What’s in my blog bag? 2018

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As somebody who blogs, podcasts, and creates video–and does it all from different locations on any given day–I thought it’d be fun to share what’s in my blog!

Also, my buddy Nick True from Mapped Out Money is another traveling “multi-mediapreneur”–so he was kind enough to share his bag as well!

whats in my blog bag 2018
  1. Case Logic KSB-102 Large DSLR and Laptop Backpack – For somebody who does NOT carry around letter-sized paper or big books, why would I need a traditional 1-pocket bag? For those of us with cables, chargers, mics, cameras, etc–DSLR bags are SO MUCH BETTER. I ordered 4-5 different DSLR bags on Amazon and returned all but this one. Favorite part? It has a sturdy & flat bottom, allowing it to stand up straight and not topple over constantly. I <3 sturdy & flat bottoms ?
  2. 2016 Macbook Pro 15″ – I DO NOT BUY CHEAP COMPUTERS. The way I see it, my entire career is working on a laptop–why would I skimp on that? Before this, I was a Windows guy. No longer. I’m Mac for the foreseeable future.
  3. Sinoguo Neoprene Water Resistance TOP-LOADING Laptop Sleeve – I actually keep this IN the laptop compartment of the bag, for extra padding! Top-loading sleeves are where it’s at. They’re sooo hard to find though. Special thanks to Jessica for recommending this one.
  4. ATR 2100 USB Microphone – Easily the highest ROI microphone in the world. Pictured with a DYEB-blue windscreen.
  5. Shure leather microphone bag – Holds the ATR 2100 above and it’s USB cord.
  6. Huion H640P Drawing Tablet – I’ve been drawing more and more recently, both for fun and for fun/engaging hand-drawn graphics to include in blog posts and emails. Works great! (I use the mac app Mischief for drawing)
  7. The no-battery pen that came with the above drawing tablet.
  8. Cable – OG Macbook pro charger
  9. WordPress swag cord wrapper bag thingy – Mine is WordPress branded because I’m honestly uber-special, but you can actually grab blank ones on Amazon. I wrap my cords in it! Handy.
  10. Cable – 6 foot iPhone lightning charger cable – Um, a 3-pack of 6ft lightning cables for $10? Don’t mind if I do!
  11. Cable – USB to micro USB – This little guy will charge the headphones, charge the Thinkific portable charger (as well as connect to the charger to charge other stuff), as well as connect the drawing tablet to the laptop. Handy!
  12. A longer version of the above cable that came with the drawing tablet. I find I need something a bit longer for the tablet, as it’s more comfortable to place it in my lap to draw.
  13. Cable – Smart HUB BridgeTHIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE THING. This is a beautiful 8ft extension cord w/ 2x AC outlets, AND with 4x USB charging ports. I was constantly struggling with reaching various outlets, as well as switching out the square USB charger bases. NO MORE. Thanks be to Matt Mullenweg for the recommendation.
  14. 16g SD card – This is just a backup that I used to use more when I carried my Zoom H5 in the travel bag.
  15. DYEB Business cards – Too bad I never really hand them out at conferences anymore ?
  16. Samsung T3 Portable SSD 250GB – THIS IS MY WORKHORSE, nicknamed Bananastand (no really) – So I’m kinda weird, and I store NOTHING on my actual laptop. No images. No documents. Nothing. This SSD is incredibly fast, and if I’m doing anything involving the podcast, it’s plugged in. It’s where ALL my files live–with the exception of my iCloud storage and my 3TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive – I don’t carry this around with me, as it’s big and bulky–but every multi-media-preneur needs a big ole’ 3TB hard drive. This one is nicknamed Tobias Fünke 😉
  17. Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Studio Headphones – My baby. I’ve tried over 100 sets of headphones–including Bose–and these are my favorites by far. If you’re not quite ready for this model, the entry-level version is still fantastic.
    1. Bluetooth Adapter and Amplifier for the BAL-M50X – UM YES PLEASE. This thing plugs into the headphones above just under the left ear, and converts them to wireless Bluetooth headphones(!)
  18. Panasonic ErgoFit In-Ear Earbud – Again, I’ve tried over 100 headphones and earbuds, and aside from my uber-fancy studio headphones, this $10 pair sounds the best. I have no clue why–but they’re way better than similar earbuds I’ve tried. ?
  19. USB Type C Adapter – WHY Apple decided to only use USB Type C on their new Macbooks I’ll never understand. That said, this is the perfect adapter. It’s small, but heavy and metal. I use it every day.
  20. Vivitar 5-in-1 Multi-Function SD Card Reader – At one point, you could ONLY find this at Staples. STILL not on Amazon, but I found a link on Target! This is a must-have for Macbook users. #USBTypeC
  21. 4 AA batteries – I keep these in here for when I travel with my Zoom H5 (see below)
  22. Chapstick I bought at FinCon17 in Dallas. Conference Pro Tip: bring chapstick and throat lozenges.
  23. Thinkific swag portable charger – I think it’s 2,000 mAh. It was free, but I’l be upgrading to this bad boy soon because of the attached cables. Woot!
  24. Pilot G-2 Ballpoint Pen – I use this for sketch notes! A lot bolder than my cheap Clic Stic (see below)
  25. BIC Ecolutions Clic Stic Retractable Ballpoint Pen – Yes, I have to buy my EDP (every day pens) on Amazon, because I can’t find them anywhere in stores anymore! The Clic Stic is the perfect cheap pen.
  26. Traveler’s Company Leather Notebook w/ Midori Paper – Yes, I’m also a fine paper nerd. Midori makes fantastic paper, and the Traveler’s Notebook is one of the best refillable notebooks out there.

Inside Nick True’s blog bag.

FYI – all of these are Nick’s affiliate links, not Pete’s!

🙂

  1. Kindle Paper White – https://amzn.to/2E4z65O
  2. Passport and Checkbook
  3. An assortment of free flash drives from conferences
  4. Wireless Presentation Clicker – https://amzn.to/2QCoi5t
  5. Current Book = Primal Branding – https://amzn.to/2E4zOQw
  6. Journal from Target that says “Be Fierce” with a pink cat
  7. Assortment of free USB power banks from conferences
  8. JOBY GorillaPod 3K Kit – https://amzn.to/2SzYsfT
  9. HDMI to Thunderbolt – http://a.co/d/gQjok9Q
  10. Rode VideoMic Pro Plus – https://amzn.to/2QGqIQB
  11. Apple iPhone charger
  12. GripTight GorillaPod Stand PRO – https://amzn.to/2L4nMbu
  13. Magsafe MacBook Pro Charger
  14. Yurbuds athletic earbuds – https://amzn.to/2Swc0sM
  15. DayQuil – https://amzn.to/2L0Fk8i
  16. Fidget Spinner – https://amzn.to/2QjtYCe
  17. 30L Peak Design Everyday Backpack – https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/everyday-bags/products/everyday-backpack?variant=9783968956460
  18. 2015 MacBook Pro
  19. An assortment of pens
  20. Canon LC-E6 Battery Charger – https://amzn.to/2QhgPJY
  21. Seagate Backup Plus 2TB Portable External Hard Drive – http://a.co/d/28DKZB8
  22. 2-Pack LP-E6 Charger – https://amzn.to/2Sx9AKe
  23. Stanley 31500 Power Squid with 5-Grounded Outlets – https://amzn.to/2L15xn1
  24. Pocket-sized composition notebooks
  25. Noah Kagan Sumo Playing Cards
  26. Sight Saver Lens Cleaner – https://amzn.to/2QmMFoI
  27. Sony ECMCS3 Clip Style Omnidirectional Stereo Microphone – http://a.co/d/4kp96nm
  28. Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder – https://amzn.to/2Qi7mlD
  29. Aputure AL-MX, Amaran AL-M9 Upgrade Version – https://amzn.to/2QBlXIe
  30. Canon EOS 18-35mm Kit lens – https://amzn.to/2QFLHmH
  31. Aputure AL-M9 Amaran LED Mini Light – https://amzn.to/2QGrL2Z
  32. Pile of cables for all the things
  33. Canon 80d (not pictured) – https://amzn.to/2E6NuKE

My other gear (that stays at home usually):

  1. HooToo Type C Adapter Hub with 4 USB 3.0 Ports
  2. Logitech Keys-to-go Wireless Keyboard – I am BAFFLED by the fact that they stopped making these. The updated portable keyboards are simply not as good as this one. Luckily, you can still buy from a few 3rd-party sellers on Amazon, but they are disappearing quickly.
  3. GoPro HERO5 Session – It’s a GoPro, and I love it.
  4. JOBY GorillaPod – This thing is a beast tripod! Highly recommended for a reason. It works great.
  5. Zoom H5 – My portable recorder. I’m not sure why so many recommend the H6–it’s more expensive and doesn’t offer that much benefit over this one. I used to carry this around in my bag, but cleared it out for more room for cords earlier this year. I’ll still add back in for conferences (so I can be ready to record podcasts at any second)
  6. ATR-3350IS Lavalier Mic – A great lav mic for the price–just wish it wasn’t wired lol. Used to produce most of my Blogger U videos that were shot standing at a whiteboard (and constantly turning my body away from the DSLR mic)
  7. Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone – Once I’m Oprah-rich and finally have a studio of my own–this will be my recording mic. But it’s not ideal for travel.
  8. Behringer UMC204HD USB Audio Interface – The Heil PR-40 uses an XLR cable connection, meaning I have to run it through something before it gets to my laptop. The pre-amps on this baby are actually superb
  9. Gator Frameworks Weighted Base Microphone Stand – THIS IS MIC STAND, PEOPLE. I can’t stand the flimsy boom arms that attach to desks. This one is SO easy to maneuver set-up, and it doesn’t wobble at all. A+++
  10. Canon EF-S 24mm – Anybody wanna buy this from me? This is a wide-angle lens–but only for full-frame cameras (mine’s not haha). Bought on accident because I’m an idiot.

That’s it! If you’re looking to learn about my INVISIBLE GEAR–i.e. my software blogging tools, you can find those tools listed here.

What about you? Comment below with your favorite tool or piece of gear! 

Affiliate links welcome! Impress us 😉

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