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Vacation Apple Gear Carry / Travel EDC 2022!

10:39 video

In previous years I couldn’t go more than 50 miles from home without a full cargo van of tech gear. I just got back from two trips, a road trip and a flight to another state, and I think I found the perfect travel tech carry.

The bag

A Swiss Gear backpack I bought with a 15-inch MacBook Pro in 2009 and still use. It has a small crack in the handle and doesn’t stand up on its own anymore, but the zippers and padding still work. I could probably use a new one, so if you have a good backpack to suggest, let me know.

What’s inside

  • iPad mini (6th generation). The perfect little travel media device for a cramped car or airplane seat. In the Apple Smart Folio (electric orange) it sits up on a tray table without worry about the person ahead reclining and crushing a laptop or bending a bigger iPad. I download apps, movies and shows for offline use on a flight or when cell signal is poor, and the small size helps during takeoff and landing, when you can’t use the tray table.
  • M2 MacBook Air. This was my first real vacation in some time and I intended not to work, but I had to log into work stuff once or twice. At 2.7 pounds, you barely feel it in the pack. I love the new design, similar to the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with the larger display, thinner bezels, bigger keys and bigger trackpad.
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard. My go-to in a hotel room: I prefer physical keys and a trackpad for typing or browsing, and it holds the iPad up for movies and shows in bed, with a bright screen and amazing speakers that fill a hotel room.
  • Xbox controller. I play Call of Duty Mobile on the iPad with it. I prefer it to the PlayStation controller because of the AA batteries: with the PlayStation controller I was charging weekly, with the Xbox I change batteries every couple of months. Rechargeable batteries are recommended but not required.

On my person

  • Apple Watch Series 7, 45 mm stainless steel in graphite, for notifications when my phone isn’t in my hand, activity tracking and quick access to messages, email, calendar and the temperature.
  • AirPods Pro. I normally use the third-generation AirPods, but I took the Pro for flying. To my surprise, the noise cancellation was amazing on the plane against engine noise. I’ve taken the AirPods Max in the past, but these are so much less bulky on my head and in my bag, and unless I’m flying overseas I don’t see myself taking anything else. For about a three-hour flight they were comfortable, never ran out of battery, and got me through three hour-long shows.
  • iPhone 13 Pro in Sierra Blue with the Apple silicone MagSafe case. I find it the Goldilocks of iPhones: the three cameras, a good battery and a good size. After almost a year the battery held up pretty well, though a couple of days I needed a boost.

Charging

  • Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: simple, clean and small, giving about another 60 to 80% for my 13 Pro. It attaches to the back of the silicone case, and also works great with the RhinoShield bumper case I’ve used for the last few weeks: the pack sits snugly inside the bumper and can’t slide off. I didn’t use the bumper on this trip because I like the MagSafe Duo.
  • MagSafe Duo: I was skeptical when it was announced (too expensive, too cheap-looking), but it’s convenient to drop the phone and watch (or AirPods and watch) on it with one cable. The downsides are the price and potential yellowing of the white material, and it still uses Lightning.
  • Apple dual-port USB-C charger (the 35 W one, the version with the ports on the bottom): charges my phone and watch through the MagSafe Duo, and a USB-C cable in the other port charges the MacBook Air, iPad Pro or iPad mini.

Just a dual-port charger, the MagSafe Duo, a Lightning cable and a USB-C cable cover everything. It’s slimmed down from what it used to be.

If you want to know how the M2 MacBook Air holds up in real-world use, see my two-week review.

In this video

  • 0:00 Intro, Bag, iPad mini
  • 2:21 M2 MacBook Air, iPad Pro
  • 5:10 iPhone, Watch, AirPods Pro
  • 6:56 Batteries, Charging

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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