The most important item will obviously be the laptop. And no that does not include eePC or tablets. The processing power on these is just enough.

So when I started to get ready to leave in the end of 2010, I really wanted to get the best laptop possible for me. Macs are known for their build quality but I didn’t go for them and I am very glad I didn’t. Instead I bought a Thinkpad. It was the first of the “s” serie, the thin and light version of the T400, the T400s.

t400s in budapest

I met a lot of people who also traveled with their laptop and they were all impressed by my laptop choice. The mat screen has amazing visibility in difficult conditions. Most importantly, its made of plastic composite and not glass. I have seen dozens of broken glass display from traveler’s laptop. The Thinkpad keyboard is also famous for its quality and its even water resistant! Of course the model I selected was ultra light, which is something you need when you plan to travel. An other plus over the macbook for example, is the polymere body. It is extremely durable but also allows a little flex. The macbook is a one piece aluminium design, so in a travel bag it is kinda dangerous to transport.

Next item is the bag. I chose a carry-on sized bad. Since you will be traveling for months or even years, you will need something very durable and resistant to friction. Nylon is known for that. Even better is the ballistic nylon, named after the first attempt to make bullet proof vests (true story!). I chose a duffel bag from Filson, an american company that still makes their bag the traditional way.

Filson Duffel Bag

So here you go, I hope this got you into the mindset of archiving a location independent lifestyle! Now back to your charts !