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Category: Tech How To

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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March 15, 2026

Why the Manhattan Skyline Means More to Me than the View

Snapping a series of iconic skyline pictures around Manhattan became more than a photography exercise. It reminded me about my own identity.

When I was a boy growing up in New York City, I remember taking the Circle Line cruise around Manhattan with my mother. I was delighted by the incredible views of the iconic skyline, but it was a blip in my larger experience living in the Big Apple. 

Like many New Yorkers, doing touristy activities was usually something left for… tourists.

A Tourist Comes Home

Today I find that ironic and even a bit sad. Even though I live in Connecticut today, I still commute into the city. So, I’ve tried to pay a little more attention to this beautiful metropolis that I permanently identify with and am always connected to. 

I’ve recently had a couple opportunities to spend time on the water around Manhattan at dusk. And I was excited to see what photos I could capture from the Hudson and East Rivers as the sun set and the skyline lit up.

The Power of iPhone and Adobe Lightroom

I used my iPhone 15 Pro Max to capture these shots. Even in the dark, its software-driven computational photography was able to capture decent images and brighten up the sky and darker regions. It’s actually quite impressive.

Then, I pushed the limits of these images even further using the power of Adobe Lightroom. While the focus of all these shots is all about the Manhattan skyline and bridges, the river and sky occupy half the frame. So, I made the creative choice to make these portions pop a little more than reality offered me.

My Origin Story

So yes, I’m straddling the line a bit between photographer and digital painter. But I don’t think it’s a problem to enhance the glow of the city I love and often define myself by.

It simply represents how I feel about this complex place. And this little photography exercise warmly reminded me that I am forever part of it.

My father used to say New York City is the greatest city in the world. While I know that’s a bit arrogant and certainly invites discussion, you can’t debate the pride that most New Yorkers feel about their hometown.

It is my origin story, and I continue to circle it.

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March 1, 2026

My Ode to the Fading Winter

There is an upside to this year’s brutal, wicked-cold winter. Simply that it’s coming to an end. And now it’s time to start looking for spring.

Yes, there are colder places on this planet with more extreme winter conditions right now. But let me just say as I don my weatherman’s hat from the greater New York City area… it’s been a brutal winter. 

Blizzard. Ice. Single-digit temperatures. Yeah, lots of fun.

I like to say it’s been “wicked cold.”

That line harkens back to a past life when I lived up in the Boston area and just about every winter was brutal. “Wicked cold” was simply… winter. 

But I’ve softened considerably across years of experiencing coastal Connecticut’s gentler winters. And now, it’s been something of a rude (re)awakening.

I will say, however, that shoveling all the snow hasn’t been quite as difficult. Why is that? Well, we’ve got the power of a high school sophomore on our team. And that’s made a huge difference. #TeamLester #grateful.

Power Up

I’m also grateful that we haven’t lost power across these winter storms. Sure, I charge everything up, including my portable power banks. But… as we all know, without a full generator back-up system, portable power banks will only cover you for so long.

Plus, I know we’ve got an exit strategy. #thankstofriends

Wicked Fun

But here’s the really good news. Wicked cold doesn’t necessarily have to mean wicked bad. Winter can be wicked fun.

  • Plus, I’ll always take the bite of brisk over summer humidity.
  • A fire in the winter fireplace is always a special experience.
  • And I’ve got admit, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes with surviving a certain amount of adversity.

And suddenly, spring is right around the corner.

Hello Spring?

Yes, it’s early, but I hope we’re close to that tipping point. Not to predict, but I see early signs beneath the retreating snow line.

And to celebrate this pending seasonal shift, I present to you yet another
Barrett poem.*

Ode to the Fading Winter

https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExOGZ1eGVzaDA3dzQ0eGtzYWVrajhobHpyMXBtYjhlcTRmNjFsN3N0ZyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3pS9bNccbRUNPHMTWo/giphy.gif

My weatherman’s hat is placed on my head, 
To report on single digits I dread. 
From cold New Yorks streets to the Norwalk shore, 
It’s wicked cold, like Boston days of yore. 
Though I’ve softened in the years in between, 
This brutal frost is a rude, chilly scene.

The shovel goes fast, I’m happy to say, 
With my high schooler’s strength to lead the way. 
Go #TeamLester! We have strength in the snow, 
Using three shovels and stacked in a row.
With an exit plan and friends close at hand, 
We’re weathering storms across frozen land.

But wicked cold days can be wicked fun, 
More than humidity and summer sun. 
Fire in the hearth and pride in the soul, 
When you’ve survived the freeze and reached your goal. 
The struggle stings, but the win is so sweet, 
As we clear ice and the slush on the street.

Now snow retreats and the sun starts to climb, 
We’ve reached the tipping point, it’s about time! 
The signs of the green are starting to show, 
Peeking from patches of melting white snow. 
Goodbye to the ice and winter’s sharp sting, 
I’m ready to say a “Hello” to spring.

https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExejd4ZjFvYTV0Zm5hYmg4NWx6NjJhcmxwbzIxM3A5dGljbjEzYXJoNSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/AsJu30fytJHqv5Ugd5/giphy.gif

*Editor’s note: I prompted the videos and structure of this poem into existence using a little GenAI assistance via Google Gemini and Flow. Thank you!
(My ice photos are still the real deal.)

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