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March 22, 2026

What Tech Should You Pack in Your Emergency Go Bag?

It couldn’t hurt to have a bag packed with essential items to take with you in an emergency. Here’s some tech gear to consider for your own go bag and why.

I’ve always tried to pay attention to home safety topics like fire prevention. So far, so good. But you never know where your blind spots might be. Recently, my wife and I had a complementary review of our house’s smoke detectors by two members of our regional Red Cross. 

They found a couple gaps and opportunities, which I quickly addressed the following week. While smoke detection and fire avoidance were the key themes to our discussion, they also talked about being ready to immediately evacuate in the event of an emergency.

And they brought up the important topic of having a ‘go bag’ packed and ready to take if the situation prevented returning home for a period.

Go Bags and the Cloud

Of course, there are different types of emergencies ranging from a stove fire to an extended power outage or natural disaster that could force you to leave your home. A go bag, also called a bug-out bag should contain items to help you get through this evacuation period. 

While emergency supplies are the priority, the Red Cross team also suggested we might want to think about taking important or irreplaceable documents and photos should our house burn down. (gulp)

They helpfully suggested that I could upload some of that to the cloud to mitigate the risk. 

As I nodded in agreement, my brain began to spin.

Are You Ready?

Backing up my important photos to the cloud is a fundamental file maintenance practice I’ve been following for years. But was I ready for this kind of moment? Plus, was this just tip-of-the-iceberg thinking?

I asked myself if I was really prepared to handle a big emergency, leave my home and perhaps not return for a long time.

I don’t think I am. No, not really.

So, it was time to begin closing that gap.

Mountain Bike Duffel Bag

I started by first getting a dedicated go bag to fill up. After doing some research, I decided I liked the structure of a mountain bike duffel bag. 

These duffel bags have lots of pockets for organization and easier access than a standard knapsack. 

I ended up buying one made by Wildhorn. 

Important Tech to Pack

Next, came the packing part. Of course, safety and survival come first. And while I’ve brushed up on which emergency and medical supplies I should include in my go bag, I’m admittedly still a student in this space. So, I’ll leave it to the experts to offer their recommendations.

That said, you’ll likely want to also take along some tech. You might find yourself partially off the grid, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself off without the right tools.

Here’s my tech list that you might want to consider for your own go bag: 

  • Portable power bank(s) to keep your phone and other tech going
    (A solar-charging model is optimal.)
  • Charging cables
  • Wall charger with USB ports should you be able to plug into power
  • Portable power strip
  • Solar or crank-powered radio
  • Analog watch that can keep ticking more than 24 hours without recharging
    (My Apple Watch wouldn’t be up to this task.)
  • A portable hard drive with important files 
  • And of course, a rechargeable flashlight and headlamp

Just Like a Camping Trip?

While I was creating this packing list, I began to realize that the process felt a lot like packing for just another trip, but one that you hope you’ll never go on.

Another, more positive take is this is like prepping for your next camping trip. (There’s a fair amount of crossover.)

On the one hand, you may already have some of this gear at home. But it’s probably best to purchase a duplicate set and then dedicate this ‘emergency’ tech to a permanently packed go bag that you wouldn’t borrow from under normal circumstances. 

Get Organized

So now that my go bag is packed, I’ve set it aside and hope that I’ll never have to use it. (It’s like spending money on insurance.) One ongoing detail will be to make sure battery power remains charged up.

Yes, completing this project has provided me a little peace of mind.

But I also know I have more work to do on a variety of fronts. There are many chapters in the book of Organizing your Life.

How prepared are you?

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December 14, 2025

How to Prevent Yankee Swap from Ruining Your Holiday Spirit

Here are three important ways I approach this group game to help minimize the pain if you don’t feel like a winner at your next Yankee Swap.

Many years ago, I learned the art of Yankee Swap. And that’s when I figured out it’s also a sport. This group holiday gifting game goes by other names, including Secret Santa and White Elephant. 

If you haven’t yet participated, Yankee Swap is a game of chance, as everyone first picks a number out of a hat to determine the order of gift selection from an anonymous pile of presents. However, there’s plenty of strategy involved, especially if family members ‘unofficially’ align as a team.

Yankee Steal
There are variations on the rules, but in short, each person picks a wrapped gift and then decides whether to keep or swap it with a previously opened present. If everyone gets into the spirit of the game, it becomes ‘Yankee Steal.’ There’s usually a gift or two that everyone wants, that those get swapped multiple times throughout the game.

So, if played properly, this game is effectively about stealing the best gift for yourself and leaving everyone else with the lumps of coal. (You’ve got to feel comfortable being a little ruthless.)

Three Ways to Feel Like a Winner
I must admit that after participating in this holiday tradition many times, I often found myself disappointed with the results. (Statistically, that’s going to happen to many players.)

So, I’ve learned a few tricks that help me feel like a winner, no matter what happens. Here are my top three tips:

#1
Worst Gift Ever
Yes, it’s always nice to give and receive a great gift. But a terrible gift… that can actually be the best Yankee Swap present ever. But it has to be over-the-top bad. If so, it will get a huge laugh in the group. 

The best ‘worst’ gift I ever saw was a 15-pound frozen turkey gift wrapped in a box. Priceless.

I’ve given my share of intentionally terrible gifts over the years. A few of my favorites include:

  • Ugly Lumberjack Winter Hat 
    (for a Brooklyn/Manhattan crowd)
  • Giant Angry Bird plush toy 
    (This one was an unexpected hit.)
  • NapSack Sleep Hood 
    (This was just a box with a photo of a man sleeping on a bench wearing a blue sack over his head. The box was empty. The gag was just the silly idea of it.)

#2
A Boring Gift Should Not Affect your Holiday Zen
But a boring Yankee Swap gift is that exactly that… and nobody wants one of those. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of nicely wrapped boxes fall into this category. 

And these are the ones that can really suck the holiday spirit out of your soul. There’s nothing you can really do about it, other than accept it’s like walking into a casino… the house usually wins. 

So, the next step is to recognize that this game should be more about the fun and laughs…not snagging the best gift. That’s how you can retain your holiday Zen when holding that useless item. 

Yes, it will surely go in the garbage when you get home (or banished to your regifting pile, if you do that). But you’re still smiling thinking about that frozen turkey Uncle Harry got.

#3
Bring a Gift You Wouldn’t Mind Getting Back
I can’t tell you the number of times someone swapped back my own gift with me, especially the ones that were ‘terrible.’ That’s the result of other players learning my gifting style over the years and predicting I was the original culprit.

So, I’ve adapted my strategy a bit and made sure that I would be happy enough taking home whatever Yankee Swap gift I show up with.

That can also make shopping much easier. Simply buy a gift that you’d want for yourself. (That increases the odds you’ll bring home a present you can use.)

The Real Gift is Spending Time with Your Group
New England often has harsh winters. Yankee Swaps are no different. So, mindset matters more than anything when playing this game.

Remember, this is not about the present. It’s about being together with a group of people and having fun. It’s about celebrating this little world you’re a part of… family, friends, and yes… maybe even co-workers.

It’s about time well spent, being together… and not alone. And that’s usually a gift worth celebrating.

Happy Holidays, and here’s to always feeling like a winner at every Yankee Swap!

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October 26, 2025

Avoid this Surprise When Installing Your Google Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 4

If you own a 1st or 2nd gen Nest Learning Thermostat, you probably know that Google has officially sunset those models. Here’s what that means and the one detail not to miss when mounting the new gen 4 model on your wall.

Getting 12 years out of any piece of tech is more than anyone should expect. That said, if it’s still working and doing the job, why would you want to replace it? (Unless you simply need the latest and greatest.) 

Well, you’d pull the plug when the manufacturer forces you to. If the old unit’s tech is so obsolete, it can’t be maintained by the manufacturer’s current standards. And that’s what’s happened to my trusty Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen) from 2013.

Goodbye Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 2
In tech years, it’s like a century old. A lot’s happened, including Google buying Nest to enter the smart home market. 

So yes, Google has walked away from its older Nest Learning Thermostat population. The official Google language is “end of support.” What that means is 1st and 2nd-generation models can no longer be reached remotely via the app on your phone as of October 25, 2025. (They’ve been “unpaired and removed” from the Nest app or Home app.) 

Poof.

It’s Time to Buy Gen 4
Yes, you can still operate these ‘relics’ manually, but I’ve always spent more time interfacing with my Nest Learning Thermostat through the app on my iPhone.

Most significantly, these units are no longer supported, which according to Google “may lead to decreased performance with continued use.” So that’s code for… it’s just a matter of time till they stop working altogether.

Look, I get it. No web-connected piece of tech is going to last forever.

So, if you want your Google Nest Learning Thermostat ecosystem to remain reliable and fully operational, you have no choice but to upgrade to the current 4th generation model, which costs $279.99.

Ouch!

Fortunately, Google has softened the blow by offering a $130 discount for current 1st and 2nd gen owners. So that effectively drops the price point to $149.99 plus tax. (Shipping is free.)

Registered owners should have received an emailed discount code towards the purchase of the current 4th gen model.

Three Color Choices
So Barrett went ahead and bought himself an early holiday present with his discount code. (Thank you, Google.) 

My hardest decision was deciding which color to get. I decided on Obsidian with a black base. (I felt it would present a cleaner, unified aesthetic in our living room. (The other choices are silver and gold with a white base.)

My Installation Surprise
Happily, installing my new 4th gen unit was the essentially the same as my old 2nd gen model. 

The only relevant difference was the size of the circular base plate, which you screw onto the wall. (The thermostat clicks onto the base plate.)

Here’s the problem: 

The new base plate is slightly smaller than the old one. And that tiny footprint difference can be a really big deal.

Why? Well, the new base plate will reveal a little more of your wall… 
that might be unpainted!

Surprise!

Yes, that’s exactly what happened to me. I realized there would be dark, thin paint ring behind my new, gleaming Google Nest Learning Thermostat that revealed our living room’s paint color from years ago.

Granted, the 4th gen thermostat’s beautiful face is bigger than my gen 2’s screen. It’s plenty big to effectively block the view where the thermostat’s smaller circular ‘neck’ touches the wall.

But I would know, and if you looked from an angle, you’d definitely see the old paint. Ugh! 

Sure, Google has thought of this and provided a white trim plate to use that would cover up this kind of problem.

But I didn’t want to use the trim plate. I liked the clean look of the black, circular orb perfectly protruding from my wall like a futuristic Cylon interface.

I just need to get rid of that thin ring of old paint.

I Had to Put on My Painter’s Hat
So, I hurried downstairs and rummaged through my basement to see if I still had a little bit of our living room’s current paint in a can somewhere. I eventually found it, picked up a brush and performed the paint fix.

This of course delayed my installation process, as I had to wait for the paint to dry before continuing. But it was clearly a step worth taking.

So just remember that you might need to bake that extra time into your own installation plan. 

Cool New Sensor Pucks
If you’ve been living with a 1st or 2nd generation model, you may not know about Google’s little wireless ‘satellite’ temperature-sensing pucks to pair with your main thermostat. (I didn’t.)

These “Nest Temperature Sensors” (now 2nd generation) can be placed throughout your home to help create a more even temperature throughout your rooms (effectively simulating some of the benefits of a multi-zone HVAC system).

When you buy a 4th gen Google Nest Learning Thermostat, it also comes with one Nest Temperature Sensor. (You can purchase more separately.)

With multiple sensors, you can schedule which sensor controls your thermostat at different times of the day. You can always default to the sensor in your base unit. And you can also average between your sensors.

I placed my temperature sensor in our sunroom, which tends to be cooler during the winter months than the rest of our house. Hopefully, the sensor will convince my base unit (in our living room) to keep providing a little more warmth in the early evening when my family tends to hang out in our sunroom. (That’s how I programmed it.)

Upgrade Complete!
I’ve always enjoyed my old Nest Learning Thermostat as the center of my smart home experience. And now that I’ve upgraded, I’m pleased that I’ve refreshed my relationship with Google’s gen 4 model.

I hope it takes me all the way to 2037. But with the pace of change these days, something tells me we may be discussing this again a tad sooner…

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