It would be many people’s assumption that becoming a nomad means carrying a tiny Macbook Air, a magic keyboard and matching mouse, all in an effort to minimize weight and space in your bag. Being mobile is a huge plus when traveling a lot, and minimalism is all the rage in the nomad world.
In contrast, gaming laptops are heavy and use large charging bricks. Trackpads are unusable, so you’ll need an external gaming mouse, and possibly an external keyboard if you keep your laptop on a stand like I do. If you also happen to be a first person shooter type of gamer, you’ll probably want a decent pad too.
That’s plenty of extra weight and it takes up a lot of real estate in your bag.
So is it possible to be a gamer and a nomad? I’m not going to pretend it’s easy, but I’ve made it work.
Over the last 4 years, I’ve been able to game on the go regardless of where I was in the world. This includes traveling with a single bag over the last 2 years, first with a 17” ASUS Republic of Gamer laptop, and then with a 15” Aorus 15G, mechanical keyboard, gaming grade mice and a 30 inch wide gaming pad.
You can find out all I pack with me in my packing list, but it’s fair to assume my gaming equipment means I travel heavy. I have optimized my clothing and packing, trying out a bunch of tech and toiletry pouches to find the best fit. I also carry a second, smaller backpack, which I bring on flights as my personal item.
Being a nomad gives you tons of options to explore and spend time outside of your accommodation. However, I still like to stay in some nights and play games with some online friends. I typically stay in countries for 2-3 months, so I can’t be out every night!
Another thing to factor in, is which games you play. If you’re looking to run the latest AAA titles, you’ll have to spend a hefty sum for a high end gaming laptop. If your main games are browser based, or easy on the hardware, like League of Legends or retro games, a thinner, more portable gaming pc, or a solid notebook, will usually do.
In terms of peripherals, the one thing I sacrificed is a a full-on, over the ear gaming headset. I used to be a big fan of the Siberias from SteelSeries, but after some research, I decided in-ear monitors are a good trade-off for space and weight. Music sounds great, gaming is acceptable, and they’re pretty comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Finally, since gaming laptops use heavy charging bricks and can be quite chunky, I went with a 15″ model. I also solved the power brick problem by swapping the stock charging solution with a SlimQ 240W charger.
Overall, this setup allows me to stay mobile and traveling with a single carry-on bag, while still being able to run just about any game.
How about you? Do you have any tips, or any questions? Leave a comment down below!
