I’m on the road again this weekend and next, and a friend asked me what a writer packs on a weekend trip. That’s not an unusual question, but I’m sure there are as many answers as there are writers. Readers and fans seem to dig workplace/office questions, so I thought answering this question on the blog may interest the same people.
Maybe some other writers (and artists!) will chime in on their blogs, too. What do you say, folks?
In addition to the obvious (clothes, toiletries), here’s what I’m packing:
The iPad
This one’s a no-brainer. It will be used for writing, email, surfing the web, maybe even movies (Netflix) or reading (Kindle, iBooks). Also includes the wireless keyboard and a charger cable.
iPod
I still prefer to keep my music off the iPad to save space, and it’s good to have music when I write. It also has a few games if I need a brain break, and the cool new Sons of Anarchy app.
Moleskines
Two of them, actually: one for my writing notes and one for karate. The former is for brainstorming and reference, the latter for reference if I squeeze in some karate workouts.
Reading Material
Gotta have something for inspiration or uwinding. While I’m migrating most of my reading to digital, I still have a stack of dead tree editions to work through. Also, because I don’t know what I’ll be in the mood for, I pack fiction, non-fiction, and comics. This weekend I have Dance of Death by Preston & Child, The Karate Way by Dave Lowry, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century: 1910 by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill.
Camera Gear
I have a Digital Rebel, a few lenses, and an external flash. I rarely bother with the tripod for travel. I also have the camera adapter for the iPad, but I have yet to test it.
The Smartphone
My leash and my lifeline. Email, Internet, GPS… I’m even tapping out this blog post on it.
All of that minus the camera rig fits neatly into a messenger bag, which lets me travel a lot lighter than I used to with the backpack and laptop. The camera gear goes in a separate shoulder sling bag.
What’s even better is all of this would fit comfortably on my motorcycle and saddle bags. Unfortunately I’m in Illinois and we’re pretty much done with riding weather for the winter unless I really want to bundle up (which takes some of the fun out of the ride).
And there it is. Light and nimble, but with everything I could need.
About Mike Oliveri
Mike Oliveri is a writer, martial artist, cigar aficionado, motorcyclist, and family man, but not necessarily in that order. His Bram Stoker Award-winning first novel, Deadliest of the Species, was just reprinted by Evileye Books.
