Work From Anywhere – The Portable Desk Experience
Working from the road sounds like a dream come true, and in many ways it is! I love the freedom that comes from being able to work from anywhere, whether it’s from a hotel room overlooking the ocean, or outside my tent on a quiet morning in the woods. But if there is one thing that I miss, it’s having a desk.
While laptops make it easy enough to work from anywhere, there’s a lot to be said for being able to spread out a bit. A desk means not having to have your computer directly on your lap, having a solid surface for your mouse, and possibly even space for a second monitor so you can spread out digitally, too. That extra space helps with both comfort and productivity, which could even affect how often you’re able to travel.
If you’re wanting to get started as a Digital Nomad, it’s worth looking into being able to recreate your desktop experience, no matter where you are.
The Desk
Arguably the most important part of any desktop setup, your choice of travel desk has a huge impact on your work from anywhere experience. Where it’s available, using the kitchen table seems like it would be an easy enough option, but I’ve found that I prefer having a separate desktop for a few reasons.
- I have kids. We tend to set my kids up at whatever table we have so they can do their school work, and if I’m trying to get my own work done, I find it distracting to be working at the same table with them.
- I like consistency. Even when I’m setting up in a completely new place, I like keeping everything as similar as possible. Keeping everything exactly the same is impossible, but doing what you can to control your space helps to keep distractions to a minimum.
- I work from a wide variety of locations. While we often find ourselves in hotels or Airbnbs, there have also been plenty of times where I’ve worked from my car, at a campsite, or at the beach! (Cliche, I know)
Lap Desks
Pros – Lightweight, works almost anywhere, space for a mouse, great for working in the car!
Cons – Still on your lap, no space for screen riser/extra screen
When I was just getting started with a Digital Nomad lifestyle, I thought that getting a lap desk would be the easiest way to give me the space I needed. And honestly, in some situations, it was extremely helpful!
I found my lap desk to be really useful for working in the car while my wife was driving since it gave me a sturdier surface for my laptop and provided space for my mouse. I also liked them for working in hotel rooms that didn’t have chairs for everyone, since I could work while sitting on the bed.
But ultimately, I found lap desks to only be useful situationally. Now, I primarily use mine for working in the car during long road trips.
I like this one from LapGear because they have space to use a mouse instead of relying on the laptop’s trackpad. Plus, there’s a place to put your phone so it doesn’t get lost!
An Easy Upgrade – Foldable Tray Table
Pros – Fits in checked baggage, provides a stable surface, big enough for essential work items
Cons – Not as small as a lap desk, not as sturdy as an actual desk
At this point in my journey, the best option that I’ve found for a desk that works almost anywhere is the humble TV tray.
Specifically, I’ve found the Table Mate XL Plus to be both a sturdy and portable option. The table surface is large enough to accommodate my laptop, mouse, and an external monitor while still fitting into our checked luggage. The legs have a corner stabilizer on the bottom that makes the table much steadier than older versions, and the height is adjustable to work with whatever chair I have on hand.
It’s not a good option if you’re traveling without checked bags, since it’s too big to fit in a backpack, but since I’m traveling with my whole family, including our kids’ school books and art supplies, that’s rarely been a problem for us.
If you decide to go this route, make sure you have a bag that will fit it! For our bags, I have to remove the legs from the table in order to make the tray fit, though that’s a simple enough process that it doesn’t bother me.
It’s not the most exciting option out there, but I’ve been impressed with how well it gets the job done.
The Real Desk Experience
Pros – Sturdy, plenty of space, looks nice!
Cons – Can’t travel with you, Can be expensive
Of course, depending on how long you’ll be in a location, buying a real desk from a local store can also be an option!
Recently, we had the opportunity to travel to Mexico for a 4-month stay during which I continued writing for my website. Because we decided to fly as cheap as we could, we decided to leave off some of our normal checked bags, and I couldn’t justify bringing my travel desk. Instead, we decided to figure out something when we got there.
I ended up buying a small desk from the local Walmart for just over $100, which worked out to only be about $1 dollar/day for the time we were there. Despite not being able to bring it with us when we left, it was easily the best purchase I made during our trip!
Buying a desk makes less sense if you’re not spending much time in the area, but being able to travel light and still getting a decent desk setup definitely makes this a viable option.
This is not the desk that I bought, but it is similar. Check around the area for affordable options if you can, or buy one like this from Amazon, assuming you have access.
Normally a desk isn’t something I impulse buy, but I was in the same house for 2 months, and a proper desk really helped my productivity.
This was a good choice.
The Chair
As with the desk, making sure you have a decent chair can be the difference between getting a full day’s work done and not.
The “Whatever’s There” Chair
Pros – Free, easy, usually not a problem
Cons – Different chair every time, not always comfortable, not always an option
If I’m being honest, this is the route that I go with most often, especially when I’m traveling internationally. There’s almost always a chair already available that will work, no matter where you’re headed. However, I’ll admit that this attitude has ended up with me using uncomfortable chairs at times. Or worse, really comfortable ones! It’s super hard to focus on writing when it’s mid-afternoon and you’re on a comfy couch.
Still, for most places, it’s just a lot easier to use whatever’s already there.
The Camp Chair
Pros – Travel-friendly, consistent, works anywhere, including camping!
Cons – Varying comfort levels, have to pack it, not super durable
Not all of my travel takes me places with chairs, though, and it’s surprisingly hard to type while sitting on a stump!
During our road trips around the USA, we tend to do a lot of camping. While I wouldn’t change that for anything, it does mean there’s not always a good chair available when I want one.
So we decided to buy some camping chairs!
At least for getting started, a cheap $5 chair from Walmart or Amazon is usually fine. I’ve found that they sit quite a bit lower than most desk chairs, though, which makes me appreciate the adjustable height on my Table Mate a whole lot.
Camp chairs work equally well for camping, for sitting on the beach, or for setting up in a hotel room without a desk, and I’ve used mine for all three. But the cheap ones do leave a bit to be desired in way of comfort. That’s why I’ve had my eye on an upgrade!
Similar to camping chairs, hunting chairs fold down for portability, but apparently hunters are quite a bit more particular about where they sit because these chairs tend to be far more comfortable and sturdier than regular old camp chairs. Unfortunately, there’s an increase in price to match.
I’ve not gone through with buying one yet, but the TIDEWE Hunting Chair looks like a portable version of a computer chair, including a 360-degree swivel and comfortable armrests. As a lover of portable things, I’m highly intrigued.
I don’t have one of these, but it looks super comfortable. Putting it together and taking it down looks like a bit of a pain, though.
Still, having a great chair is worth it!
Portable Power
Part of the appeal of a travel desk is the ability to work from anywhere, but if “anywhere” includes a beach or a campsite, your work time will be severely limited without a backup power system.
I’ve gone into greater depth on this concept elsewhere on my blog, so I’ll just make some specific suggestions here.
What battery you choose to bring with you depends greatly on how long you’ll be away from the wall plug. For shorter day trips out, a USB-C power bank with at least 60W PD output will usually do the trick. I like this one from Anker.
For longer trips, like spending a week camping, a power station is probably a good idea. Jackery power stations are the most popular ones on the market today, and they come in a variety of sizes. Which one you get will depend on how often you want to use your laptop and how long you’ll be staying out, but the Explorer 500 will be able to top you up 4+ times without being recharged. If you’re wanting to charge additional devices as well, also look at getting one of Jackery’s solar panels to give you a way to keep charged even if you’re away for a while!
I’ve tried a fair number of power banks trying to keep my gear charged on the road, and I keep coming back to Anker. It just works, so I just buy it.
These have the added benefit of being able to go on planes with you, unlike the larger power stations.
I’m on my third one.
I haven’t bought this yet, but I’ve had my eye on it literally for years. Jackery has a great reputation in the battery world, and this one is just about the perfect size for camping.
Internet (Almost) Anywhere
Internet is arguably not a part of a good desk setup, though, without it, you might have a harder time getting things done!
Internet is usually readily available in most places around the world, so long as you know where to look, but it never hurts to have options. If you’re taking your travel desk somewhere away from wifi, you’ll need to have a way to access a mobile network.
Many data plans will let you share your phone connection with other devices by creating a mobile hotspot, and this will usually work in a pinch. But, if you need something more reliable it’s likely worth it to buy a dedicated hot spot device. Good ones have larger antennae than your phone has, which translates into a better connection to the internet even in places where your phone can’t connect. Of course, you’ll still be limited by where the nearest tower is.
Check with your phone provider to see if your plan will work with mobile hotspots or not. I personally use Google Fi for its low-cost data and relatively good coverage. It’s a good choice in the States, and a great choice if you plan on crossing borders.
You can read more about my experience with Google Fi here,
or sign up using my referral code to get $20 off your first month.
If you’re mostly staying in the States, you could also look into Nomad Internet. Instead of a mobile internet plan, they provide home internet via mobile networks, making them a great choice for people who move around a lot.
Use my referral code to sign up and get $25 off your first month of service.
And That’s It!
Combining a portable desk, chair, power source, and internet provider is all it takes to make working anywhere a possibility. With this basic setup, you can do anything from working in a spare room at your parent’s house to a campsite in the middle of nowhere!
Of course, there are always other peripherals you might need, like an ergonomic mouse, or sound-canceling headphones, but these are the basics for a portable desktop experience.
For more ideas on how to increase your work from anywhere game, be sure to check out some of my other blogs.
- Power Anywhere – Keeping Laptops Powered On The Go
- Connecting at Home and Abroad – Is Google Fi Worth It?
- What’s the best option for a 2nd screen while traveling?
- 5 things under $100 that actually helped my productivity
Is there a particular piece of equipment that you’ve found helpful in your travels?
I’d love to hear about it as I continue to improve my own setup!
