Because I work remotely, my bag was shot 5,200 miles from my London home at a tradeshow, so a lot of my equipment didn’t make the journey. Like most of my colleagues, I own a stupid amount of tech. Unlike most of my colleagues, who make the effort to bring every single piece of technology they own to events, I prefer to travel as light as possible. Traversing a show floor with 23 pounds of junk for ten hours a day really isn’t for me.
For me, mobility and comfort is everything. If I could, I would literally carry nothing, but until someone develops a way to send my thoughts directly to the internet, that’s not really practical. As long as I have a laptop, a camera, and a phone, though, I can do everything The Verge needs me to without much issue.
Bag
I bought the Tucano Multitasking vertical messenger bag about a year and a half ago and it’s served me pretty well. While I like the idea of traveling light, I still manage to fill it with way too much stuff. Even when filled to the brim it’s still light and comfortable, and the slim profile prevents it from being a hassle to carry around all day. I also have a hefty Lowepro backpack for times when I need to carry a full-sized DSLR or more than one laptop, but my vanity prevents me from using it too often.
The Basics
13-inch MacBook Pro
When I started at The Verge back in November 2011, I owned a Vaio Z, an Ubuntu desktop, a Galaxy S II, and an Asus Transformer. How times have changed. Despite the fact I spend half my day shouting at OS X for not doing what I want it to, my colleagues have created dozens of time-saving scripts and apps for Apple’s OS, making it a much better fit than Windows for the things I do the most — writing and image editing. I’ve recently upgraded to a new MacBook Air, but if Sony was to bring back the canceled Vaio Z with a lovely touchscreen and Windows 8, I think I’d bite.
Phones
From the moment I got my first Nokia as a teen, I’ve been obsessed with phones. Because of that, I change my primary phone on an almost-monthly basis — I’m never satisfied. Back in January when my bag was shot, though I was rocking an HTC 8S and 8X (for my UK and US SIMs) combo. I’ve since moved back to Android, but I still keep the 8S around as a secondary device because it’s just so damn pretty, and I appreciate Windows Phone’s simplicity. The battered iPhone 4S is perhaps the world’s most expensive alarm clock — my brain is programmed to only wake me up after hearing a specific combination of four of Apple’s most annoying tones — and also doubles as an ultra-reliable tethering option when paired with my MacBook.
Other stuff
Tablets
I’m in love with my 3G Nexus 7. I use virtually every Google service you can think of — I was even an avid Google Wave fan — and when I’m not using an Android phone the Nexus keeps me connected and productive. The iPad mini, again with a 3G SIM, is mostly a dedicated gaming machine for me, facilitating my addictions to Letterpress, Ridiculous Fishing, and countless other iOS-exclusive games.
Camera
I use a NEX-F3 for my Verge camera duties whenever I can get away with it, but without the manual controls of its more expensive siblings it’s a hassle for quick shots. Because of that, and my hatred of full-sized bags, I currently spend trade shows running around with a hefty Nikon D3200 hanging around my neck. I’m currently weighing buying a NEX-7 and a load of new lenses versus purchasing a D7000 and using my current selection of glass; my credit card company probably thinks the latter is a better idea.
Miscellaneous
Vice(s)
I smoke, and yes, I know, that’s disgusting. Unfortunately I’ve been smoking for a very long time and neither my mind nor body shows any sign of wanting to stop. Equally unfortunate, the UK has banned smoking virtually everywhere — if they knew how regularly I work from home I probably wouldn’t be able to smoke there either. As such, I have a number of tools at my disposal. The pipe is strictly for indoor, private use; the Marlboro Reds are for those rare occasions I can actually smoke outside of my own home; and my Smoke Relief e-cigarette is for everywhere else.
Assorted
If my Minecraft Creeper wallet makes me feel younger than I am, my Bubble Bobble cardholder gives away my status as an eighties child. The cardholder is always stocked full of my Verge business cards, and also keeps my wireless “Oyster” London transport card safe. Not pictured is my notebook (if The Verge ever decides to start a “What’s in your pockets” series you’ll get the chance to gaze upon my little black book), my painkillers, or the (roughly) 7,483 different connectors and wires I stuff into every orifice of my bag.