A trip to the grocery store isn't the same as a jaunt across the country, but you still might wanna carry some stuff.
We've talked about gear for the road warrior, and when we're away from home for a day or two. As you can imagine, it's a lot of stuff — all the things we need to do our jobs plus a few things to make it easier. All carefully crammed into something that fits in an overhead compartment. We're not away from home all of the time. Most days we're just out doing everyday stuff, like going to the supermarket or getting the oil changed.
So what does a smartphone nerd carry in his pocket? When that nerd is me, all this junk:
The phone: Nexus 6P
Sometimes I switch it up. If I know I'm out for the whole day, I might bring the , because (for me) it's so much easier to type lots of words about work with that slide out keyboard. But most times I leave the house it's with a .
It's the phone I'm most comfortable using, now that I've just accepted the size. Voices in my head still say they wish it were smaller, I just block those out. My 6P is quick, does everything I need a smartphone to do, and I've realized that the places I go work really well with Project Fi. Most of the time while I'm away on doing leisurely things, my phone is in my pocket, but for a quick picture or some directions or any other reason to whip it out, the 6P has always done me well.
Headphones: Samsung Level In earbuds
I don't much care for earbuds, but they're handy when I need them. The ones I tolerate best are the . They have an inline mic and controls if I need to take a call while I'm wheeling myself around, which is a must-have for me (wheelchairs take both hands) and they sound pretty good for earbuds. If I want to get seriously musical, I just bring my V10 and a big set of headphones.
Also, the little clamshell they come in has a pocket that's perfect for all my other nerd junk. Right into the cargo pocket on my pants it goes, and I'm golden.
My gentlemen's blade: Victorinox Tomo Knife
This has nothing to do with survival or the exotic sport of knife-fighting, and everything to do with needing to cut stuff. We all know some well-mannered and well-groomed gentleman who carries a knife, ready to assist anytime there's plastic packaging to be cut.
I am that guy. Well met, chap.
Seriously though, having a small knife and a tiny pair of scissors comes in pretty handy.
Bad memories: A guitar pick and a Quarter
Yes. I used to have a BlackBerry Storm. If you don't understand, .
But I found that carrying these two things was useful for more than "adjusting" the travel on a BB Storm screen. Click. Click. Damn. They are great for prying things, turning big screws, and playing air guitar when an Iron Maiden song comes on. And they are so small I just keep carrying them.
Gigabytes: ADATA DashDrive
And this one needs replaced. I've been meaning to find the same product with a USB Type-C connector, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I know plenty of them are out there, but I need to read a million things before I can make a decision. Eventually, my wife will just reach over my shoulder and buy whatever one I'm looking at on Amazon because she gets tired of me becoming absorbed into stupid things. That's how I got this one.
This thing is pretty slick. One side has a micro-USB plug and it acts as an OTG flash drive, while the other end pops out and has a standard USB type-A plug to use with a computer. You 32GB of storage if you ever need it in a tiny package.
A magic button: NFC Tag
Nerd alert. I lock my phones. I used to keep a on my car dash when I was using a Moto X, because if my wife needed to do something — change a song or get directions or search Google for things — it was easier for her to do it with my phone that was paired to the Bluetooth thingy in my car — and she hates my passwords. Now I do the same thing with a trusted NFC tag and my Nexus 6P. And I carry a spare around in my pocket because it's small and you never know what might happen.
I've got a handful of those old Xperia Smart Tags, but any NFC tag will work.
Power: Limefuel battery pack
And an extra USB Type A to USB Type-C cable.
Never leave home without a way to charge up your phone. Whether it's a spare battery for phones that still can swap them, or a power pack like this one, carry it because you might need to use your phone and find it dead. That can be an inconvenience, or something more serious. I have a quarter, but pay phones are hard to find nowadays.
I've got big honking battery packs for my laptop bag, but this one is fine for my pocket. Even having to carry around a second USB C cable isn't too bad. While I usually only have one phone in my pocket on a day trip or running errands, I keep both cables together with the charger. That's how an Eagle Scout rolls.
I got this one from Limefuel at the Big Android BBQ last year, but you can buy one from Amazon minus the BABBQ logo.
