Office (2024)

Written By Matt Manhattan

My mobile office contains everything needed to turn an ordinary dining table into a battlestation. Everything has been selected to accomplish the maximum number of tasks within a miniaturized collection of items.

I keep all my important documents and money that isn't on me in my check wallet. When I get home for the day I never know what to do with spare change so I use this zipper pouch to store it until I do. I then put my receipts in a zipper envelope until the next time I scan them. For receipt overflow and larger items I use a 5 pocket file folder which I use to keep various paperwork separate or free from damage in transit. These four items, as simple as they are, have been game changers for keeping those random documents in order until you actually need them.

I currently use a Google Pixel 8 phone (case) and Samsung Tab S9 tablet (case) which features a micro SD card slot that I promptly filled with a 1TB microSD. I was a devout Apple user for decades, but things changed after Steve passed. I keep the Apple iPhone 12 mini (case) that I got a while ago to keep AirTags active and to have a backup phone. Other than that I'm done with Apple.

One of the first things I do when I get to a new location is connect my travel router to the internet. All of my devices then connect to my router, so I never need to change networks on my personal devices. This saves a wild amount of time and even helps bypass device limits in places with restrictions. Connected via USB to SATA Adapter is an 8TB SSD filled with media and accessible from any device. The enclosure is velcro'ed to the router for security and ease of transport.

I didn't find the provided USB-C or power adapter adequate for travel so I swapped them out with better versions. This USB-C cable is longer and less stiff; and this USB-C power adapter is smaller with folding prongs. And while the router can piggyback a wireless connection, I bring both a 6ft and 20ft flat CAT6 ethernet cable for hard wired connections.

My laptop is a sleek 14" model with an AMD 7940HS CPU / NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU combo and I upgraded the stock hard drive to the maximum supported 8TB m.2 ssd for additional capacity and speed. I keep it protected with my old MacBook Pro sleeve, which fits it perfectly. And to provide an even and comfortable surface I use a deskmat, which is bulky but essential.

The biggest downside of this laptop is the power adapter they provide which is large and heavy. I found a superior power adapter that provides the same power in a smaller and lighter package while also providing two additional USB-C ports. It's a universal charger so I had to buy the right adapter kit to properly connect it. And while the cable is quite long, there are situations where it has helped to have an 2-prong extension cord with extra outlets.

I always bring two 3-in-1 USB cables and a USB-C cable, which would allow me to fill every port on the laptop. To connect the laptop to a TV I have a 6ft HDMI cable rated for 4K/60Hz and in order to use the 3-in-1 USB cables with the two additional USB-C ports on the laptop charger I carry some USB-A to USB-C dongles. The laptop has a built in micro SD slot which I use constantly. On the off chance I encounter a full-size SD card or the built in reader won't read, I keep a micro SD/SD Reader. And to move small files back and forth I have a USB 3.0 thumb drive.

Once you go ergonomic, you can't go back. And because of this folding wireless ergonomic keyboard I can keep it that way. I often use this as my main keyboard and absolutely love it. There are two minor quirks; having to hold a function key in order to press 'escape,' and the paltry 100mA battery feels like it only lasts a couple of hours. Because of this I keep it plugged in via USB and consider the wireless a perk and not a feature. The simplicity behind the design of my wireless mouse is because it is ambidextrous. Together these two devices take up little space but provide a complete wireless input setup.

Scanners are clutter shredders. If you have a good digital organization system then most of the time a quickly accessible digital copy of something is better than hunting for the analog version. This is the reason why I travel with a scanner and why it is such an important part of my kit. That sticker isn't me.

I don't usually need to print something, but when I must, the last thing I plan on doing is driving somewhere to overpay and wait for the opportunity. My travel printer does the job and I always keep an extra black and color cartridge on hand and reorder once they get used. It probably wouldn't surprise anyone that I have a label maker and I will eventually touch upon my labeling system in another post. Always keep extra labels on hand.

I keep my media and game collection on a set of 8TB m.2 SSD drives primarily due to the transfer speeds, which are several times faster than 8TB 2.5" SSDs. They also have the added benefit of being a fraction of the size. I protect the drives with a 4x m.2 case and have two m.2 enclosures which I use to access the raw drives and transfer data directly between them. This provides 32TB of high-speed, solid state storage. Absolutely overkill and very ideal for travel.

If the laptop is connected to a TV I use a wireless keyboard/trackpad combo (sleeve) so I can operate things in couch mode. For the rare occasions that require one I keep a wired USB mouse, USB 3.0 extension cord and webcam. Since the laptop doesn't have an ethernet port, I have a USB-C to ethernet adapter and a flat ethernet cable so I can jack directly into the net. The USB power meter has a lot of uses, but I bought it primarily to verify the internal battery capacity for all my devices and battery banks. I also keep extra 3-in-1 USB cables and a USB-C cable in case some of the other ones go missing.

There is still a place for analog equipment in the modern office and I believe I've fit it all into this pencil case. One of my goals was to reduce disposability and increase replaceability. My pencil is mechanical and auto-rotates the lead so you never get that awkward sharp tip. You'll need some extra lead and erasers, but its an upgraded experience over the classic Bic. My pen has replaceable ink and I found fine tip refills which I prefer to the ink included. I'm a fan of Sharpie and I have three permanent markers in thin, regular and magnum. The highlighter has a little viewing window so I can see what I'm highlighting and I keep wax pencils for those random times I need to write on something textured. You don't need a whiteboard to use a whiteboard marker and to verify money I use a counterfeit detector pen. I use a retractable pen knife so I don't risk an open blade and I also have a mini driver tool and a staple remover. There are two rainbow pencils that I love to use for random doodles and I have a pencil sharpener for them that stores the shavings. For pencil mistakes I have an eraser and for pen mistakes I use correction tape because it is less of a mess than the liquid. In addition to a stapler and tape dispenser I also managed to include a tape measure, ruler, magnifying loupe, binder clips, rubber gloves, mini and regular self-adhesive notes, compass, rubber bands, digital voice recorder and 10-digit calculator for those multi-million dollar deals. The 3D glasses simply allow the viewer to 'decode' red/blue anaglyph material, but why I have kept this pair is a story for another day.

 

Financial

Phone & Tablet

Computer

Networking

Stationary

 
Matt Manhattan
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