Working from a tropical paradise is great, but pay attention to your preparations!
*disclaimer, this article contains some affiliate links*
I explicitly define myself as a part-time digital nomad. Many nomads out there travel from country to country, hardly coming back to the place they grew up.
I intentionally come back to my hometown, giving me a chance to deal with government issues (taxes, etc), check up on my house, meet and catch up with friends & clients and do some new customer acquisition.
Though anytime I travel somewhere these are the bare minimums you’ll find in my suitcase or on my laptop:
Hardware
MacBook
My main workhorse is a 15" Macbook Pro 2017 model (512 GB SSD, 16 GB RAM). Knowing these guys can sometimes break down and leave you stressing, I also bring an old 13" model as backup.. just in case.
The same goes with the power supply, I never leave the country without a backup. Have you ever tried to buy one at some tropical coconut island? Right…
TP-LInk 4G LTE Pocket WiFi
Whenever there’s no WiFi available, this black beauty, loaded with a local SIM card, will make sure I’ll stay connected to the internet
Apple Magic Trackpad 2
Before I used to be a big fan of Wacom and their products until I discovered this baby. It allows you to use the same gestures as you’re used to with your normal trackpad and connects effortlessly using Bluetooth
Samsung Galaxy S10+
My main phone. Takes the best pictures (https://www.instagram.com/fancynomadtechie) and whenever I travel I get a local SIM and transfer my normal one to my Nokia 3310. Check out Amazon for the best Galaxy S10+ deals.
Nokia 3310 3G
Awesome battery life and allows me to receive any 2-FA SMS messages from the banks & services from my home country. It also allows local clients to reach me by phone if needed. Get yours here.
Roost Laptop Stand
A very lightweight and ergonomic laptop stand, allowing me to work comfortably in many positions. Get yours here.
Software
Slack
Slack allows me to keep in touch with my team, co-workers, subcontractors and others. Try Slack here.
Zapier
This magical piece of SaaS ties up any loose ends and integrates many of the online services I use, often reporting back to me on Slack. It’s a major time saver and lets me automate repetitive and boring tasks. Try Zapier here.
Elephant Drive
Out of all backup solutions I’ve tried, this is the one for me! It’s able to backup my workstations, laptops, servers and even my home NAS! Try Elephant Drive here.
HiDrive
An online storage service, comparable to Google Drive or Dropbox, but with way more accessibility options (FTP, SSH, WebDav, Etc.). A big help to offload files from your local filesystem into the cloud and share them with others. They offer 1TB of storage for EUR 7,50/mo. Check them out here.
Synology NAS + Shimo
Synology DSM provides an excellent VPN server. Having a fixed IP at home, this combination allows me to easily access both my NAS and other home-based equipment, as well as gaining access to any firewalled system. Shimo is available for a one-time payment of EUR 49,-, check them out here.
Gadgets
GoPro Max
Waterproof up to 5 meters, allowing me to capture those experiences you wouldn’t dare to bring your smartphone with you! Check out the GoPro Max here.
Prescription diving goggles
Since I’m wearing glasses, it’s a blessing to be able to see fish & coral whenever I go (scuba) diving. Check out your local diving shops to see if they are able to provide goggles with correctional lenses.
Financials
American Express Platinum card
This card instantly gives you gold membership to many of the big hotel chains (Hilton, Shangri-la, Novotel, etc). Plus, which is for me the biggest benefit, gives me a free subscription to many lounges plus biometric-based border clearance in my country, saving me precious time when travelling. And i’m not even mentioning all the other perks, like concierge services, extended waranty, etc. Check them out here.
Revolut account
Having accounts any numerous currencies, low exchange rates and cryptocurrency support, this is THE account for frequent travellers. They have various subscriptions, ranging from free to paid, where the top packages entitles you to an awesome looking metal card and all kinds of perks (concierge services, etc). Check them out here.
Gold
It doesn’t matter where you are or what’s happening to the economy, always bring some gold. Just in case...
Aside from the obvious swimming shorts and other clothes, I would never leave home without the above!
In case you are wondering, Osprey travel bags have been my choice for the past 20 years. They are versatile, rugged, and have never let me down!
