Mobile Developer Backpack Contents

I am a mobile developer. I work in my home office, at a client’s office, my in-laws cottage, in my camper, in an airport, hotel room, and even in the car as my wife drives. My primary machine has been a notebook/laptop for the last nine years and it pretty much goes everywhere. Because of this lifestyle, I have a computer backpack and in it I carry my life.

I recently was asked what I have in my laptop bag. Someone I know recently purchased a laptop and wanted to get a head start on the list of items they would be purchasing. Here is the list of accessories I carry with me everywhere I go:

• Portable mouse
  
• Extra battery and power adapter
  
• Thumb drive (256 MB)
  
• Ethernet cable and phone cable
  
• Kensington lock
  
• Baby USB Hub (four port)
  
• Headphones with microphone so I can Skype
  
• CD case with CDs to install software
  
• Portfolio for note taking
  
• Spare CD-RW and DVD-R
  
• Palm 515
  
• Cell phone
  
• Cell headphone/microphone
  
• Cell phone spare battery and car charger
  
• MP3 Player
  
• Business cards
  
• Sunglass clip
  
• Pens & highlighter
  
• Mini-flashlight
  
• Tylenol
  
• Granola bar
  
• Cash

The entire bag with the laptop and accessories weights 21 pounds. This version is downsized considerably from my older notebook and backpack (at least five pounds lighter). The laptop is lighter, the portfolio I now use is half size, and I parted with junk I don’t use daily. The new notebook has a Centrino and 4-5 hour battery life so I could probably skip the extra battery, but I never know when I am going to need it.

So what do you carry in your computer backpack or case?