What gear to pack as a digital nomad?
Are sandy beaches and rolling canyons calling your name? As more people are working remotely or taking their business into their own hands, becoming a digital nomad has become an appealing route. No longer bound by the confines of a cubicle, digital nomads travel across the country and the world, all with their work at their fingertips.
However, this lifestyle isn’t always easy, and digital nomad gear is a bit more specialized than the things you might use in an office. This is why we have compiled the essential digital nomad packing list.
Top 9 Digital Nomad Essentials
The most important tool in your digital nomad’s gear is, of course, a laptop. The MacBook Air is a prime option for anyone working on the go. With around 15 hours of battery life and weighing in at only 2.75lbs, the MacBook Air is a feather-lite laptop that makes travel easy—a digital nomad essential.
Additionally, it has great specs for a work laptop, provided you are not working with exceedingly large software:
- CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8210Y
- Graphics Card: Intel UHD Graphics 617
- RAM: 8GB
- Screen: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 Retina True Tone display
- Storage: 256GB or 512GB
The MacBook Air ranges from $999.99 for the 256GB model to $1,249.99 for the 512GB model. Its light frame and heavy-duty capabilities make the MacBook Air a perfect addition to any digital nomad equipment.
If you are working while on the go, you need to protect your laptop from any nicks and dings that can happen during travel, making a laptop case or sleeve a digital nomad essential. Since its inception, Herschel Supply Co. has established itself as a leader in the backpack and laptop case market.
This laptop case features a multitude of minimalistic, yet trendy designs and is fully padded and fleece lined. It also comes in a multitude of sizes, ranging from 12 to 15/16 inches, so it is sure to fit a large scope of laptops. Depending on the size you choose, the price ranges from $31.99 to $39.99.
Don’t risk damaging your valuable computer—a laptop case is one of the most important things you can have in your digital nomad gear.
While living the digital nomad lifestyle can feel like a dream, it sometimes lacks the ergonomic working environment that comes with working in an office. This is why a laptop stand, used to raise your laptop closer to eye level and prevent neck strain, is a digital nomad essential.
This laptop stand, from Nulaxy, is compatible with most small laptops. Made of aluminum, this laptop stand raises your computer six inches, making it more comfortable for you. At only $23.99, this laptop stand is a steal.
One of the most important things in your digital nomad gear toolset will be noise-canceling headphones. Whether you’re working in a busy coffee shop or in the back of a noisy van, you’ll want to be able to plug in your noise-canceling headphones and tune out the world.
These Anker headphones reduce up to 90% of ambient noise. With over 22,000 reviews, these noise-canceling headphones are the real deal. Featuring a price point of only $49.99, they won’t break the bank, either.
When you’re on the road, you won’t always have access to a wall socket. That’s what makes a portable charger a digital nomad essential. You’ll need to be able to respond to emails, text friends, make calls, and more.
This Anker portable charger packs a punch. For only $39.99, it has 2 USB ports and can fully charge your phone up to 5 times. It also comes in two colors: black and white.
If you are travelling overseas, one of the most valuable things to put on your digital nomad packing list is a universal adaptor.
Did you know there are more than nine different kinds of power sockets used across the world? This BESTEK converter can convert voltages in a multitude of different countries, including Australia, Japan, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and countries in the EU.
Without a converter, many of your chargers, such as the ones for your laptop or phone, will be useless. This is why a travel adaptor is considered a digital nomad essential.
If you are chasing the best views or simply living the #VanLife on the road, you know that some of the world’s most breathtaking places are missing one little thing: WiFi. This is why a mobile router or hotspot is one of the most important pieces of digital nomad equipment that you can have.
This one from Netgear has great reviews and offers speeds up to 1 Gbps. This digital nomad essential ensures that wherever you are, you will be connected.
If your line of work is in graphic design, editing, or other things that require a lot of software, a portable external hard drive is a digital nomad essential.
This one, from WD, offers 5TB of storage and is small enough to stash in your laptop bag, making it a perfect addition to your digital nomad equipment.
Let’s face it: when you’re working on the road, you will have lots of cords and other electronic bits and pieces in your digital nomad gear. You will need a place to store them all in an organized manner. Enter the Sterkmann Tech Pouch.
This tiny-but-mighty travel case features loads of storage and boasts more durability than many of its competitors.
Every digital nomad's packing list is different
We all have different needs as digital nomads an each nomad destination, will call for different essentials and necessities. So do a proper research on your destination, think about what you need for work, daily living, sports, and leisure activities.
A very important thing to remember as well, when going through your nomad packing list, is your legal documents; such as your digital nomad visa and your nomad insurance.
