I was able to obtain a fully remote job in early 2022 and begin to transition my life to this new freedom. After 14 years of commuting into a factory it was a large adjustment and I am still exploring what this freedom means to me. As I adjusted to working in a much smaller and mobile space here are a few of the things that served me well. *Commissions are earned from the link below.
Working setup
Portable USB-C Monitor- Asus ROG Monitor has been great for me. It has it’s own built in battery or can be powered by the USB-C cable connected to your laptop. I went with the 17.3″ but they have smaller options. Great to expand your working area without a heavy desktop monitor, it can take mini HDMI or USB-C input and comes with both cables. It can be ordered with a tripod or use the cover to prop it up. It does have a standard trip mount screw in location on the back so plenty of options to figure out what works best. It draws around 11 watts of power.
Starlink-Still in progress of getting it installed. More to come as I figure out a permanent install. This will be a post or two on it’s own so stay tuned here to find out more.
WeBoost Drive Reach– Couple of variations of these are available. I went with the drive mount that can easily be moved since the antenna is held on with a magnet. There is a more permanent RV style version with a bolted in taller antenna. Even with Starlink soon to be installed this will be part of my communication package. The unit does get pretty warm so when mounting it leave room for airflow. It draws around 12 watts of power.
OXO Ice cube trays– these are nice because they have a spill proof cover. They were a little to large for our freezer so I trimmed off the end of the plastic handle so they fit nicely now.
Rechargable Bissell small vacuum– Nice and small and has decent power.
USB Powered Fan-Decent power, can run off of USB and has small battery too
Aeropress Go– Smaller version of the Aeropress that fits into a nice small package. Great coffee and is it’s own cup.
Peak Design Tech Pouch-Awesome bag to handle cord organization and all of the different chargers I use.
Thera Cane– The Thera Cane has been incredible for me working on the road. With just a little pressure I am able to massage and work on some of the tight muscles and knots I get.
Anker Portable Battery– This is a great battery backup to charge small electronics and also to carry in the backpack when I go to coffee shops. It’s nice to have the flexibility to not be desperately looking for the table next to the wall with a wall charger available.
Other things to note…
One thing I don’t have but am planning on getting is ceramic tint for the van windows. It helps cut the UV rays coming through the windows and will help in the summer a lot.
Batteries-I would recommend at least 200ah of lithium batteries, if you can do more, do it. Especially if you have AC and will run it from the batteries.
AC- Definitely very nice to have, may seem like a luxury but in terms of working effectively I really recommend it.
After being on the road sometimes a nice extended stay is nice. Check out www.furnishedfinder.com for mid term rentals if you know you will be in a place for a while.