Freelancing is fun for lots of reasons, but the ability to travel is hard to beat. One day you’re in a coffee shop in your hometown, and the next you’re in Tokyo absorbing the whole experience. Regular forjmblog.com readers know what that’s like!

During your travels, it’s essential to understand that you’re still on the clock and must be productive. To ensure output levels don’t drop off, every travelling freelancer has their tricks of the trade. If yours is packing the correct tools for the job ahead, relying on them isn’t the healthiest thing because technology is notorious for being glitchy.

Here is the equipment you have to pack if you like a safety net.

Chargers

A laptop or tablet is going to be pivotal to your success abroad, which is why it won’t get a mention. It’s not as if you will (or can) carry two on the off chance one breaks. What you can pack for a worst-case scenario are multiple chargers. Whether it leads for devices or portable battery packs, they will keep the juice flowing, so long as you have the correct outlet. Searching for chargers in foreign cities doesn’t sound hard until you try it. Then, the language barrier gets in the way and you wish you packed a spare! Plus, it’s time you will waste when you could work.

A Portable Printer

Your list of must-have equipment might not include a portable printer. However, it’s worth adding it since printing facilities aren’t ubiquitous. Again, the language barrier is a problem if you only speak English. More than that, it’s the urgency. Often, printing is a process that you need to complete urgently, which is hard to do when you’re overseas. Taking a portable one, with ink from 123Inkjets.com.au with you negates the usual mad rush before a meeting or presentation. You can print what you need from the comfort of your hotel room.

A Dongle

If you’ve never heard of the term, a ‘dongle’ is a little device that lets you connect to the internet. Essentially, it’s a backup internet connection. Why would you need such a thing, you ask? There are two reasons. Firstly, public WiFi is laggy and doesn’t work whatsoever at times. When this happens, slow or limited internet is better than none at all. Secondly, your phone package might not include data for a hotspot, so your phone is no use either. You can upgrade your deal, yet it’s as easy to pay $10 for a couple of gigs on a dongle.

Music & Entertainment

A confession: these two aren’t only for working. Yes, it is often more productive to listen to music or a podcast as it negates background noises and distractions. But, another reason to take it is to stop you from getting bored. International trips can include long bus journeys and layovers, and boredom isn’t healthy if you want to use this time to be productive. Lazing around doing nothing leads to fatigue, whereas qz.com says that  the right tunes provide base-inducing energy boosts.

Don’t forget to take with you some emergency cash and a positive mental attitude!