Road Work, Part 2

In part 1, I described how I get things done on my computer when I’m in my car. Working in the car sometimes feels claustrophobic – but nowhere near as tight as trying to use a modern laptop from an economy section middle seat. This problem has been bugging me for years - and I finally made some great progress on it on a trip a few weeks ago.

I planned this post with the assumption that my next flight would be an economy class middle seat - but I got upgraded. Even though there’s a little more space at this seat than I’d normally have, the tools work just as well in a tiny space.

1. Packable Backpack – I dislike the hassle of having to get in and out of my seat just to retrieve things from my carry-on bag - but I also don't want to deal with the bulk of a second carry on bag. I found this Osprey packable backpack a few years ago that solves this problem elegantly: the bag compresses to smaller than the size of my fist, but is large enough to hold everything on this list plus a neck pillow and sleep mask.

2. MacBook Pro (14 inch) – I love this computer, but it’s too big to open comfortably in an economy seat, even in my lap. It’s in the Osprey bag, stowed under the seat.

3. Yam Display – This app lets me use my iPhone as an external display for my Mac - and even better, I can use it as a touchscreen mouse too. (This functionality is built in for iPads, but I don’t have an iPad)

4. Amphetamine (Mac App Store) – Unfortunately, my Mac tries to go to sleep every time I close it, even with Yam Display connected. The Amphetamine app lets me disable sleep mode on the Mac for a configurable amount of time.

5. 2 meter USB C cable – Yam Display supports wireless connections but a wired connection is more reliable.

6. iPhone with Yam Display app – Although the Mac app is free, there's a small cost for the Yam Display app for the iPhone. I paid $10 for the bundle that included both the wired and wireless Yam apps.

7. MagSafe Phone Clip – This is the exact same model of MagSafe Phone Clip I mentioned in my last article. (You can save a little if you buy the two-pack.)

8. Collapsable Bluetooth Keyboard – This bluetooth keyboard can remember up to three devices and folds up to about the size of my phone. I wish it was a little wider - I have to make a conscious effort to scrunch my fingers together to touch type effectively on it.

9. Case – This is a freebie case I got on a previous flight - it's a large zippered pouch that I won’t feel bad replacing when it gets worn out. Before this I used a Clinique bag my wife gave me.

10. Airpods Pro 2 – These have completely transformed my flying experience. The noise cancelation is so good that flying with these is less loud than my day-to-day life without headphones. There's just one problem: they sometimes fall out of my ears when I'm sleeping.

11. Silicone Airpod Strap – A few months back I heard about this great new set of noise canceling Bluetooth headphones that was designed to stay in your ear while you slept. I was all set to buy them - but they cost even more than my AirPods, and I’ve always been uncomfortable buying a more expensive thing to avoid losing a cheaper thing. So I got this $2 silicone strap to keep them from falling under the seat if they do fall out of my ear.

12. AirFly – This is my third wired-to-bluetooth adapter and it's the smallest, cheapest, and most reliable of the three.

13. Saline Nasal Spray – I get dried out on airplanes. This stuff is cheap and helps.

14. REON POCKET 4 – I found this in Japan last year - it's a personal heater/air conditioner, and it really takes the edge off of the regular "too hot/too cold" experience of flying.

15. Amazon Basics Trash Bags – These are sold for picking up after your dog - but I always keep a roll on me when I travel so I have a place to put sticky trash, wrappers, gum - the sorts of things that are hard to manage in a small seat. (It's not like they pre-poop them. They're just bags, really. It's just a mental barrier.)

16. Water Bottle – Like I said, I get dried out on airplanes - and flight attendants will often refill a reusable bottle for you.

17. Shirt with a breast pocket – It's great having a packable backpack and a separate case for all this gear - but sometimes you just need to get a cable out of the way for a minute, and a breast pocket is a great help for that. Also good for passports and boarding passes.