What to Carry with Your Laptop

The specific contents of your computer bag reflect the way you use the computer and the places you take it. Here's a list you can use as a starting point:

• Your computer's AC power adapter

• A cube tap or other AC power splitter

• A spare battery (if necessary for long trips)

• One or two pens and a small notebook or note cards

• A cable lock and alarm

• One or two USB or PC Card flash drives

• An Ethernet cable (at least 8–10 feet or 3 meters long)

• An Ethernet interface adapter (if not built into your laptop)

• A Wi-Fi adapter (if not built into your laptop)

• A modem on a PC Card (if not built into your laptop)

• A modular telephone (modem) cable

• Earphones

• Copies of the computer's User's Manual and Service Manual, preferably on a CD

• An emergency startup CD or USB drive including antivirus and antispyware software

• A Windows installation CD or the restoration CD recommended by your computer's manufacturer

• Several blank CDs

If they're appropriate for your particular needs, you might want to add these items:

• A pocket-size AC line tester

• Adapters for foreign AC power outlets

• An external mouse

• A small flashlight

• A reading light

• An external 10-key keypad (if you do a lot of numeric data entry)

• A USB cable

• A USB Bluetooth adapter (if not built into your laptop)

• A cellular data interface PC Card (if you have an account with a cellular service provider)

• A cable for connecting your laptop to your cellular telephone

• A FireWire (IEEE 1394) cable

• A parallel printer cable or a USB-to-Centronics adapter cable

• A privacy shield

• A pocket-size screwdriver with both flat and Phillips head blades (leave this out if you're traveling by air)

• Any special tools you need to perform minor repairs on your computer

• Long-nose pliers

• A spare pointing stick cover (if your computer uses a pointing stick)

• A small plastic bag or box for odd spare parts

After you have been using the computer for several months, take a quick inventory of your bag's contents. If you find bits and pieces that you haven't ever used (except for obvious emergency resources like the boot disk and the manual), leave them out.

For obvious security reasons, there are some things you should not carry in your computer bag:

• Credit cards

• Keys

• Driver's license and other personal ID

• Checkbook

• Large amounts of cash

• Passport

• Prescription drugs

• Anything else that would be difficult or impossible to replace on short notice

Many computer bags include a special outside compartment for your mobile telephone. Before you drop your phone into that pocket, think about the impact on your daily life if you lose both your computer and your portable telephone at the same time.

If possible, you should also carry some information outside the computer bag, in a pocket or briefcase (this should all fit onto a single sheet of paper). If your computer is lost or stolen, the items on this list will help you connect to the Internet from another computer:

• A list of important telephone numbers, including:

  • Your company's tech support center or help desk

  • Your Internet Service Provider's support center

  • Your tracking and recovery service's hotline

• Information about your Internet access account, including:

  • Dial-in telephone numbers

  • Domain Name Server (DNS) numeric addresses

  • Step-by-step instructions for going online

  • Information about your company's virtual private network, if any

• A list of important Web site addresses

• The make, model, and serial number of your computer, so you can report them to the police.

• A list of essential e-mail addresses