Essential Equipment for Working Remote
Right now, there has been a huge shift to working remotely due to COVID-19. I’ve been receiving a lot of requests about the set up I use while working remote. In my opinion, the biggest challenge to working remote is having the correct equipment to be efficient.
Laptops
Obviously, you can’t work without a laptop. My work laptop is Dell Latitude 7270. Most businesses are probably going to provide you with a laptop and this is the laptop I was
provided. I actually really like this laptop and find myself using it every now and again for personal use as well. Probably the biggest downside to this laptop is the amount of updates required. I hate when I’m deep in a project and it says ’10 minutes until restart’. So frustrating! But that could also be something my company pushes out as well, I’m not too sure.
The laptop I use for personal use is a Macbook Air I have a love/hate relationship with this computer. I do love how it’s easily connected to my phone. That makes it easy to transfer photos/videos when I’m creating content. It’s also nice to have iMovie for a newbie Youtuber.
I’m not dedicated enough to pay for a video creation application quite yet, so I appreciate the ease of iMovie. Other than that, I don’t really use my Macbook all that often so sometimes I question if it was worth the cost. Either way, it is a great laptop. Also, I spilled water on it twice, and after drying out it survived both times. So, it’s a solid computer.
Monitors
I have been using 2 – 3 screens while working ever since I started my career 7 years ago. I am too spoiled to go back to just one screen. I hate flipping back and forth between pages on one screen. I knew when I started working remote I would have to invest in a portable spare monitor that wouldn’t take up much space and could easily be carried in a backpack. I
purchased an AOC portable monitor and I absolutely love it. It’s not too big and fits perfectly in my bag. With both my laptop and monitor next to each other I fit on my tables at coffee shops or libraries. The only thing I don’t love about my portable monitor is that I can’t adjust the brightness. But for the affordable cost, it’s something I can deal with.
Accessories
I use a cordless mouse with my Dell and I love it. I can’t imagine doing my professional work without a mouse. It’s a cheap accessory that makes life so much better.
If your job has anything to do with numbers you’ll want to make sure you have wireless number pad. I know all of my accountants, auditors, tax people feel me!!
Last but certainly not least, I HIGHLY recommend a Jackery power unit. Especially if you’re traveling and working remote. I can’t stress this enough. There have been times where I’ve gone into a coffee shop and had to grab my Jackery because they didn’t have a plug in near me. Or I’ll be at my campsite and have my Jackery to use for power instead of draining the batteries in my van. Yes, I am a Jackery partner and get a small commission if a purchase it made. HOWEVER, I will never recommend a product I don’t agree with or think works well. It’s probably my favorite and most useful vanlife accessory I own.
Hopefully this helps give you some guidance on tools to help you while working remote! If you think I’m missing something please let me know! I’m always open to hear what other people are using to be successful while working remote. If you’re working remote temporarily right now but hope to do so permanently check out my Working Remote Proposal Template to help get you that approval to work remote full time!
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