What’s in Your HackPack is a recurring series that examines the gear hackers bring with them to hackathons. For this installment, MLH’s operations manager, Li Chen, gives us a peek inside her Herschel backpack.
- Herschel backpack: This backpack is my version of Doraemon’s pocket. It contains everything I need for my day-to-day, whether that’s at the office, cafe, airport, or a hackathon.
- Ban.do wallet: I love this bright mint-colored wallet from Ban.do. It keeps my dollar bills nice and crisp, the same way I like my bacon.
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: Marie Kondo inspires me to only keep things that spark joy. Pro tip: keeping your room/house tidy also keeps your mind tidy.
- French bulldog agenda: As much as I love Google calendar, I still write down important dates like family birthdays. On weekends when we have 3+ hackathons, I jot down important info in case I don’t have access to Wi-Fi.
- Tissue go-pack: I own many travel size items because I’m always on the go, especially when it’s hackathon season.
- iPhone 5C Pink: My Android friends make fun of me for having an iPhone. I’m in it for the iOS emojis!
- Muji pen case: I have a soft spot for stationery and always carry erasers, pens, and notebooks.
- International postage stamps: Hack the Planet is in a month, so I’ve been sending out a ton of invites through snail mail to hackers around the world.
- Cylinder lock set and key fob: These access a storage unit in Brooklyn where we store all kinds of MLH event materials.
- Keys: My parents got me a flip flop key chain from their trip to Hawaii. Every time I look at my keys, they remind me to WeChat my mom and say “hi!”
- Dell XPS 13: I do all my work on this laptop. It’s the perfect size for my backpack and lightweight, so it’s great for travel.
- MLH business cards: These are mainly for my parents, who still have a hard time understanding what I do.
- Measuring tape: I’m terrible at guesstimating dimensions. Is there enough space on the pallet for distribution containers? Not sure… *pulls out measuring tape*
- Charger and earbuds: I bring both everywhere I go. I once charged my dead phone at Han Dynasty before heading back to Penn Apps. I like taking calls with earbuds so I can multitask.