7 Must-Have Items in Your Backpack for Remote Work in 2026

Working outside the office requires a thoughtful approach to selecting gadgets. A ZDNet expert with years of remote work experience has shared a list of seven key items they always take along. The approach is minimalist: only what’s absolutely essential, with no extras.

Among the must-haves is the Satechi universal hub with multiple ports, solving the problem of limited connectors on modern laptops. For charging, a Tessan or Momax adapter with up to 205W power is used, supporting multiple devices simultaneously. Security is a priority: instead of regular flash drives, the expert uses Kingston IronKey secure drives with hardware encryption.

The travel kit also includes the high-capacity Ugreen Nexode power bank (20,000mAh), capable of charging a laptop and smartphone multiple times. To save space, a three-in-one ChubbyCable is used, combining charging for MacBook, Apple Watch*, and AirPods*. The list is rounded out by a compact multitool and the Pacsafe Vibe anti-theft bag, which has repeatedly protected valuables during trips.