Mini cables are a necessity for every great go bag because they allow you to hook up an array of devices without wasting valuable storage space. Although there are a few varieties to choose from these days, Aviiq took the concept a step further and added clips so you can hang them off a pocket just like a pen.

I've had a set of Griffin Mini Cables that I've stored on my Grid-It for years. This works well enough, but if you don't have a Grid-It, or something else to keep all the little things in your bag tidy and accessible, Aviiq's take on the mini cables will make that irrelevant. You can just hook them on any pocket in your bag when they're not in use or even on your shirt when you want to use one but can't hold it at the moment. They'll latch onto anything thin enough and stay there until you're ready to use them. Color-coding also makes it much easier to tell which cables are which, and you can mix and match the cables you need. The annoying thing about other sets is that you have to buy the Apple iDevice dock cable along with the others, but that's wasteful if you don't need it. Aviiq offers several sets so you can choose exactly which mini cables you want and not end up with anything you won't use.

But, if you're prefer to make your own mini cables here is the DIY version. Of course, you'll have to add your own clips

Ready Clips ($20-$30) | Aviiq via Uncrate

Although we love a good home workspace, mobility is key for many of us and that requires a solid, well-organized, gadget-filled go bag. If you have yet to put one together, yours is a little lacking, or you just want to make a few updates, we've got you covered with plenty of strategies, suggestions, and examples.

Pick a Solid, Reliable Bag

Picking a bag is tough. Do you want a backpack? Messenger bag? Both? Do you need to carry a camera, a laptop, books, papers, utensils, 15 lb. hand weights, shark fin soup, and asteroid samples? Whatever you're bringing with you, it's not going far if you don't have a bag that can handle it. While I've always liked varieties of the Incase Campus Backback (I'm currently using this one), and Tenba Messenger (for cameras), we're particularly fond of bags that are more versatile and can adapt to your needs. The UNDFIND One Bag and the Unit Portables system both allow you to trade pockets and flaps to quickly swap out the items you need. (They're also both very stylish in their own way.) There are, of course, plenty of other awesome bags out there. If you've got a suggestion for a great bag that you love, share it in the comments.

Fill It With the Necessities (and a Few Fun Things, Too)

A good go bag requires good things inside. Naturally you'll be taking your laptop, but it's everything else that makes it particular. If you've got your camera, you'll want to consider extra batteries, lenses, and flash storage. If you're taking a smartphone or tablet, you'll want to have cables for it. The primary devices in your bag will heavily dictate what else goes inside, but there are a few standard and a few awesome things you'll want to consider including as well.

For starters, a good flash drive is important. We love the LaCie iamaKey which can store up to 32GB of files in certain varieties. It's attractive and fits on a keychain, but it's not particularly fast. If you're looking for a flash drive with some added speed, picking up pretty much anything of the USB 3.0 variety will often offer much faster transfer speeds even over USB 2.0. LaCie has their FastKey but it's a little pricey (although extremely fast). Although we haven't tried it ourselves, Patriot sells a relatively simple high-speed 32GB USB 3.0 flash drive for only $50 (or $90 for 64GB). There are others but most of them aren't exactly slim. (Most are pretty unattractive, too.) Whichever way you go, a fast and spacious flash drive is key. You may transfer files online more often, but when a time comes that you need to make a quick copy a handy, fast flash drive is indispensable.

For additional storage needs, you'll want to grab a portable hard drive (or an SSD, if you can afford it). At the time of this writing, you can pick up portable drives as large as 2TB, which is pretty incredible. I'm still using a 500GB drive from several years ago, and that has served me just fine. If you like to archive on the go, edit video, want to keep a large portable media collection, or have other large space needs you'll probably want a bigger drive. If not, smaller ones can be had for a lot less money.

A solid go bag involves being prepared, and little makes you more prepared than having the right cables for any occasion. You'll want to pick some up for all your devices, but a good starting point is Griffin's mini cable set. They're tiny and take up less space than one normal-sized cable. Chances are you'll want something tiny when moving around. I use these all the time and they're wonderful. You get mini-USB, micro-USB, and iPod cables—which is definitely more useful if you own an Apple portable device. If you've already got longer cords you want to use, just employ this dead simple cable shortening trick to make them more go bag-friendly.

If you're traveling, you'll probably need additional power ports from time to time and a good surge protector will do the job. While we've long been fond of this Belkin mini surge protector, it doesn't sit flush from the wall and can risk breaking when too much pressure is applied to it. Currently we're more excited about its slightly bigger brother, which lays flat against the wall and has three additional outlets. It's still pretty small and should fit just fine in any go bag.

What else do you need in your bag? You may want a cellular wireless router for on-the-go internet. For those of you who prefer a little analog in their tech-friendly go bags, a good notebook and pen is important. Poketo has some of the coolest notebooks I've seen, but you're always safe with a good old reliable Moleskine. If a standard ballpoint isn't doing it for you, check out there reader suggestions for some additional options. You'll also want to check out our top 10 go bag gadgets and what other readers are putting in their backpacks and minimalist bags. There are tons of great options each of those posts.

Keep It All Organized

The contents of your go bag won't be particularly useful if they aren't organized. That means well-wrapped cables—something cable wrappers like Apple Cores or even the endless versatile binder clip can help you with. If you've got a MacBook and want a better way to maintain your power adapter, the Quirky Power Curl is a fantastic and relatively inexpensive way to keep those cords organized. The best bag organizer, by far, is the GRID-IT. I've been using them for years and they're a fantastic way of managing all the small things in your bag, whether that's a bunch of technology, art supplies, or whatever. You can get them in all sorts of varieties and combine them with tablet and laptop sleeves for additional purposes. If you want your bag organized in a simple and elegant way, the GRID-IT is the way to go.

Your go bag is going to change over time, however, so it's important to remember to regularly audit what you do and do not use to avoid carrying a bunch of excess stuff around with you all the time. Go bags are only useful so long as you keep the most useful stuff in them and organized, so don't forget to ensure you're doing that every couple of months.

Messenger bags and briefcases have the advantage of being at your side and easily accessible, plus you can sit down on a chair while wearing them. Still, many of us (myself included) prefer the good old backpack for comfort, aesthetics, and several other reason. If you'd rather not choose, however, Reddit user turnTheLead demonstrates how you can just take pretty much any messenger bag or briefcase and turn it into a backpack in just a few seconds.

You can get a pretty good visual representation of how it works from the photo above, but turnTheLead explains it step by step:

1. Lengthen the shoulder strap all the way.
2. Pass the shoulder strap through the handles
3. Open it up so you have two holes for your arms to go through.
4. Put it on and be hands-free, ready to fight or eat a hot dog.

Pretty cool. For more pictures, check out the full post over at Reddit.

Instantly turn your briefcase or shoulder bag into a back pack | Reddit: Life Pro Tips

The UNDFND One Bag looks like a designer messenger bag, but is far more dynamic and modular than you'd expect. The majority of the bag is modifiable, allowing you to transform it into the bag you need right now, rather than switching your gear in and out of a variety of different containers.

The One Bag is made of water-resistant neoprene and features several modifiable parts. Most notable is the front cover. It contains its own storage compartment and is completely removable, so you can store different items in different covers and simply swap them out when you need to change your bag's inventory. By default, the One Bag operates as a standard laptop bag, but with an insert you can turn it into a three-lens camera bag. There is also a waist shooter bag that you can use to carry additional lenses. It'll clip on to your belt, or you can use a strap to sling it over your shoulder. This back features exchangeable front covers as well. The covers come in multiple styles, so you don't have to switch them out for utilitarian purposes. If you get bored with one look, you can simply change to another.

However you decide to assemble it, the One Bag is very comfortable to wear. The padded strap makes the weight feel more gentle on your shoulder balances the bag well on your hip. Exchanging covers and inserts is very simply. It's handled by velcro, which seems like it wouldn't be terribly sturdy, but it because the seal is made on both sides and tucked into the bag it holds just as well as if it were sewn in. The only thing I found to be problematic is that the bottom of the photography insert has no bottom. This was intentional, in order to keep the insert's spacial requirements to a minimum, but I think that even a thin layer of fabric at the bottom would be nice just to make it easier to remove all the contents in one simple lift. That aside, the One Bag is very versatile, stylish, and comfortable. If it doesn't suit your needs one day, you can simply change it so it does.

UNDFIND