Digital nomads are people who work remotely and live a nomadic lifestyle. They are not tied to a specific location and can work from anywhere worldwide.
The rise of the digital era has given many people the opportunity to become digital nomads and enjoy their freedom. By working remotely, traveling, and exploring cultures around the world, digital nomads are living more fulfilling lives.
There are now millions of digital nomads worldwide, with over 100 companies providing co-working spaces for them to work. In 2021, there were 35 million digital nomads worldwide-and this number will likely increase in the coming years.
There are digital nomads in every metropolis and many of them prefer a simpler lifestyle. They strive to reduce the amount of stuff they have to carry. Some even aim to reduce their virtual dependencies to free themselves of unneeded baggage. However, several gadgets and applications are extremely valuable and must-haves for location-independent digital nomads.
Here are some of them:
1. Digital Accounts
Every working individual needs a bank account to facilitate the transfer of salaries or fees. However, as a digital nomad, you are working independently of a certain location most of the time, and physical banking, which requires you to set up a permanent location to access facilities, isn’t preferable. Accounts that digital nomads can use need to be adaptable and able to handle a wide range of tasks. This is why neo-banks are being replaced by physical banks drastically.
Neo-banks are bank accounts that are completely online. Instead of conventional physical banking, these banks employ applications and online platforms to help their consumers. Some of the best accounts for digital nomads that are popular these days include Chime, Wise, Monzo, Revolut, HSBC, and others.
2. Backpack
You will obviously need a bag to carry all your gadgets and other belongings. If you think about it, your backpack becomes a tiny home when you travel the world as a digital nomad. Therefore, it must be of high quality.
If you aren’t comfortable with the kind of bag you are carrying – it will automatically stress you out if it gets damaged, disassembled, or lost.
There are many high-quality backpacks available for digital nomads including GORUCK GR2, Trek 55, LargeX Custom, Nomatic Travel Backpack, and Aer Travel Pack 2.
Get a good quality bag so you can rely on your mini storage confidently.
3. Headphones
Imagine going to a local café to work, as most digital nomads do. You take a seat, order your favorite coffee, take out your belongings and start working. Just as you were about to delve into your creative process, the bartender started talking loudly, the child at the next table began crying, and teenagers started chatting and laughing – making it impossible for you to focus.
It is therefore essential that digital nomads use good quality headsets or headphones when working in noisy public places such as cafes, buses, co-working spaces, or parks. A high-quality headset should offer long battery life, good sound quality, and reasonable noise cancellation (the most important) feature.
Make sure the headset is light and portable. Some highly reviewed headphones include Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple Airpods Max, and Marshall Mid ANC Active.
4. Laptop
Unarguably the most important tool for a digital nomad is their computer. It is impossible to do work without a laptop.
A digital nomad must have a laptop that provides convenient features for working online. These include decent RAM, ROM, extended battery life, screen size, operating system, lightweight, portable, and economical. These features make your work as smooth and feasible as possible without worrying about slow processing, battery drain, heavyweight, and less storage.
Some of the best laptops most digital nomads prefer are Macbook Air, Lenovo Thinkpad, Dell XPS, ACER Chromebook, and ASUS Zenbook.
5. Charger
Just like you can’t survive for very long without food and drink, neither can your devices or gadgets without a charge. If your batteries are not charged, you cannot accomplish much, not to mention how frustrating it is to be sitting down to work, and the batteries are dead.
A portable charger is, therefore, essential for every digital nomad to carry everywhere and charge whenever necessary. You might need a charger mostly for your phone and laptop.
A power bank is usually a good idea for charging your phone as it lets you charge portably without needing any socket plug.
6. Daily Planner
Staying focused in an environment filled with distractions is one of the greatest challenges for digital nomads. You can lose your productivity and end up procrastinating.
A productivity planner can help you plan all your tasks according to a specific time and day. You can set weekly, daily, or even hourly goals and track your achievements. Additionally, you can add your favorite motivational quotes to help you keep inspired.
7. External Storage
As a digital nomad, almost all of your data is digitalized and needs storage. Your laptop has a specific storage drive and cannot store hundreds of gigabytes of data in the long run.
An external drive can serve as a secondary storage option alongside online backup for most of your data. It makes your data accessible from anywhere without needing an internet connection.
8. Digital Applications
Digital nomads can use several free applications to simplify many tasks and processes. For instance, booking.com and Airbnb can help you find the best accommodation places. Similarly, Skyscanner can help you book flights cheaply; Wise can help you transfer money hassle-free, and Evernote can help you organize important data.
There are also applications like Nomad List that list the best cities around the world for digital nomads to live in based on living cost, weather, quality of internet, and other factors. Workfrom is another useful app that informs you where to look for nice locations to work. It recommends the best cafés, bars, and coworking spaces in your area. Examine their WIFI quality, noise level, food selections, and costs.
Conclusion
Many tools and applications are available around the globe for digital nomads that can make their work life easy and personal life stress-free, from digital banking to laptops, headsets, and digital applications – all necessary equipment for a digital nomad.
There’s also much Information available online to research and acquire tools relevant to the digital nomad lifestyle.