The Knack team is comprised of “Bag Nerds.” Our team consists of professionals from Coach, Tumi, eBags, and other companies, as well as design aficionados who have been working remotely for years – and we love living a #OneBagLife.
And, if you’re a Bag Nerd like us, then you’ve probably come across Chase Reeves. Chase is truly a one-of-a-kind guy, creating media and reviewing everything from headphones, to business laptop bags with compartments, to family road trips.
How Do We Pack for the Office - When Everywhere is an Office?
We’re such Chase Reeves fans, we decided to sponsor a video on his channel. Chase kept creative license, of course, and we asked that he show the world (and you) how to create a “Mobile Office Kit.” In 2020, we’ve left corporate offices behind, replacing them with doing work from our backyards, our couches, the backseat in a car on a road trip, parks--basically everywhere. We need the ability to truly work from anywhere, and the Mobile Office Kit is the best solution.
In 2020, we’re fully mobile, and we’ve got the perfect laptop backpack for it!
Below, we’ve shared some highlights from the video with Chase, and you can watch the video in full by clicking here.
Prep Work & Organizing a Mobile Office Kit
Chase starts out the video with some pretty sound advice: Lay everything out – don’t just run through your home and shove items into your Knack Pack. That’s how important chargers, cables, and cords get left behind!
From Chase: “The first thing to do is lay out everything that you need, and everything you think you might need. Then, start organizing it together, maybe into some clumps. Once you have everything laid out, organize like items with each other using pouches or packing cubes.” Conveniently, we have a few sizes of Compressible Packing Cube.
Get Out your Tech & CORDS!
Now that you have a smorgasbord of stuff, from clothing to the five Moleskine notebooks you absolutely need, it’s time to check tech.
From Chase: “For me, it's my Macbook Pro and it's my phone. Those are the two essential things, and sometimes I use my iPad.”
With the Knack Pack, you can easily pack a tablet, like an iPad, and a laptop in the same tech backpack. Put your laptop in the side zippable compartment, and the tablet in the main compartment--there’s a specific pocket for a tablet.”
When it comes to headphones, Chase says, “I use my Apple AirPods, and I also love the TriBit Fly Buds. You want something that has good call quality, and I also advocate that all serious worker people have two sets of headphones – just in case.”
Some Knackpackers put their headphones in the top pocket, while others opt for the interior mesh pocket.
Hot Productivity Tip - Work While You Have Battery Life
Shares Chase, “This here is my minimalist kit: My charged laptop, a pair of bluetooth earbuds, and then a phone. It’s nice, because I have this time constraint where my battery determines how long I can work – which means maybe I’ll actually get to work faster instead of just like clicking around on the internet.”
Not sure which Knack Pack will fit your laptop? Check out our comparison chart!
Best Charger: Multiple USB Outputs
Chase continued showing us how to pack a Mobile Office Kit, sharing a charger he uses that has 2 USB outputs from RavPower. “I have a bunch of cables that I just leave plugged into it and carry them around.” Chase, like many Knackpackers, tries to keep his cords all together, packing them in either the main compartment or the bottom compartment (which is designed to hold your laptop cords!).
Avoid Germs: Zippable Water Bottle Compartment
We’ve all gotten a bit more germ-conscious in 2020, and Knackpackers are gushing about the zippable water bottle compartment in the Knack Pack. “I like that it seals up tight,” shares Chase in the video review. “It doesn't have a little thing that's flipping out that's constantly gathering whatever germs are around you.”
Not sure if your favorite water bottle will fit in the Knack Pack? We’ve shared details on what popular brands fit in the pocket here.
Roost Stand: Portable Standing Desk
Chase loves his Roost Stand, because it makes it easier to work from tables that aren’t quite tall enough. “I set this up basically everywhere I work when I'm working on my laptop for a long time because it helps me get my neck up a little bit more,” he explains.
What to Wear? Western Rise
“Western Rise has some good clothes for modern dudes,” shares Chase. “I am wearing their jogger pant right now. One of my favorite things about these pants is that on the pant leg there is a zippered pocket. Do you know how many pants I've lost my earbuds out of and they're in the couch cushion somewhere?! That's a bonus point right there that gets a lot of mileage for me.”
In his review of the Knack Pack as a tech backpack, Chase also talks about how he pulls the “Zoom Trick” where he wears a more professional-looking Polo shirt from Western Rise. “This is a big trick,” he says with a laugh. “You can throw on your Western Rise polo for the Zoom call, and the camera won’t show anything else.” You can look professional with a polo, and also be comfortable in the jogger pants.
Want to pack an extra pair of clothes for a workout or when you’re ready to swap out your polo? The Expandable Travel Compartment (patent pending!) easily holds a change of clothes. See how many outfits you can fit in each size of the Knack Pack on our Comparison Page.
Remember Snacks!
Now that we’ve got our wardrobe and tech situated, it’s time for the most important component of your Mobile Office Kit: snacks.
“If you’re working out of your car, be smart and just grab some snacks,” recommends Chase. You can put your snacks in the Medium Knack Packing Insert or in the front compartment of your Knack Pack.
Need a snack rec? Check out this interview with Peter, founder of Mission Meats!
Chase Reeves FTW
Okay, full disclosure – Chase has a very comedic moment with chickens in his video, and there’s just no way to do it justice here. So be sure to check out his video for that moment.
Here’s a recap of what you may decide to put in your Mobile Office Kit:
- Laptop
- Tablet (iPad)
- 2 pairs of headphones
- Charging Cables
- Water Bottle
- Roost Stand
- Western Rise Outfit for Mobile Professionals
- Snacks
What did you think of our partnership with Chase Reeves and Western Rise? What kind of mission or video should we ask Chase to make next? Tell us in the comments below!
