Working from the road: My consulting and training setup

I run Stringfest Analytics as a one-person business, and I do a lot of my work remotely. Sometimes I travel to a client; often, I take a longer working vacation as a housesitter. I wanted to share some of the equipment I use on those trips, whether I’m teaching, recording or just getting through a day of work.

This list is mostly geared toward trips where I’m flying. With limited luggage space, I tend to favor gear that’s compact and durable.

Everything on this list is something I own and use all the time. I’ve focused on gear that helps me work while traveling and left out plenty of other things I own that are more about travel in general. If your favorite isn’t here, don’t take it personally. Hopefully you’ll find something you hadn’t considered for your own setup.

Setting up somewhere to work

For working at a table, there’s the OMOTON adjustable laptop stand and the ProtoArc XK01 folding keyboard. The stand raises the laptop while the separate keyboard stays down on the table. The keyboard folds up for packing.

Two smaller additions are the Gecko adhesive travel mouse pad and the GOGOLIN laptop monitor light bar. The mouse pad gives you a surface to use on an unfamiliar desk; the light bar adds lighting around the laptop.

Teaching in person

The TP-Link TL-WR3002X travel router is especially helpful for my in-person training work. It can take an available internet connection and share it across devices over Wi-Fi. What you can set up will depend on the network and permissions at the venue.

For connections at the laptop, I include the DockteckExpand 7-in-1 USB-C hub and the uni 6-foot USB-C to HDMI cable. The hub provides extra ports, and the cable connects to a display.

The WinBridge voice amplifier with lapel microphone is another item I find especially helpful for teaching in person. It amplifies my voice in the room, which is a different job from the recording microphones below.

The EXTNGO retractable 50-foot Ethernet cable is more useful for a longer stay or a longer stretch of work in one place. It gives you some distance between the wired connection and where you sit, then winds back onto a reel for packing.

Microphones and lighting

I use two different microphones, and a lot of the choice comes down to how much room I can give one in my bag.

For video calls and virtual training, I also include the Logitech Litra Glow. This lights me on camera; the GOGOLIN light above is for the desk.

Power and cables

A reminder about the links: I may earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links in this guide.

Power banks are especially helpful for my in-person training work. These are the two I’m including:

• USB-C charging: INIU 45W / 10,000mAh power bank.
• Surface-specific charging: BatPower ProE 2 ES7B Surface power bank.

For retractable USB-C cables, the Baseus options come in 3.3-foot and 6.6-foot lengths. The MINLU retractable multi-connector cable covers a mix of connectors. All three wind up when you’re done, so the unused length doesn’t have to sit loose in the bag.

For international trips, there’s the EPICKA TA105 travel adapter. It adapts the plug connection; the equipment you connect still needs to support the local voltage.

Carrying and looking after the laptop

The Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 is the travel pack I’m including here, along with the MOSISO 15-inch laptop sleeve for the laptop itself.

The 15-inch Surface Laptop privacy filter is worth including for work in shared spaces, particularly with client material on screen. I still need to pay attention to where I sit and what I open.

And for cleaning the laptop, there’s the OXO Sweep & Swipe. It’s a small addition to the bag.

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