Web Worker Emergency Survival Kit

Despite our best plans, things go wrong in the real world. Laptops break down. Client computers get infected with viruses and worms. DVDs get stuck in drives. Internet connections die due to ISP incompetence. The list goes on from there.

Over the years, I’ve accumulated a variety of tools that don’t take up much space but that come in handy when an emergency comes along. On the average day, I don’t need any of these – but when I do, I’m happy to have them. Here are my suggestions for the web worker emergency survival kit:

A Backup Connection: Call me a cynic, but I’ve never yet had a way to get online that had universal coverage or 100% uptime. Over the years I’ve used everything from dialup accounts to satellite telephone to fill in the inevitable gaps, and been glad to pay for the insurance.

A Live CD: If your own laptop suddenly refuses to boot, it’s nice to be able to get into a familiar computing environment rather than taking luck of the draw with whatever your client has on site. This is simplest if you’re a Linux user, where you have everything from Knoppix to Ubuntu CDs to choose from. Windows users can use BartPE to build their own Live CD. (Mac users don’t get to play in this game, since you can’t boot OS X on random white box PCs).

A USB Key: Yes, we’ve all got them – but what to put on them? If you’re in the Windows world, you’ll want some antivirus and spyware scanning apps; choose your favorites from the many out there. For diagnosing issues on networks and machines, many of the tools on the Insecure.org list come in handy (this list covers all the major operating systems). I also carry a list of my credit card numbers together with the customer service numbers to cancel them, and a list of installation keys and download URLs for my purchased software applications; thus, my USB key is backup for lost wallet or crashed hard drive. But if you build such a list, be sure to encrypt it, just in case you lose the USB key!

A Multitool: Fixing computers, opening those awful clamshell packages, sharpening pencils, getting at batteries that need to be changed – I end up using my multitool very frequently. I’m partial to the Leatherman Wave myself, but if you dislike the utility belt look and don’t have a computer bag or purse to chuck a tool into there are plenty of other alternatives, from keychain models like the Leatherman Micra to Toollogic’s line of credit card tools to the Cybertool series of Swiss Army knives.

A Credit Card: With a decent sized open credit line, that is. Face it, sometimes there are problems where spending money really is the best solution. It’s tough to find yourself in a situation where you really need to have a new portable DVD burner overnighted to you at a remote client location – but even tougher to be in that situation and have no way to make it happen.

What’s in your emergency survival kit, to get you through those tough situations when you’re stranded in a strange coffeeshop and have to survive with only your wits and the contents of your laptop bag?

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