanish keyboard just because I don't really care about the layout. I configured a dvorak layout.
The trackpad
For the trackpad, I took the Logitech T650 trackpad for 70€. It's a bit bigger than I thought.
I was afraid to loose the USB dongle - it's really tiny - but I took the habit to always put it inside my laptop sleeve. We'll see if it works, otherwise I guess that next time I'll have to choose a trackpad I'll go for one with Bluetooth connectivity.
The stand
Without much hesitation, I bought the Roost stand for 70€. The funny thing is that within two days I was waiting to receive it, I met 4 people using it! I guess I've made the right choice.
What can I say? It's the most impressive part of my setup. Ultra light with only 165g and really small: folded, it's the size of my 13" laptop. I'm really happy with this piece that completes my setup.
Extra accessories
Speaker
Whenever I can, I take my JBL Clip 2 speaker along with me. It's always nice to have some music while working.
This speaker is quite affordable (50€) but for this price, it doesn't provide such an amazing sound. Nevertheless it's still good enough while travelling.
UPDATE 05/01/18 - I used to travel with a UE Boom speaker but it's really too heavy. So, I keep this one at home.
Notebook
My setup wouldn't have been complete without a notebook. I don't have any preference here so each time I try a different one. For now, I have a Moleskine Notebook for 12€.
Useful for any kind of notes: interview with a client, coaching session, tech design of web applications, TODO lists, etc.
Scanner
No, that's not a joke. I really bought a portable scanner, the Fujitsu ScanSnap IX100. As freelancer, every month, I have to scan all my receipts.
I used to take pictures of my receipts with my smartphone but it took ages and the quality wasn't that good. Then I used the scanner from the coworking space where I usually work. But what happens when I travel and I do travel quite often…
This comes with a price (250€) but it's really worth it. It saves me so much time. I'm in love with this little device.
Lugagge
Now let's talk about the luggage that carries everything.
Backpack
UPDATE 05/01/18 - I used to switch between a small backpack and a cyclotourism backpack. It turned out that it was not optimal nor comfortable at all. So I bought a new one.
For travels from a few days up to one week, I just use a backpack. It's perfect, there's enough space for my laptop setup, a light towel and a few clothes.
Using a random backpack, I started to feel a pain in my back during travels. So after one year with my new setup, it was time to upgrade this part too. I took the quite famous Bobby backpack.
If you don't know it yet, it's an anti-theft backpack but I haven't bought it for this purpose. I bought it because it's supposed to optimise weight balance by 20% and it works well.
On a side note, I think the Bobby Compact version is a better fit for smaller people like me, even thought I've chosen the big one. It like to put a lot of stuff inside my backpack!
New suitcase
For longer travels, anything longer than a few weeks - I generally don't travel for long periods of time - I use a suitcase in combination with my backpack.
You won't believe me, for more than 8 months, I traveled with a broken suitcase. The rear wheels were out of order so I had to carry my suitcase backwards. Turns out it's way more heavy this way! So I finally decided to end this torment. Here is my new suitcase!
It's an American Tourister Bon Air. It's a low cost one. So for only 60€ you have this beautiful suitcase (available in a lot of colors). It's a cabin suitcase so you can take it in the cabin with you in almost all planes. And yes, I already pimped it!
Your setup
What about you, what's your setup? Let me know, I'm super curious!
