5 Essential Accessories Every Digital Nomad Should Have
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A nomad is someone who is known to wander. They strive for a life of travel and tend not to stay in one place very long. Being a digital nomad is a dream come true for many people who seek adventure but also want to make a stable living while working remotely. To do this, though, several accessories may be needed to help make the lifestyle a bit easier for you.
Of course, a laptop is required along with the protection and power source for it, but there may be some other pieces of equipment that you'll need to give you a leg up on the road, especially if you're just starting out on your nomadic trek. Based on personal hands-on experience and highly-rated reviews from consumers who have bought and used the products, here are five essential accessories every digital nomad should have with them during their travels. You can find a more detailed explanation of our selection process at the end of the article.
Samsung SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB
Being a digital nomad, you're well aware that storage space is essential when it comes to your work documents and other important files on your computer. However, computers only have so much storage space, and something can happen that can cause you to lose all of your work. Having an external drive as a backup will solve all your problems, whether it be a solid-state drive or a hard disk drive. Samsung's External Solid State Drive is a personal recommendation and a highly-rated option on Amazon, with 4.8 our of five stars from over 30,000 buyers.
It is a solid-state drive, meaning your information will be stored on memory chips instead of a spinning disk like a hard disk. That makes it quick and easy to load and retrieve documents and other files, which saves you time in the long run. It also comes in three different sizes, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB, and three different colors, blue, red, and black, so you have plenty of options available for your storage needs. There are a couple of negative reviews about the drive getting too hot, but overall, it is a solid piece of technology.
Solis 5G Hotspot and Power Bank
There are a few digital nomads that you'll see on YouTube who started their travels without a hotspot and would seek out internet connection at coffee shops and gyms. However, if you want to save on constant in-town travel and can work from your camper, van, or whatever else you're traveling in, you may want to invest in your own hotspot. The Solis 5G Hotspot and Power Bank is a popular and personal choice and has 4.7 out of five reviews.
The initial purchase is a bit pricey, coming in at $400, but it does come with a lifetime data plan of 1GB of data per month — this plan is valid for the life of the Solis hotspot. If you find you need more data, though, you can purchase another monthly subscription or do a pay-per-GB plan. If you're not sure which plan would be best for you, Solis has a quiz that can help you. These plans will kick in after the lifetime data plan has been used for the month. When in use, it will run whichever network has the best available signal, whether that be AT&T or T-Mobile, so you're always covered as long as there is available cellular service.
Holimet Cable Organizer Bag
Working remotely and being on the road usually means that you're traveling with a lot of cables and technology. However, you won't want to have them all thrown about your living space or in the pocket of your backpack. Instead, you can keep everything in one neat location with Holimet's Cable Organizer Bag on Amazon, which has a rating of 4.6 out of five from over 700 reviewers.
It is double-layered with two storage units in one. The top unit can hold your cables, a 10.5-inch tablet, a phone, SD cards, and USBs. The bottom storage unit can hold larger pieces of equipment like chargers, hard drives, power banks, and pretty much anything else you can think of within a 10-inch by 8-inch space. There aren't many negative reviews on this bag, but the most common complaint is that the zipper is not durable enough. That said, it's still a pretty solid piece of your electronics.
Apple Air Tags
When you're thinking about what to bring when you start packing for your nomadic journey, you'll want safety at the top of your list. This includes the safety of your equipment. Apple's AirTags are a great way to have peace of mind for anything you want to keep track of. For example, you can place one inside your book bag where your laptop is stored or even hide one inside your van or camper — this way, if anything goes missing, you'll be able to track it as long as other iPhone users are within the AirTag range. Just make sure you keep up with the battery life and change them when necessary. Take note that if anything gets stolen, call the police and give them access to your AirTag tracker.
On Amazon, you can buy AirTags as a pack of four or as a single. It all depends on how many items you want to keep track of. Unsurprisingly, reviews have stayed high, with a 4.8 out of five from over 100,000 buyers. There are not many bad things to say about the AirTags unless you're not an Apple user. If that's the case, though, there are other smart location trackers that you can try out.
AboveTEK Portable Laptop Lap Desk with Retractable Mouse Pad
There are multiple reasons to consider using a lap desk for your laptop. It helps give you a stable surface area if you're doing your work in bed or a chair. More importantly, though, it helps the laptop not overheat because it allows for prominent airflow. The AboveTEK Portable Laptop Lap Desk has a 4.6 out of five rating from over 6,000 users. One of the biggest complaints is the size, though. It doesn't fit a laptop bigger than 14 inches very well.
This lap desk is a flat piece, so even though there aren't any comfort accessories for your lap, you can easily store it against a wall or on a shelf without worrying about bulkiness. It comes with an anti-slip surface, so you won't have to worry about your laptop continuously sliding down the top like on some of the cheaper plastic ones. Additionally, it comes with a retractable mouse pad that can be used on either the right or left side, which means left-handed people can easily use a mouse on this lap desk.
How we chose these accessories for digital nomads
Many of the items in this article are based on personal recommendations from an experienced digital nomad, along with high ratings from buyers. Each item has at least a rating of four out of five stars and has proven to be something that can assist a nomad. It is understood that many nomads tend to live more minimally due to less space allowance for items, so we've made sure to choose accessories that will not hinder that minimalist lifestyle. However, every nomad is different and requires different equipment. We recommend you do research to make sure everything you purchase will, in fact, benefit you in your nomadic journey.