10 items you NEED to pack as a Mobile Worker…

Posted by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten on Dec 17, 2006 in Business, Business Theory, Fun, Gadget, Innovation, Inspiration, Personal, Travel, Vacation | 1 comment

Web Worker Daily is one of my favorite blogs. I would have loved to read this post on their blog but sometimes you have to do some work yourself. So this is my Web Worker Daily Inspired post:

Next to being an Internet Entrepreneur I also consider myself a true mobile worker. I started my first company in a club in Amsterdam and started my second company, HubHop – a WiFi hotspot provider – so I could work anywhere with WiFi.

Being a mobile worker requires good preparation. I bought a TUMI bag years ago to protect my Powerbook/Mac Book Pro. As you might know the TUMI has lots of hidden pockets in which you can store stuff. I decided to compile a list of things that would be perfect to keep in this bag.

1: Gadget Kit
Laptop (with DVD player for long flights), iPod, Digital Camera.

2: Emercency Back-up Kit
USB Stick, Spare Keys, Laptop Lock, Spare Batteries (laptop, phone + other stuff), one or two rewritable CDs or DVDs, Food (stuck in meeting, airport or traffic!), Original Laptop Installation CD/DVD.

3: Cable Kit
Ethernet, Firewire, Monitor/Beamer, Airplane Power adapter, Adapters for Phone, Laptop and Other Gadgets, Spare iPod Headset.

4: Medical First Aid Kit
Aspirinie, Sleeping pills (lethal dose to escape from boring meetings), Cough Suppress Pills (Mints/Drops/Anything that works for you), Bandages. (Optional: tampons and/or condoms).

5: Personal Hygiene Kit
Toothbrush and Toothpaste (Take mini set from plane or hotelroom) and/or Mints and/or Chewing Gum, Toothpick and Floss, Nail file and Nailclipper, Comb, Small Mirror.

6: Paper Kit
Passport, Businesscards, 3 ballpoints, 1 Permanent Marker, Notebook (moleskine), Book or Magazine (for when batteries are empty (inevitable) and you are bored), 4 Paperclips.

7: Assorted Tools Kit
Leatherman, Screwdriver, Tie rips, Ziplock Bag (for storing liquids such as drinks, beauty products and vomit), Umbrella.

8: Money Kit
Spare Change, 100 Dollar/Euro, Credit Card Emercency Numbers, Electronic Banking Identifier Gizmo.

9: Other Accesories
Sunglasses, Eye Cover (so you can sleep in the airplane), Inflatable Neck Rest Device.

10: Anti-Gravity Engine
Because your bag, filled with all this stuff, now weighs at least 200 kilos!

Please send me your suggestions and let me know what else you keep in YOUR work bag. And don’t forget to Digg this post.

UPDATE: if you need help chosing a bag check this post on Web Worker Daily. They start out with a tip to make a list of all the things you WANT to kep in a bag and then making a choice.