What’s in my bag: Flo loves music and is prone to losing stuff
In this series, members of the editorial team show us what they carry with them when out and about – be it for business or pleasure. First up’s editor Flo. What’s in his bag? Music, music and more music.
I travel a lot – to tech shows such as IFA and other work-related events. And I also travel a lot in my spare time, especially by train. I enjoy passing the time with music, gaming or videos. For example, when I spend around six hours on the train from Winterthur to Franconia – something I do every few months to visit friends.
Space for everything
What do I transport all my stuff in? It depends. I own several bags. Some of them even look quite stylish (in my opinion). But quite often, I go for a functional option, such as my Puma Buzz rucksack. It has three compartments; the largest one’s divided into two sections. And it features small mesh pockets on the left and right that are great for things like drinks or your wallet.
Source: David Lee
As you can see from the above picture of its right strap, my rucksack’s not new any more. It’s been through a lot. It’s carried luggage for a full week’s holiday. I’ve had it for eight years. And it still works. If that were to change any day, I’d get the exact same one again, that’s for sure.
iPhone 15 Plus
Let’s start with the centre piece of my mobile equipment. Without my phone, an iPhone 15 Plus, I’d be lost. It’s my number one means of communication and often also my number one camera. Oh, and my number one source of music. I went for the Plus version because I also like a large phone display. My stubby fingers and a 5-inch screen just don’t get along.
MacBook Air (late 2020 edition)
My number one work tool also comes from Cupertino, California. I’ve been in the Apple-verse for around four years. What fascinates me is that my laptop, which has been in daily use for almost four years, still works as it did on day one. Or let’s say day two. The battery easily lasts a full working day and the notebook’s still super fast.
Source: David Lee
I know other manufacturers have improved greatly, too. But in my experience, other laptops that are used this much reach their end of life after five years. That’s usually when their battery weakens and the SSD starts grumbling. My device (M1, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD), however, will likely keep going strong for another five years. And this despite it not costing that much more than a comparable Windows device, contrary to what many people say.
«Say cheeeese»
If I know I’ll need to take good pictures at my destination and have enough time, I pack my Nikon D3300. It’s an older model that my colleague Michelle Brändle gave me.
Source: David Lee
It’s easy to use and features a self-explanatory menu. I’m not just saying that for fun, I’m a real greenhorn when it comes to photography. I’ve learned to hide that a tiny bit thanks to a course on Adobe Lightroom my colleague Samuel Buchmann gave me. Nevertheless, I usually take pictures on my phone.
Nothing wrong with a trackpad, but…
The MacBook features a large trackpad that does an excellent job. But sometimes, especially for photo editing, you need a mouse. But when I’m travelling on a train, I don’t have space to use a regular mouse. That’s where my red, wired Saitek mini mouse comes in handy. I’ve had it since Windows 7 days, it’s immortal. I can’t remember how or where I got it from, but I’m glad it ended up in my collection.
Source: David Lee
The only problem is I always need an adapter, as the MacBook Air has no USB-A port.
Bye-bye, surroundings
As you may know, I often write about audio devices. That’s also because I listen to a lot of music in my private life. In fact, I’m barely seen without headphones outside of my own four walls. If I’m on my own, that is.
Source: David Lee
My go-to over-ear headphones are Sony’s XM5. Ever since the XM 3, I’ve been a fan of their sound, noise cancellation and battery life.
Sweat-free music
As much as I like the Sony headphones, sometimes I need to travel light. In this case, I pack earbuds instead. I’m lucky to have a choice, I test a lot of devices. At the moment, I’m using the AIR+ 3 from Libratone. These earbuds are comfortable, lightweight and offer really good sound.
Source: David Lee
They’re not as good as the over-ears, but they’re a lot more portable. Besides, who wants to cover their head with massive headphones on a hot summer’s day?
It’s a me, Mario!
I’m not a massive gamer. I have a PS5, but only Cyberpunk 2077 and EAFC 2024 are on it at the moment. But if I know I’m going on a long train journey, I always pack the Switch. I love the Mario universe. It has everything – Odyssey, Wonder, Mario Kart. But my favourite’s Smash Bros. My Switch is red and blue – a must for football fans from Basel.
The important bits and bobs
They’re not as prestigious as a smartphone or a camera, but I’d be lost without these little essentials. For example, my 100-watt power supply unit by OnePlus. It offers a USB-A and a USB-C port, and the matching cable comes in OnePlus’ iconic red. And it supports virtually all common charging protocols: PD, QC, (Super)Vooc, PPS. It’s my jack of all trades. You can get it with 160 watts, too, but none of my gadgets support that wattage.
Source: David Lee
In addition to the power supply unit, I always pack my 10,000 mAh power bank by Samsung, my Apple Multiport with USB-C, USB-A and HDMI port and my five Apple AirTags. I attach the latter to my keys, wallet, rucksack and everything else I own. Trust me, if I didn’t, I might not have any devices left to write about.
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.