Items on the MEL are required for take-off
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R. Tyler Croy
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layout: post
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title: "My current Minimum Equipment List"
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tags:
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- miscellaneous
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---
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I find posts from other hackers on their equipment to be rather interesting and
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figured I should share my latest Minimum Equipment List. Lately I haven't been
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traveling, but I tend to move around Santa Rosa and the greater Bay Area with a
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fairly standard set of equipment regardless of the distance I'm traveling.
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My international trips usually necessitate a larger wardrobe, but the bag on my
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back remains very consistent.
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## Electronics
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* *Dell XPS 13" (9060)*: Since throwing out my Thinkpad X1 Carbon, which was
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the final nail in Lenovo pounded into the Thinkpad's coffin as far as I am
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concerned, I have been pretty happy with this XPS from Dell. Presently I'm
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running Debian testing which includes a newer kernel and some other tools
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which alleviate some of the suspend and power consumption usage issues reported
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by other XPS users. I have also been trying to work exclusively from the XPS
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for the past couple of months, it has taken some time to get comfortable with
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the keyboard, which certainly isn't as good as a mechanical keyboard, but the
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payoff has been increased mobility.
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* [USB-C to HDMI/VGA/Ethernet/USB
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3.0 adapter](https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/470-abqn): Like
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many laptops out there these days, the XPS doesn't come with a proper network
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port. This adapter kills a few birds with one stone, but regrettably doesn't
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support full resolution on the HDMI output under Linux. The laptop screen is 4K
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but external monitors cannot be driven at 4K, which is most unfortunately.
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Nonetheless, this little adapter is small and easy to fit into the a pocket
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next to some business cards.
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* *Galaxy J5*: My cell phone serves only a few purposes: wifi tethering,
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Signal, and camera. When it came time to upgrade this year, I picked the J5
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because it was basically the flagship phone from two years ago at a very
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reasonable price tag. If I need a full powered device, I have my laptop with
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me, the phone is a device to get me connected, little more.
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* External USB battery pack: I was given this nice external battery pack as a
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piece of [Azure](https://azure.microsoft.com) swag last year and it has been
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a perfectly sized travel companion. Roughly the dimensions of a cell phone, I
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typically use it keep my phone charged during long conference expo days or
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long flights. Regardless of the model, I strongly recommend having a slim
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USB capable battery pack in your bag.
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* Hands-free headphones/microphone: While I'm not pleased with these, and I'm
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sure there are better implementations out there, a simple hands-free _wired_
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set of headphones is really useful to have always around. Whether for video or
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phone calls, I've had more mobile or travel meetings in the past year than
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ever before thanks to these.
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* USB cables: Always handy to have a small mini and micro USB cable handy for
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device charging or data transfer. I typically only carry one of each, and no
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more than a few inches, just enough to connect my laptop to the device, which
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is typically enough. I have considered carrying around a USB-C or Thunderbolt
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cable as well, for my Mac wielding friends who never can seem to carry the
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right cables and dongles for their computing environment.
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## Tools
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* [Leatherman Multitool](https://www.leatherman.com/multi-tools): When I'm not
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traveling by plane, I always have a multitool handy.
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* *Paper notebooks*: I need my own scratchpad for my thoughts, but I'm always
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bemused to find colleagues searching around for a piece of paper to jot a
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note down onto. A single little notebook goes a long way.
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* [Writing utensils](/2018/08/26/good-pens.html)
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## Other
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* *Business cards*: My business cards usually only come out during events, but
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they're a very helpful way to ensure that I can help route somebody's random
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Jenkins question to the right person. A number of people have gotten friendly
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personalized support by kindly asking for help when we run into one another at
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a conference or pub.
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* *Baseball hat*: As I have gotten older, I have managed to get a couple of
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sunburns on the top of my head. A hat is a bit easier to keep folded up and a
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bit more durable than a nice pair of sunglasses too.
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* *Screen cloth*: inevitably I'll find myself on a plane at sunrise or outside at
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a pub and suddenly notice all the dust on the screen of my laptop. Always
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good to have one of those little silken cloths handy.
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* *Floss*: It's virtually guaranteed that you're going to get something stuck in
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your teeth during a conference or any other event where you have to go mingle
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with loads of other people. Best to be prepared for the inevitable broccoli,
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bean sprouts, or garlic dishes that may come your way.
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## Optional Addons
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When I'm traveling for greater distances I'll add a little bit more to my bag:
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* A book: that laptop battery isn't going to last the whole flight ot Europe :)
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* Ibuprofen: whether it's post-flight soreness, or a morning hangover, a coffee
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and ibuprofen goes a long way to make the most weary of traveler
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camera-ready. It's certainly cheaper to carry some from home than buy a
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little single-use package when you're "there."
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* Tissue packs: somehow Europe always makes my nose run; there's rarely a
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tissue handy, so best to bring your own.
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---
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When I'm traveling for a short distance or time, say to Seattle and back over a
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weekend, I will throw a couple extra pairs of socks, underwear, and roll up an
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extra t-shirt or two and travel entirely off my back. That feeling of "I could
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go anyway" preparedness is exciting, even when my destination is much more
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mundane.
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Knowing what I need to be happy and productive, regardless of where I am, has
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turned out to be quite empowering and allowed me to be far more mobile than I
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have at any point in my career.
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It's a big, bright world out there. If you can do remote work, I encourage you
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to throw your kit into a bag, put on a good pair of shoes, and work remotely!
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