My obsession with portable solar energy continues — in the past I’ve written about Suntrica’s portable chargers, Reware’s Juice Bags and Noon Solar’s range of bags. Suntrica’s chargers, though difficult to purchase outside Finland, currently offer the most elegant and practical solution for cheap, mobile and clean solar energy.

Interestingly, a unique field test of mobile solar power is taking place in a handful of African nations, where electrical power is often unreliable: AfriGadget’s Flexible Light And Power (FLAP) initiative.

FLAP is a collaboration between San Francisco’s iconic messenger bag company, Timbuk2, the Pop!Tech conference, and Portable Light. Timbuk2 has modified one of its standard messenger bags with a removable flap that contains a photovoltaic solar panel connected to an LED light and a USB power outlet, which can be used for charging portable electronics such as phones and MP3 players.

AfriGadget’s founder, Erik Hersman, has been traveling through communities in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, assessing the usability, usefulness and adaptability of FLAP for everyday use. So far it seems the solar-charged light is the key feature, with the bag’s built-in USB charging being less crucial. However, given the crucial cultural role that mobile communication is playing in countries such as Kenya and Uganda, I’d be surprised if this feature doesn’t become more popular.

Interestingly, Timbuk2 plan to offer the solar flap as part of their own range of accessories — bringing technology tested and evaluated in the developing world to its geek-dense customer base in the developed world.

With the popularity and utility of Timbuk2 bags among web workers, combined with the emerging interest in solar power, this seems like a great collaboration. I hope some benefit will accrue to those developing nations’ communities, and not simply to more affluent buyers elsewhere.

Would you buy a bag with a solar charger or solar accessories?

So as part of my new program of simplification, I’m re-evaluating what kind of kit I roll with on a regular basis. My weapon of choice used to be a large, multi-pocket bag (or two) with ample room for my computer, camera, and countless other attendant knickknacks including portable hard drives, USB keys, and most recently, a small secondary screen for auxiliary tasks like monitoring Twitter or my IM client.

It’s nice to have everything at hand, but it also means that no matter what workspace I choose to occupy, I come complete with my own built-in tools for distraction and procrastination. I could, theoretically, be trying to get work done in a monk’s chamber and still have the attention span of a goldfish. So starting this week, the Big Bag is taking a much-deserved break, and the Laptop Sleeve with Handle and Shoulder Strap (or just sleeve, for short) is coming into its own.

Friends on the same path to webworking Zen recommended the approach, claiming that my back will thank me, in addition to my addled brain. And so far, I’m impressed with the effect the sleeve is having on both. All it has room for, basically, is my MacBook Pro, its power brick, an Airport Express, and my iPhone sync cable for Internet tethering. (I’m in Canada, where it’s officially supported.) I’m sure I could fit more in there if I wanted to, but I resist the urge.

Psychologically, it feels tremendously liberating to be professionally productive with such minimalist outfitting. I also have less travel restrictions and inconveniences to deal with since I’m carrying less and taking up little physical space. And I don’t have to worry so much about leaving something behind. All I have to do is make sure I stay on target when I boot up the MBP. Easier said then done.

Have you experimented with different kit arrangements when working remotely from locations away from your home office? What do you find to be your most effective on-the-go equipment configuration?

This pen is one of those “as seen on TV” type of items that I would never purchase myself, because they “never work.” Tuns out I was wrong, very wrong. A few years ago my mom gave me one. It got thrown into my junk draw and hadn’t been seen since, until today.

I was out with a friend and was wearing some new shorts I had recently bought.  Of course, five minutes into the meeting I managed to get some kind of stain on them. I tried the usual method of blotting with water, and as per usual, it did nothing.  After a few more failed attempts of stain removal tactics, like blotting with club soda, I gave up and decided to enjoy my friend’s company. After I left my friend, I had a few extra minutes before my next appointment so I decided to run home to either change my clothes or attack the stain again. When I got home the  stain remover pen popped into my head so I gave it a whirl. I rubbed the tip of the pen all over the stain on my shorts, blotted it with a wet paper towel, and waited. Sure enough, after a few minutes my shorts were dry and the stain was gone.

It’s really important to make a good first impression in client meetings, and as I’m often running from meeting to meeting, I don’t always have the luxury of being able to go home and change. Having this little $4 stain remover in my bag means I don’t need to worry about a little mishap ruining that first impression. After saving the day today, the Tide Instant Stain Remover Pen, although it will not be used frequently, has become a permanent addition to my bag.

What non-gadget goodies do you have in your bag?

The Bag

Years ago, I bought an expensive backpack on a friend’s recommendation and regretted it because it offered nothing special. I now have a cheaper Samsonite backpack that’s comfortable and works just as well as the pricey one. The only complaint I have is that it doesn’t hold water bottles very well. The backpack has plenty of pockets and zippers to keep things organized.

The Laptop

I use the Fujitsu Lifebook E8210 laptop as much as my desktop. As a games reviewer, I play games on the laptop instead of my desktop. I don’t need the temptation to play games when sitting in my home office, working. I reserve game time for the afternoons and evenings when the kids are at home, as interruptions don’t affect my work.

My previous laptop, now in the hands of the 6-year-old, had a huge screen that made it feel like it weighed 20 pounds, so I’ve sacrificed the larger screen for something lighter. Alas, the battery on the Fujitsu is dead, requiring it be plugged in at all times. This sounds like no big deal, but all the boys in the family (hubby included) trip over the cord, unplugging the adapter.

The Phone

I dumped the Sidekick (it had the best keyboard, but terrible service and features) for the BlackBerry Curve to keep me connected with friends, clients and family. Not only does the Curve have a real keyboard (as opposed to the iPhone’s onscreen keyboard), but also has the best email system I’ve seen on a phone. My family has several BlackBerrys and iPhones, so I’ve tried them all. Being deaf, I depend on a phone’s instant messaging, text and email applications. The BlackBerry does a better job of providing these while allowing me to work faster. The iPhone is sleek, but not as efficient in meeting my needs.

For chatting with family, I rely on Google Talk. I use the BlackBerry’s built-in email and SMS applications. I also have the Google applications for maps and email. Although I don’t need a headset, I sort of have one in my cochlear implant. I don’t feel self-conscious about the cochlear implant thanks to the growing popularity of headsets.

The Camera

The portable Canon PowerShot SD550 has it all: it’s lightweight, takes high-quality images and the ability to capture videos. The only complaint is it doesn’t do a great job of taking action photos, a big thing when you have kids. Otherwise, it’s a great camera for the web worker who doesn’t need to worry about shooting sporting and other fast-moving events. I bring my USB card reader when I bring a camera so I can easily download photos to the laptop.

The Tunes

Car trips were never popular with me since childhood. Then I found that an iPod was a way to ease the pain, especially when I discovered the iPod’s lyrics feature. I have a second-generation iPod Touch.

I also still have my second-generation red iPod Nano. I love the feel, color and portability of it. The iPod Nano is my companion when I do the driving since my car comes with a MP3 player connection.

The Essential Leftovers

All the charging cables come with me including the camera’s backup battery and portable charger. The lightweight Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks is a lifesaver when it comes to playing games on the laptop. Its receiver barely sticks out of the back of the laptop’s USB port, so I never have to remove it. I also carry a USB drive with Roboform2Go installed to avoid driving myself crazy with remembering passwords.

Another essential is Lapworks Laptop Desk. It absorbs the heat from the laptop instead of my legs, contains an adjustable incline for comfort and comes with a cover that works great as a mouse pad. The stand folds almost flat for easy carrying in the backpack.

What’s in your bag?

The Bag

I use an ordinary backpack that I found in a sale bin. It’s well-padded and it’s also the most comfortable backpack I’ve ever had. It has a lot of secret compartments in which I hide valuables.

My backpack is important because I live by a “one bag” rule: If it doesn’t fit in my bag, I don’t bring it. My friends always laugh at me for having the lightest luggage, but I’m not the one who gets slowed down because of the weight I’m carrying. To paraphrase something I once read, “You’ll find that you can take anything with you. The joke is that you have to carry it yourself.”

The Laptop

I own a MSI Wind U100 netbook. It has a 10-inch screen and weighs 2.3 lbs, which is light enough to bring when I’m traveling. I store it in a padded pouch to keep it dry and protected.

The Phone

My phone is a five-year-old Nokia 3200. This is a hand-me-down from my sister, and I use it exclusively for texting and making calls. Since texting is so popular here in the Philippines, I always keep this phone on silent, otherwise I’d be interrupted every five minutes.

Other Gadgets One of my most important gadgets is a 3G HSDPA modem from SmartBro. I always have two prepaid cards for it so that I’ll have enough credits to use it for emergencies. When 3G access is unavailable, it allows me to connect via GPRS. This may sound like a nightmare, but it’s an absolute necessity if you want to do online work in rural areas.

The speakers on the MSI Wind aren’t very good, so I always bring my Philips earphones. I also have a no-brand MP3 player that needs to be replaced soon.

I also bring an power strip if I’m staying at an unfamiliar place. It’s frustrating to find only one working socket if you want to charge your phone and your laptop at the same time.

Optional Gear

If I’ll be gone for a long time or if I need to carry around large files, I bring my Maxtor external hard drive, which has a capacity of 320 GB. Also, if I want to take photographs, my partner lends me her Canon PowerShot S3 IS. Non-Gadgets

Clothes and toiletries are a must, but I never take more than four days’ worth of clothes. If I’ll be away for more than a week, I prefer washing my clothes rather than lugging around the extra weight in my backpack.

I usually bring two notebooks with me: a small one for idea generation and my journal. For writing and drawing, I bring gel pens in different line weights. There’s also at least one book in my bag at all times. Waiting areas, long queues and boring afternoons were made for reading.

So those are the simple but useful things I bring with me when I step outside my home office. How about you? What’s in your bag?