The Well-Prepared Mobile Superhero
Being the imaginative and industrious tyke I was, I gathered up my motley collection of toys and homemade weapons and assembled my very own superhero kit. Suffice it to say, I didnt have as much success fighting crime in the schoolyard as Batman did fighting crime in Gotham City. But that didnt stop me from refining my gear. Today, I have a very different kind of kit: A kit for the mobile writer.
Last months Chin Music, Netbooks: The Perfect Stocking Stuffer, led to several discussions among friends and colleagues as to what constitutes an essential piece of mobile gear. Some of the suggestions were indispensable; others were rather superfluous (a flask of whiskey really?). The gear you choose to carry with you is very personal and highly dependent on your profession and mobile needs (the Flickr pool, whats in your bag?, is dedicated to showcasing contributors kit contents). My mobile superhero gear -- usually carried in either a messenger bag or briefcase -- contains everything I need to get a job done while in the field. Although it might vary slightly depending on what Im working on, my kit usually contains the following items (from top to bottom; left to right):
Acer netbook (with AC adapter): The command center for all my off-site work. Its used primarily for email, research on the Internet, and word processing.