On the Road with a Laptop: Troubles, Tips and Too Much Work

In the past two years, I've learned to take my writing on the road. I always had a notebook. But after seven years of writing, I have so many notebooks I end up spending half a day going through them all just to find the scene I know I wrote. It really hasn't been easy. We've gone through three separate laptop suitcases and I'm still not satisfied. I've had problems with my data and difficulties connecting to free Internet services. I tend to bring my entire library with me, or so it seems. But I'm happy to say I've accomplished it. I've written articles, scenes and poems and submitted them to magazines. I've answered my e-mail and help desk calls. I've even done a small amount of research. It is possible to write on the road. These tips and tales might help you do the same.

1) A laptop carrying case needs to be big enough to carry whatever you carry on the airplane, plus allow you to easily pull out the laptop at airport security stations. And it needs to be small enough to fit airplane carry on regulations. For me, this means it has to hold the computer and all it's accessories, my camera, my binoculars, one outfit and at least two books. Who really knows if your checked baggage will arrive with you? Read Steve Tyler's article on taking your laptop on a flight.

2) The accessories you need for on the road include:

a) surge protector

b) car lighter a/c converter

c) cord

d) flash card reader and media

e) 3.5 floppy disk

f) CD's

g) mouse

h) Internet cable connector

i) wireless card

j) all model electrical current converter

3) Although you take all the above accessories with you, most of the time all I use is the laptop, wireless card, cord and surge protector. This fits under my arm or in a large open bag and I just pull it out, already connected.