My top 7 laptop-bag essentials now, after decades of remote work

It's getting a bit too hot in the office now, so I'm spending less time there and more time out and about. Work still needs doing, so the trusty laptop comes along; I recently cleaned out my laptop bag, threw out months of detritus, and streamlined what I carry.

The trick to an effective mobile office is having everything you need — not everything you want. What I take depends on where I'm going. I use two sling bags: an Aer Travel Sling 2 X-Pac that fits a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a 10-liter Pacsafe Vibe when I have an iPad Pro, with the latter offering anti-theft features that actually work.

A hub is essential because no laptop comes with enough ports, so I swap between two Satechi hubs — the 8-in-1 USB C Hub Multiport Adapter V2 and the USB-C Hub Multiport Adapter MX — both powered from the laptop's USB-C port so there’s no extra power brick to carry.

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