Traveling around the world as a day trading digital nomad

Recommended hardware for mobile trading

As the well-prepared day trading digital nomad that you are (going to be), you firstly want to make sure that the hardware is up to the task. Secondly, in todays age of ever-changing size and weight restrictions on hand luggage by airlines it also pays off to travel light and compact without sacrificing performance.

So without further ado, here’s a few suggestions for setting up your mobile trading rig including a budget option that shouldn’t exceed $1500 (by too much).

Digital Nomad Trading Laptops

Huge screen and lightweight: LG gram 17

17” WQXGA 16:10 (2560 x 1600) IPS LCD Screen
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 CPU
32GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz RAM
1TB NVMe™ SSD
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 and Bluetooth 5.1
Weight 1350 g (2,98 lb)

Under $1000: DELL XPS 13

13.3” FHD 16:9 (1920 x 1080) IPS LCD Screen
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 CPU
8GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz RAM
256 GB NVMe™ SSD
Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2 x 2) and Bluetooth 5.1
Weight 1160 g (2,6 lb)

2-in-1 detachables

Newest generation: DELL Latitude 7320 Detachable

13” FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200) IPS LCD Screen
11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1140G7 CPU
16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz RAM
512GB NVMe™ SSD
Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 and Bluetooth 5.1
Weight 798 g (1,76 lb), 1124 g (2,48 lb) with keyboard

Under $1000: Refurbished DELL Latitude 7210 2-in-1

12,3” FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1280) IPS LCD Screen
10th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-10310U Quad-Core CPU
16GB LPDDR4 2667MHz RAM
256GB NVMe™ SSD
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9560 and Bluetooth 5.0
Weight 851 g (2,1 lb), 1191 g (2,6 lb) with keyboard

Portable HD monitor DELL C1422H

This is the ultimate laptop companion: Experience dual or triple-screen productivity anywhere with this ultralight, ultrathin 14” FHD portable monitor, weighing less than a pound and a half and less than a quarter-inch thick at its slimmest.

Efficient plug and play: Easily set up your monitor(s) with a single USB-C^® cable transmitting both video and power for efficient plug and play.

Versatile design: Conveniently set up your monitor to the left, right or behind your laptop; the dual USB-C ports on each side allow for versatility and better portability.

Power pass through: Work without disruption with power pass through functionality.

Easy and modular: Enjoy the convenience of USB-C connectivity and its efficiency in connecting to Dell USB-C systems and devices.

How many monitors should I get?

Clearly presented information is key for successful trading. If you’re trading futures one external monitors is probably enough but to actively track US stocks I’d strongly recommend at least two external monitors.

Specs:

Full HD 16:9 (1080p) 1920 x 1080, 2xUSB-C, DisplayPort 1.2, weight 590 g (1,30 lb)

Must-have accessories for day trading digital nomads

Programmable USB keyboard

Optimize your trading workflow and also maximize your reaction times by using using hotkeys for order management.

This is a must-have tool for active day traders (especially when trading US stocks), which can make a crucial difference between missing a good entry or even worse – losing unnecessary ticks on the exit.

USB keyboard for Windows systems with 24 freely programmable keys for keyboard commands, macros, etc. The EK-24 is used in parallel to your usual keyboard and only requires a free USB port.

Your programming is permanently stored in the internal flash memory. So if you take the EK-24 with you, your programming will not be lost.

Removable clear keycaps allow easy labelling of keys with words and images.

Dell USB-C Mobile Adapter – DA310

Featuring the widest variety of ports available, the compact 7-in-1 Dell USB-C Mobile Adapter – DA310 offers video, network, data connectivity, and up to 90W power pass-through for your laptop.

Its downstream USB-C port supports power pass through and is ideal when your laptop does not have any more USB-C charging ports.

Widest variety of ports: Featuring the widest range of ports available that includes 2 USB-A ports, 1 USB-C, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 VGA and 1 RJ-45 port. The mobile adapter offers seamless connectivity to various devices like monitorsⁱ, projectors, headsets, keyboard, mouse, flash drives and other accessories.

Multi-functional USB-C port: With a USB-C downstream port that supports power pass through, video and data, you can connect to a monitor at up to 4K resolution at 30Hz, get up to SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps data transfer and 90W power pass throughⁱ to your laptop.

Neither breaking our back nor the bank

Overall, the total weight for this professional traveling trading setup consisting of the (2-in-1) laptop plus two external portable monitors and accessories would be less than 2,5 kilograms!

In the cheapest configuration, we should manage to stay under $1500 for a mobile trading rig that will definitely do for a couple of years.

Travel accommodation and high quality co-working spaces

Forget those images of “successful” traders trading from the hotel swimming pool or sitting under palm trees with a laptop. Same goes for a quick trading session from your hotel room still in your underwear.

Real traders take this profession serious and make sure that they have a conducive and reliable environment to optimize trading performance when on the road.

On top of that, internet connections in hotels can be finnicky and sitting in a coffee shop is maybe not the best place to focus on your streamlined work processes in preparation for a trading session.

So what are we to do here?

Flexible workspace solutions for digital nomad traders

Wework’s All-Access program is a godsend for any digital nomad trader who seeks a truly global solution.

At the point of this writing, Wework has 749 opened locations in 121 cities around the world. Check out the currently available locations here.

Of course there are also local or regional co-working office providers that are worth a look if you plan on staying for an extended period in one location such as Singapore-based JustCo, which also has multiple locations in Bangkok, Jakarta or Tokyo.

Hotel or Airbnb?

My personal tip is to pick a hotel or Airbnb that is close enough to your desired co-working office to maximize the benefits of social interaction during your voluntary commute but not too far to become a hassle.

Also, if you’re staying for longer than a month, Airbnb hosts often give you a significant monthly discount. In such a case, you could make the apartment your hub for exploring other parts of the country on your trading-free weekends without the constant nuisance of check-in/out.

Now that you have a good idea what you need to prepare for a digital nomad trader lifestyle, get out there and explore the world on your own terms.

March 28, 2022

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