What’s In My Bag: 13 Business Tools I Can’t Live Without

Try this. Remove your laptop or tablet from whatever bag you carry it in and turn that bag upside down – then shake.

All sorts of things may fall out of your computer bag when you turn it upside down. I wanted to find out what items, gadgets, and junk were in my daily carry. A spring cleaning, if you will.

Now, as a tech reviewer, I’m routinely changing out the contents of my bag so perhaps it isn’t a fair test. Nonetheless, let’s take a look.

Here’s What’s In My Bag

Spark Earbuds From id America

I’ll be brutally honest. I never leave home without these because I can work in a wide variety of noisy environments, but some voices or noises simply penetrate through my physical “ignore filter.”

Slim Backup Battery

I have written about a lot of different battery backups and out of all the ones that I’ve tested the Anker Astro Slim2 (4,500 mAh worth of juice it stores) is always in my bag. The other one that I keep topped up in the office is the Digital Treasures flask style battery (13,000 mAh). I carry it when I need more juice for a tablet, iPad, or if I suspect a colleague might need it.

iPhone 5S

From Aio Wireless, now Cricket Wireless, (media loan) with a kevlar case on it from Evutec. And no, I don’t think the case would stop a bullet.

Samsung S3

From Ting (based on Sprint network) with a rubberized, Otter Box style case on it (my personal unit). If you want an a la carte cell phone plan, Ting is a serious contender for small business.

Dell Latitude Laptop

This is a total workhorse machine. (Remember, I said to remove your laptop before turning your bag upside down!)

Google Nexus 10

This is a tablet and I also carry a wireless keyboard from Kensington when I’m not carrying my laptop. I simply prop up the tablet and fire up this little keyboard.

Paper Notebook

Yes, I still carry a journal. I like to use a pen or pencil sometimes. But I will share that if I have an especially brilliant note, I take a photo of it with Evernote, which scans handwritten notes and makes them searchable. Bic pen. I gave up on fancy pens a long time ago.

Bracketron Cigarette Lighter Adapter/Charger

For tablets and smartphones while driving. They are well known for having a wide variety of adapters.

Two Different USB to Micro-USB Cables

For charging obviously.

LED Flashlight

Just in case.

Swiss Army Knife

With my name on it, from a dear Swiss friend. Because you just never know when you might need to rip into a new box while on your travels.

Pocket Toddy

This is for cleaning screens on all devices. The company sent these to me around the holidays and they are eye-catching designs. I have a bunch of others from Walmart, too.

Device Stands

Mine is a rather elegant stand that holds my smartphone or tablet upright.

All of this is carried in my favorite LowePro bicycle messenger bag. They make great bags. I’m far from a minimalist, but I think my daily carry is pretty light. It does get a bit heavier when I have to travel by plane, but not much.

I mention specific brands in my posts to save you time searching and that have consistently worked for me and that I like. (If not noted as a media loan, it is something I have paid for.)

So what gadgets and gear do you absolutely have to have on you throughout the day?

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Source: Small Business Trends

What’s In My Bag: 13 Business Tools I Can’t Live Without