Remote Work Tools That Help While Traveling

The fantasy of working from the Amalfi Coast dies the first time you try to push to Git from a café with six tourists streaming Netflix. Over the last three years I’ve tested gear, apps, and rituals in thirty-eight cities to figure out what actually keeps me productive. Here’s the full list—no fluff, just the tools that survived overnight buses, coworking hot desks, and hotel outlets that spark when you look at them wrong.

Hardware That Earned Space in My Backpack

Framework 13" Laptop (AMD 7840U)

I love that I can swap ports depending on the trip. Editing video in Bangkok? USB-C + HDMI modules. Writing deep work drafts in Lisbon? Dual USB-C for chargers. I carry two batteries and a replacement keyboard deck in case humidity kills the first.

Keychron K3 Pro (Low Profile)

It weighs 525 grams and has hot-swappable switches. I switched to Gateron Brown caps after a coworker told me the blues sounded like a typewriter in a library. The ability to tilt it slightly with magnetic feet saves my wrists when I’m stuck at a café table.

GL.iNet Slate AX Router

The Slate AX lives in my sling. It clones hotel logins, creates my own WPA3 network, and auto-connects to NordVPN’s Meshnet. When the hotel’s captive portal blocks laptops, I connect via phone, capture the session cookie, and paste it into the router. Five minutes later my entire kit is online through a tunnel I trust.

Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones + EarFun Free Pro 3

Noise-canceling over-ears for deep work, tiny earbuds for calls. I pair them with Krisp to kill background clatter. A tip: keep a 3.5 mm cable in the case; airplane Bluetooth bans still pop up.

Roost Stand + Moft Float Stand

Roost props the laptop at eye level; Moft supports the iPad when I’m sketching architecture diagrams. Together they turn any hostel kitchen into a semi-ergonomic workstation.

ZMI PowerPack 20000 Pro

This battery charges my Framework once and my iPhone twice. More importantly, it powers the GL.iNet router when outlets are scarce. I labeled it “Router Juice” in silver sharpie after misplacing three previous power banks.

Core Software Stack

| Category | Tool | Why I stick with it | | --- | --- | --- | | Writing | Obsidian + Notion | Obsidian for notes that must live offline; Notion for collaborating with teams | | Task management | Akiflow | Combines calendar + tasks so I can time block in one view | | Calendars | Cron | Keyboard shortcuts, quick reschedule, works offline better than Google Calendar | | Communication | Slack, Signal, Loom | Keep async updates thoughtful; record Looms when latency is terrible | | Focus | Centered app | AI coach suggests breaks, keeps me honest about deep work slots | | Security | 1Password, Bitwarden (shared vault) | Redundancy in case one service hiccups | | File sync | Syncthing | Peer-to-peer sync between laptop and iPad when Wi-Fi is hostile |

Daily Workflow Rhythm

06:30 – Wake up, run a quick Airalo speed test, then choose the day’s primary network (hotel router, 4G tether, coworking fiber).
07:00 – 90-minute deep work block using Centered + Pomodoro cues. No Slack, no email, just Obsidian vault tasks.
09:00 – Sync tasks with Akiflow, update status messages across Slack and Linear. I call this my “prevent people from panicking” block.
11:30 – Lunch break, scout new cafés, log Wi-Fi quality in a shared Google Maps list we maintain with other nomads.
14:00 – Meetings window for North American clients. I route audio through Krisp + WH-1000XM5, video through Continuity Camera on my iPhone for decent lighting.
17:30 – Shutdown ritual: I log decisions in Notion, sync Syncthing, journal highlights in Day One.

Battle-Testing the Setup: Kyiv Sprint

During a research sprint in Kyiv, the coworking space lost power twice a day. My kit handled it because:

• The ZMI battery powered the router, keeping Zoom calls alive while others scrambled.
• Syncthing synced drafts to my iPad automatically, so when the laptop battery fell below 5%, I switched devices without losing context.
• My Framework’s replaceable SSD meant customs didn’t freak when I carried a blank drive; my actual project drive stayed encrypted in my sling until needed.

Soft Skills (and Software Habits) That Matter

• Status memos: Every Monday I send a Loom + Notion recap. It keeps stakeholders clear on progress even if I’m unreachable mid-flight.
• Meeting buffers: Cron auto-inserts 15-minute buffers before/after late-night calls. I use that window to reset routers or relocate.
• Document everything: When a coworker asks “what’s the Wi-Fi password at that Porto space again?” it’s already in our shared database, complete with speed test screenshot.

Burnout Prevention Tricks

• Macro creates micro-breaks: I run a Keyboard Maestro macro that forces my screen to lock every 52 minutes. Annoying? Yes. Effective? Also yes.
• Time-shifted collaboration: I ask clients to record video briefs instead of long emails. I reply with my own video or annotated screenshots during my morning, which is their night. The asynchronous rhythm keeps my evenings mine.
• Non-digital rituals: Analog note cards for task triage, a tiny Aeropress kit for coffee, five-minute stretches every time I stand to refill water.

When Things Blow Up Anyway

On a recent flight delay in São Paulo, my primary laptop died. The recovery plan looked like this:

1. Booted the iPad, mounted the Samsung T7 via USB-C.
2. Syncthing restored Obsidian vault, 1Password unlocked vaults with hardware key.
3. Used GitHub Codespaces to finish a client change request.
4. Overnighted a Framework replacement keyboard to the next city.

The entire outage cost me two hours, not two days, because every critical app had a Plan B.

The Packing List (Printable)

Framework 13" (AMD 32 GB RAM)
Keychron K3 Pro + spare keycaps
Roost stand + Moft Float
GL.iNet Slate AX router + USB-C cable
SanDisk Extreme SSD (1 TB) + Samsung T7 (backup)
ZMI 20K Pro battery + universal travel adapter
Sony WH-1000XM5 + EarFun Free Pro 3
Anker 735 65W GaN charger + 3 USB-C cables
iPad Air M2 with Magic Keyboard Folio
Peak Design tech pouch (cables, SIM tool, SD reader)

Print that, tape it inside your suitcase, and you’ll pack smarter than three-quarters of digital nomads I meet.

Final Word

Remote work on the road isn’t just about finding Wi-Fi; it’s about building a resilient system. Gear breaks, power flickers, calendars collide. With the right hardware, a tight software stack, and rituals that protect your focus, you can ship great work from airport gates and mountain towns alike—and still have the bandwidth to enjoy where you are.