Tools

Tools I use

Following the example of Daniel Paleka, here are some tools I use:

Software:

Obsidian for basic note taking. I went from Evernote, to Onenote, to Notion, and finally to Obsidian in early 2023. I am pretty happy with it other than the mobile sync. Since I have google docs inside my vault, I need to use the google drive sync.
PARA - note taking system, originally by Tiago Forte. I don't think it's very well suited for PKM, which is what I initially switched to Obsidian for. It needs a bit of tweaking to make PKM work without devolving into a mess - which I am currently trying to fix. I think PARA is great though!
Readwise Reader - reading app, nice solution for impulse reading, and also puts all my newsletters in one place (instead of in email)
Snipd - good podcast app with Readwise/obsidian sync and AI summary features. I don't listen to podcasts that much, but I got the early adopter pricing.
Minimallist launcher on Android
"Intently" app for intentionality prompts. Might write a full post on it, this is a pretty awesome app that mostly removed my need for any other phone usage restrictions or weird experiments with eink phones.
Edge browser - I liked firefox, but the vertical tabs in Edge are great to use, giving a near fullscreen experience alll the time. It's also ok-ish ram wise. Extensions wise, I have Ublock Origin and Unhook (removes yt recommendations and feed).
"Voice-in" browser extension for voice transcription to use in Claude etc. Though, Win11 has a pretty good native dictation feature, accessed by win+H, that I might switch to.
Dark Reader extension - I got used to dark mode, and this extension makes the entire web dark with pretty good customizations as well. I use -15 contrast, -20 brightness, though this is highly screen dependent
Todoist for task management - used to use Workflowy, but it doesn't work for me anymore. Todoist is mostly ok, though I am sure there's a better one.
Cursor and Claude code for light programming

Hardware:

Dell Precision 5560 - the engineer's version of the XPS15, sharing a chassis but housing a workstation grade GPU (RTX A2000 4GB). It's a great laptop, but it wasn't the most reliable. I got it in 2022, and my motherboard died 1.5 years in. Luckily, it was under warranty and replaced. Recently I swapped the battery and keyboard (some keys were intermittently failing), and it now feels fresh and ready for another few years.
Boox Nova Air (7.8in) - I really like eink. I've had this device since 2022 and it's still running great. I think the stylus experience is better than an iPad (without a paper-like screen protector), making it fun to write on. Form factor is best for books, and too small to read papers on comfortably without constantly squinting/zooming around. Might at some point get the larger one. It doesn't get security updates, but it has full android. So syncing EPUBs to it via google drive is easy.
Otterbox GAN 65w charger - my laptop charger is 130W, and weighs 550g. There's a slight clock speed penalty at 65W, but for my use case it's a great weight/size saving (~450g!).
Alpine Musicsafe Pro earplugs - I do salsa, and also go to an occasional concert. My ears are pretty sensitive, and in general I don't want to lose any more of my hearing. These are good, though I think my old amazon bought cheap concert plugs were more comfortable if I need to use them to filter out snoring at a hostel.
That's it, mostly - I don't have that many things worth talking about here, as I have been travelling pretty light. Battery bank and some adapter cables are pretty standard travel items, as well as little organizer bags.

Supplements:

Vitamin D3 - basically everyone is deficient. I take 1000IU for many years now
Magnesium - It apparently has sleep benefits, I take it for muscle tightness. After an injury, my IT band / TFL is prone to tightness, and this possibly helps.
Curcumin - helps inflammation

Travel Gear:

I like travelling light, especially when spending a few months living out of a backpack. My setup is now pretty decent, with an old 44L Osprey Talon hiking pack (it's not ultralight but at 1.2kg empty it's not far), and a vintage patagonia waterproof backpack I use as a computer bag, plus a few essentials.

This works as a carry on setup in most airlines (patagonia bag fits under seat, Osprey in top compartment). Total weight of setup is 12kg, which includes a 2.2kg laptop, 2 phones, and clothing down to ~0C. It might be possible to fit everything in the Osprey, but I prefer the flexibility - Neither bag is fully stuffed, which means I have room for snacks if I expect to be in less grocery friendly places.

To get down to this weight, I mostly had to bring technical clothing (nicer looking Colombia hiking pants) and no jeans. A good Decathalon rain coat has been helpful a few times, and serves as the wind blocking layer above a fleece.

Most random but useful item: TSA approved scissors. Seems dumb, but I've been glad to have these more than a few times. Also, laundry mesh bags have been great.

Shoes:

My friend (who hikes a lot, recently doing the 3000km NZ trail) got me into "barefoot" shoes. I started with Vivo Primus Lites back in 2022, and found them too thin for daily city walking. A year later, I got the Xero HFS ii in black, and found them to be great - good enough for a 3 day trek in the Dolomites, though they did chip a bit on the rocks. They have more padding than the Vivos, but are still very thin. For even more padding, I recommend Lems, but the shape didnt work for me. For hiking, I got the Xero Scrambler Mid 2 - non waterproof, as that is what was in stock. I think they are great, though i'd probably get the waterproof ones. They look nice enough to be the only pair I take travelling, and have good grip and padding.

Barefoot shoes are a bit of pseudoscience - there are some studies showing they help even in running in mitigating knee impacts, but I know they did solve my arch flattening over time. I'd sometimes have heel strikes in the city, but with the xeros that's almost gone now. What helped a bit was videos from Chase Mountains, who is a big "minimalist shoe" advocate. Who knows, maybe in a few years I will find that I did some damage - but so far I think it was a good bet, as long as I keep doing strength and balance exercises.