When I travel I try to pack as light as I can. Unfortunately being a digital nomad and liking my tech means that I usually can’t travel as light as I want to. Nonetheless, most of my travel gear I’ve specifically chosen because its weight and benefits. A couple of you have asked me what I travel with and hopefully this gives you some insight on what I usually take with me on my trips.
Backpack
The backpack that I wholeheartedly recommend is the Osprey Atmos AG 50L. (women’s equivalent is Osprey Aura AG 50L). I already wrote why I love it and why I think it’s one of the most comfortable bags out there trusted by most backpackers. Read that article here.
Camera
Nikon D5300. I’ve had this camera for a while and I love it. It’s lightweight, has a great sensor, flip out swivel screen for those ultimate angle shots, built in WiFi to transfer your shots, and is fairly affordable (in case it ever stolen). Of course if you’re pro you’ll want to go for something else but this camera puts out excellent shots and should not be overlooked. The newer model, the Nikon D5600 has all these features, makes the screen a touch display and more!
Laptop
Apple 13″ MacBook Pro. I originally had the 12″ MacBook which was super light and ideal for traveling. At only 2.03 lb it would have been the perfect travel laptop. However, I quickly realized that it sacrificed power and was not capable of editing videos or pictures like I needed when traveling. So when they announced the new MacBook Pro at only 1 lb heavier I had to give it a try.
Some specs:
- 3.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor with 64MB eDRAM
- 16GB of 2133 MHz LPDDR3 memory
- 512 GB PCIe SSD Storage
- Intel Iris Graphics 550
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- 13.3-inch (diagonal) Retina LED-backlit display with IPS technology
- 2560 by 1600 pixels
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports; support for high-speed I/O and video out
Spare Hard Drive
WD 2TB Black My Passport – I wanted something small, self powered but most of all fast. So that meant USB3.0 compatible at the minimum. With a $6 cable from Monoprice it plugs directly into the MacBook without any adapter and is plenty fast for me. Ideally I would love a solid state drive (SSD) but capacity was more important and at 2TB, SSD is too expensive currently. There was a good deal on this drive and it fulfills my needs, even when working with a lot of video files so I’m still happy to recommend this one, especially since it is now available in 4TB!
Drone
DJI Mavic Pro. I’ve had this drone since it was first announced and love it. It’s small, shoots 4K video, has a decent flight time, obstacle avoidance, and is easy to fly. There’s since been an update to it (the Mavic Pro Platinum) but what I’m most excited for is the DJI Mavic Air. It’s tiny and has even a better camera on it. Travel light – and with these drones you can.
Drone Accessories:
Two accessories I highly recommend for the Mavic Pro are:
- Protective clip for the remote control thumbsticks. This prevents them from getting damaged in your bag
- Dual function gimbal cover. This gimbal cover also acts as the gimbal clamp, making removal quicker and ensuring that you don’t forget the clamp on as it starts up.
Action cam
GoPro Hero4 Black. Yes I still use a Hero4. It’s old, only takes 1080p video but it’s held up through a lot of adventures. I’m waiting for a new action cam to come out that will WOW me. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a good waterproof action cam that’s widely supported, has a touch screen, is waterproof out of the box, and captures smooth video, I would recommend the newer GoPro Hero6 Black.
Battery pack
RAVPower 26800 PD. A huge 26800mAh power bank that can even charge my MacBook Pro! It claims to “charge an iPhone 6S 10 times, a Samsung S6 6times, or an iPad Air 2 times”. It also has a 30W USB PD Type-C output that (although slightly slower than the original Apple charger) still charges the laptop very quickly. That was the main selling point for me, one power bank that I can use to charge all my equipment.
USB Charger
RavPower 6-port USB charger with USB-C – On the same note of what I was looking for in a battery pack, RavPower also sells this amazing USB charger. I was originally looking at Anker products as that’s all I liked to use. But after visiting them at CES and asking them if they would sell a battery pack that supported USB-C, they said they didn’t have one within their timeline. RavPower was a trusted company that not only had the battery pack but were also promoting this new product. I’ve been using it for at least 6 months now and love it. 5 ports x 2.4A that supports fast charging on all my tech and when I want to leave behind my laptop charger it can also charge the MacBook Pro via USB-C/PD (ironically slower than the battery pack at only (5V/3A), but nonetheless can be the only charger I need to travel with if wanted.
Gear Bag
Case Logic CPL-108BK Backpack. This little bag is great. It carries everything I mention here minus the MacBook Pro. If I had stayed with the 12″ MacBook it would have been able to carry everything. Otherwise if you have a tablet it can hold that instead.
A DSLR, Mavic Pro drone and remote control, 2 spare batteries for the Mavic, GoPro, battery pack, a number of spare batteries for the camera and GoPro, and a handful of other accessories, it definitely can hold a lot and keep it within easy reach. Plus it has an attached rain cover that you can pull out when you need it. And the best of all, it easily fits under an airline seat!