Part Two of Productivity on the Road: How to Make Your Workspace Work When You're Mobile

Layne Martin
Oct 27
2 min read

Today's post contains part two of my three-part series about how I stay productive as a digital nomad with ten years of full-time travel under my belt.

It's a lifestyle that only works when you get shit done AND make time to experience the part of the world you're currently exploring.

Part one of this series lives right here if you want to revisit or catch up.

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2. Pack, buy, or borrow what you need to make your workspace comfortable

A mobile workspace isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity if you want to maintain flow and avoid aches, pains, and burnout.

Here’s what I always travel with (or arrange):

A lightweight, collapsible laptop stand (so my screen is at a comfortable height).
A Bluetooth keyboard with number pad + a Bluetooth mouse (for comfort and speed).
Noise-cancelling headphones (trust me, when you’re working at a street cafe in Tuscany, they make a world of difference).

Pro-tip: FAA regulations state that portable electronic devices powered by lithium batteries (such as Bluetooth keyboards and headphones) can be checked as long as they're "completely powered off and protected to prevent unintentional activation or damage."

However, I've had airline check-in agents at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) ask me to remove my Bluetooth keyboard and mouse from my checked luggage and move them to my carry-on.

So it's a very good idea to make sure you have carry-on space for these items.

What if you're part of the carryon-only cognoscenti and/or don't have room for any extra gear?

If you don’t want to lug these items, you can rent abroad or mail ahead to your next destination.

Alternatively, you can buy on location from a store with a generous return policy: e.g., Apple allows 14 days to initiate a return (items must be as-new, with packaging intact, so save the box and treat the items well).

Quick hack: if you don’t have a stand available, prop the laptop on books, boxes, even a cooking pot to elevate it — your posture will thank you later.

I got serious about this after eight years of hunching over a laptop and ending up with a nerve-injury.

That was neither fun nor cheap. The keyboard + mouse cost far less than three months of physical therapy!

Does this really affect productivity, though?

It clearly does! In a field intervention study of a call-center with computer-intensive work, workers who received ergonomics improvements (training + workstation adjustments + better chairs) showed a 4.87% increase in output after 12 months compared to a 3.46% decrease in a control group.

Our trained-for-you executive assistants cost less than 35% of what an average U.S.-based assistant costs and they can take care of work equipment rentals (or purchases) on your behalf.

So you can get back to the creative stuff you were born to do.

Catch you next week for the final installment of Productivity on the Road!

Safe travels + healthy ergonomics,

Layne

Founder, Astrolabe Assistants

🧭 Your business. Unburdened.