The Gear I Actually Use
This is a page in progress. Last updated 4/16/2025
I’ve spent years refining my gear setup — not to build the ultimate kit, but to get to a point where nothing slows me down. Everything I carry, wear, or rely on serves a purpose, whether I’m in the office, out on the road, or waking up in a tent with coffee and condensation in the air. Affiliate links ahead – I make a little bit of money if you buy something using these links, they don’t cost you anything extra and helps support what I do on this site like buying new gear to test.
The Everyday Tools
My home office runs on a 2024 Mac Mini M4 Pro, flanked by two 27-inch Dell 4K UHD monitors. When I’m mobile, I work from an M2 MacBook Pro 16″ and if I’m on a destination-centric road trip, I bring along a ViewSonic 15.6″ 4K OLED portable display for a proper dual-screen setup on the road.
My phone setup is dual-wield: iPhone 15 Pro and Google Pixel 9 Pro — both always charged, always ready. I also keep a 2024 iPad Pro for design work and media, and an iPad Mini for task management and a handful of custom Apple Shortcuts I use to keep things moving.
I also often carry a tripod in my truck paired with a ULANZI Magnetic iPhone Tripod Mount MA23, which snaps securely to my iPhone via MagSafe. It’s a simple setup that works surprisingly well for capturing long exposures or shooting the Night Sky with basic gear.
Audio runs through either Apple AirPods Pro or Pixel Buds Pro 2, depending on what I’m carrying that day. And yes, the Apple Watch (Series 10 with cellular) keeps it all synced and on time.
The Homelab
My digital brain lives in a Synology DS923+ with 48TB of total capacity (Btrfs). It’s the core of a growing homelab that includes a couple of retired M1 Mac Minis, some old mini PCs now running Linux, and a few Raspberry Pis that are always doing Raspberry Pi things. Homelabs gonna homelab.
Packs and Field Gear
I currently use three backpacks actively:
- Work Backpack: Vertx Ready Pack 2 — discreet but organized
- Bug Out Bag : Original GoRuck GR1 (26L) — built like a tank
- Adventure/Travel Backpack: Yeti Ranchero 27L — on a review carry
All three packs carry battery power (Anker 25,600mAh), a couple Nitecore NU06 LE signal lights, and a few field-tested tools depending on the role.
For my EDC carry, I usually have Olight i5T Plus on me or in a pack. My main knife is a 10 year old Spyderco Teanacios G10. I also have a Leatherman Surge either on my desk, in my pocket or in a pack.
You’ll usually find me wearing a Branded Bills curved performance hat, which somehow manages to survive road trips, golf league, campfire smoke, and Zoom calls equally well. And when I’m not online, I’m usually tweaking something behind the scenes — firmware, gear layouts, or a forgotten Shortcuts automation that’s still doing its job three months later.