Inspired by different posts and conversions, here’s what I put in my backpack for this upcoming conference season. What are you bringing?
With the fall 2023 conference season in full swing, Erik shares his tried-and-tested approach to digitally surviving conferences. From the right footwear to essential tech gear, this video covers everything Erik packs in his bag when heading out to events like Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina and Directions EMEA in Lyon, France.
Comfort First: The Foundation of Conference Survival
Erik’s first piece of advice is deceptively simple but critically important: be comfortable. Conferences involve a tremendous amount of walking — thousands of steps each day between sessions, exhibit halls, and networking events. For Erik, that means wearing trail running shoes, which are his preferred choice for heavy walking days. Pair that with a comfortable t-shirt (often space-themed or tech-inspired), and you’ve got the basics covered.
The Bag: Osprey Talon 22
If you’ve met Erik at any conference over the past several years, you’ve probably noticed his trusty Osprey Talon 22 backpack. While it wasn’t originally designed as a tech conference bag, it works remarkably well for carrying gear around all day. It’s comfortable, has good capacity, and holds everything he needs for a full conference day.
The Workhorse: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
Erik is a one-computer person. His Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 goes everywhere with him — whether he’s working from his basement office, sitting on a plane, or presenting at a conference. He does all his work on this single machine and doesn’t bring a backup laptop. If something catastrophic were to happen, his contingency plan involves a trip to Best Buy and a credit card.
However, the night before traveling, Erik always runs a complete image backup of his computer — first to local storage, then to the cloud. You never know what can happen on the road, and having a full backup provides peace of mind.
Power Management: The Anker GaN Prime 733
One of Erik’s favorite pieces of kit is the Anker GaN Prime 733. This device is a bit of a Swiss Army knife for power management — it functions both as a wall charger and as a 10,000 mAh battery pack. It can deliver enough USB-C power to charge a laptop, and it handles charging for his phone, watch, and other devices as well.
Key features that make it Erik’s go-to power solution:
- Two USB-C ports and one USB-A port
- Works as a wall charger when plugged in
- Serves as an emergency battery when no outlets are available
- Compact enough to carry all day
- It’s the only wall charger Erik brings — it handles everything
Paired with the charger is a bright red, 3-meter Anker USB-C cable. The length is practical for reaching awkward outlet placements, and the red color ensures it’s nearly impossible to lose or leave behind.
Backup Battery
In addition to the Anker GaN Prime, Erik carries a second battery pack — a 20,000 mAh unit with USB-C. While it serves as extra insurance for the laptop and phone, he finds its most common use is powering hungry cameras like GoPros during conference recording sessions.
Presentation Essentials
The Clicker
Erik always brings his own PowerPoint clicker. It’s an older model that’s showing its age (the rubberized surface is starting to degrade), but it works reliably. It functions as a simple keyboard with five keys, which means it’s universally compatible — just plug the receiver into any USB port. For someone who likes to talk with their hands and move away from the podium, a wireless clicker is indispensable.
The Surface Dock / Adapter
This one is born from hard experience. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 only has USB-C for video output, and Erik has found that many of the USB-C to HDMI adapters provided by conference venues don’t work with Surface devices. There appear to be passive and active versions of these converters, and compatibility can be hit-or-miss.
His solution is to carry the official Microsoft Surface adapter, which provides USB-C to HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and additional USB ports. It’s essentially a compact travel dock that ensures he’s never stuck at a podium unable to connect to the projector — something that almost happened to him at a previous Directions event.
Security: The USB Data Blocker
When traveling through airports, sitting in cafes, or staying in hotels, you might need to charge your devices using unfamiliar USB ports. Erik carries a PortaPow USB data blocker — a small, inexpensive device (around $10) that physically blocks data pins while allowing only power to pass through.
You plug the data blocker into the unknown USB port, then connect your charging cable to it. Only power crosses the connection — no data. It’s a “better safe than sorry” approach to charging in public spaces. These are available in both USB-A and USB-C versions, and Erik recommends keeping one permanently attached to a charging cable as a dedicated safe-charging cable.
Small But Mighty: The Extension Cord
One of Erik’s more underrated tips is bringing a short extension cord — in his case, about 130 cm (roughly 4 feet). Hotel outlets are often in awkward positions — recessed into lamps, behind furniture, or at floor level. Airplane power outlets are notoriously difficult to reach under seats. A short extension cord solves all of these problems elegantly.
For international travel (like heading to France for Directions EMEA), Erik also carries a version with a European-to-North American plug adapter. This avoids the common problem of a bulky adapter plug that wobbles and falls out of the outlet — the extension cord can lie flat and stay stable.
Bonus Items
- Cam Link (HDMI capture device): Occasionally brought along for streaming or recording sessions at the conference
- SD cards: Multiple cards for cameras, with a reminder to delete old content before traveling — you don’t want sensitive footage on cards that could get lost
- Padded laptop sleeve: Recently upgraded to a better-padded sleeve to match the new Surface Laptop Studio 2 — keeping expensive gear safe is always a good investment
Summary: Erik’s Conference Packing List
- Comfortable clothing and trail running shoes
- Osprey Talon 22 backpack
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 (with a fresh full backup)
- Padded laptop sleeve
- Anker GaN Prime 733 (charger + battery combo)
- 3-meter bright red USB-C cable
- Backup 20,000 mAh battery pack
- Wireless PowerPoint clicker
- Official Microsoft Surface USB-C adapter/dock
- USB data blocker
- Short extension cord (with international adapter as needed)
- Cam Link HDMI capture device (optional)
- SD cards (freshly wiped)
- Standard charging cables for phone, watch, etc.
The overarching theme of Erik’s approach is preparedness without over-packing. Every item earns its place in the bag by solving a real problem he’s encountered at previous conferences. The key priorities are: keep your devices charged, ensure you can always connect to presentation equipment, protect your data, and above all — wear comfortable shoes.
