The shift to remote work has made it easier to stay productive while traveling. We have Slack and Zoom, and there are time zone calculators on our shared calendars. But more than ever, it’s especially easy to work remotely if you job involves a lot of writing. Whether that means sending hundreds of emails, reporting and writing articles, or composing newsletters for your subscribers, a laptop and an internet connection are all you need to feel properly set up.
But if you think about it, it’s not always that easy. If you’re working while traveling, this time spent writing on your computer isn’t happening behind a neat, tidy office desk where you feel focused and comfortable. It’s happening while you wait around at the noisy airport, sit in the back of a lurching car, or lounge in some soulless hotel lobby with terrible music.
But there are ways to make writing on the road more comfortable for your body and your brain. Here are four must-have items to help you successfully keep those words flowing, no matter where you are.
A Portable Power Bank
Every writer’s worst nightmare is your device powering down when you’re in the middle of tapping away on the keyboard. Did it save? Is your work lost? Most airports, hotels, and other public spots have charging ports available, but these outlets are often scarce, crowded, broken, or difficult to get to. I’ve had to swallow my pride plenty of times and sit on a dirty airport floor just to access the plug socket.
It’s best to plan for the worst by keeping a charged power bank on you at all times. The one I travel with is a hefty red brick with two USB ports that takes hours to charge up completely, so I make sure to fill it days before a trip. I’m willing to endure the weight and bulk of the battery in exchange for the power to completely charge my devices multiple times. The best power bank for you will vary depending on your needs, but we have a list of options here to help you choose.
A USB Hub Rich With Ports
I have yet to meet a laptop that had enough USB ports built in. Until someone engineers that unicorn into existence, take a hub with you to ensure you can plug in everything you need no matter where you are. USB hubs are generally small and portable, so you can comfortably carry one with the rest of your peripherals.
I prefer a hub with four extra ports to accommodate my backup drive, microphone, headphone charger and other necessities, but you can find hubs that have more or fewer ports, SD card readers, and even headphone jacks. When you’re counting how many ports you’ll need, add one or two to the total in case a port goes bad later; it’s better to be overprepared than to be lacking in USB ports at a critical moment. Check out some USB hubs and docks here if you aren’t sure what’s best for you.
Noise-Canceling Headphones to Make the World Go Away
When writing on the road, silence is at a premium. Some people can put poetry together even with a screaming toddler three feet away from them, but I am not one of those people.
Having noise-canceling headphones has meant the difference between being able to focus on the writing at hand and being stuck listening to everything but my own thoughts. When I’m on a deadline and need quiet, I lean into noise-canceling technology. Sometimes, I turn my headphones on and just listen to the silence, no music or podcast required. I prefer the over-ear type of headphones since they thoroughly encase my ears in blissful peace—and I’m not a fan of things being inside my ears. If you’re not sure what type of noise-canceling technology is right for you, check out our list of options here.
A Way to Record Thoughts on the Move
The best ideas rarely strike when you’re sitting comfortably at your laptop, hands on the keyboard. They usually come when you’re racing through a train station or waiting in line for a bagel. You can tell yourself “don’t forget this,” but chances are good that the idea will slip from your mind before you have a chance to write it down. To prevent this tragedy, arm yourself with a way to record your thoughts on the fly.
I use a speech-to-text app on my smartphone, which is always within reach. In seconds, I can be the person at the coffee shop mumbling “bluebottle jellyfish, medicinal uses” urgently into her hand, and then the idea is safely preserved in text form on my phone and backed up to the cloud. If you don’t feel comfortable voicing your ideas in public, a notes app or even a pocket notebook can work, but hands-free is often the more flexible choice when you’re out and about.
If you have to write anything for your job, you’re a writer. If you’re a writer, you write, no matter where you are. Be sure you’re prepared for every train station, grocery store, and long-haul flight with the tools to help you assemble incoherent thoughts into successful messages.