And now I’m on a plane to FinOps X, where in a dramatic reversal I’m… working a booth for Duckbill instead of giving a talk? I don’t know that I know quite what to do with myself when I’m not running my mouth on stage. I used to spend a lot more time on the road, to the point where I’m starting to forget a lot of the convenience factors that make traveling handy. This list is mostly to myself, but if others find it useful then terrific.

• The USB-C MOGICS Super Bagel is a lifesaver in a bunch of ways. First, it seems that you’re legally forbidden from positioning power outlets in convenient locations in hotels; this has an extension cord that ameliorates that somewhat. Next, it’s great in those rare situations where there isn’t a spare plug; “hey buddy, can I share with you” has never been met with anything than a “sure, and hey, what IS that thing?” Lastly, it solves one of the most annoying airplane power nonsense issues: the tendency of the plugs to slip out of the socket. The lightweight plug helps a lot, but should that prove insufficient, plane jacks support international plugs. The adapter when configured to the UK’s plug style isn’t going anywhere without basically a court order.
• I don’t know about anyone else, but my belt buckles are generally RIGHT on the cusp of being detectable by the metal detector. I solved this problem by switching to a travel-friendly belt (mine is from REI but there are others that are more businesslike) that contains no metal. I know, it’s a minor thing—but it frustrates me to no end.
• It’s less handy in this age of “everything uses AI and expects a desktop environment, specifically a full version of VS Code,” but an iPad Pro with a cellular connection goes a very long way towards being an all in one computer that gets you handily around weird wifi issues, particularly at conferences.

Those are my top three travel devices, anyway. Hopefully someone finds it useful.