What’s in Your Carry-On?

The May issue of Macworld magazine has an article entitled, “Hit the Road, Mac.” In it, three readers share what’s in their carry-on bag. I found it fascinating and decided to share the contents of mine.

For starters, I travel three to four days a month. Occasionally, during some times of the year, I may travel five to six days a month. I currently have 129,381 frequent flyer miles and have Platinum status with American Airlines.

Last week I bought a RoadWired MegaMedia Bag. It’s far and away the best bag I’ve ever owned. (If you buy one, make sure you shop around. I got mine from Adorama at a 30% discount.) It sports thirty-six separate pockets—a place for everything. When my oldest daughter saw it, she snorted, pushed up her imaginary geek glasses, and rolled her eyes. I knew I was on to something.

Here’s what’s inside:

• 15-inch PowerBook and Accessories. This is the new 2005 model with the 1.67 GHz processor. For the record, I’m still loving it. I keep the computer in a Foofbag. This is a blue corduroy slipcase that keeps my PowerBook from getting scratched. It fits like a glove. I also carry the PowerBook power cord (the long one) and a mini-DVI to VGA adapter, so that I can connect to an external projector when making a presentation. I also carry a Kensington iPod/Notebook DC Power Adapter. This is exclusively for iPods and Apple notebooks. It is the smallest DC adapter I have found and allows me to stay powered up on long flights.


• iPod and Accessories. I have the 40GB non-photo model. (I got it before the newest models came out.) I also carry a set of the new Apple in-ear headphones, a Firewire cable that both syncs the iPod and charges it, a remote control cable (the one that came with the iPod), and a Griffin iTrip FM broadcaster, so that I can play my favorite music in my rental car.


• Blackberry and Accessories. I actually wear a Blackberry 7250 on my hip (via the holster). I also carry a USB charging and sync cable (which came with the phone). It allows me to charge my phone without having to carry yet another AC adapter. I also carry a spare battery. I talk more on the phone when I am out of the office and can go through one battery in half a day. I also carry a Jabra BT250 (Bluetooth wireless) headset and charger.


• Camera and Accessories. I have a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1. I love this camera—it is so small and so convenient that I actually use it. I don’t use it enough to merit carrying extra batteries and memory sticks. My 512MB memory stick holds about 140 photos—more than enough for a two or three-day road trip.


• Miscellaneous Gadgets and Cables. I carry a Keyspan Presentation Remote (a USB mouse-clicker), two Kingston 512MB USB flash drives (instead of floppies or even CDs), a Belkin retractable Ethernet cable, and a retractable phone cord. (I don’t even remember the last time I used a modem, but it seems like something worth carrying.)


• Reading Material. I carry the latest book I am reading (currently, Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton), a Signature UltraSlim edition of the New King James Version of the Bible (which I try to read daily), a Moleskin Notebook (which is what I now use to capture all my ideas, meeting notes, and miscellaneous information), and two yellow highlighters. I often pick up a copy of Business 2.0, MacWorld, or something else I can read on take-off and landing.


• Folders. I carry my travel folder in an external pocket where I can get to it. My assistant hands me this before I leave on a trip. It has a schedule of meetings, attendees, phone numbers, flights, hotels, etc. It also includes the ten-day weather forecast for my destination, maps, directions, and confirmations—basically everything I need or might need. I also carry several durable plastic folders. These stay permanently in my bag. I have one for the Chairman of our company (items to discuss with him) one for my wife (items to discuss with her), one for items to take home, one for items to take to the office, and one for “Input” (i.e., business cards, receipts, etc.).


• Other Stuff. Also in an external pocket, I carry my passport, secondary credit cards, membership cards, frequent flyer and hotel cards, etc. I also carry an assortment of over-the-counter medicines and two fresh packs of Orbit “Original Flavor” gum.

That’s it. Did I miss anything? What’s in your bag? I’d love to hear from you.