Daily Blog #19: What's in your go bag

Hello Reader,
               Karen Palmer asked 'What's in your go bag?'. A good question as I am routinely surprised by a sudden need to forensically image a system when I'm traveling and the timing just happens to work out that a case starts in the same city. I keep a minimal kit with me during most times that gives me the most flexibility. My kit fits in the following bag samsonite carryon  that can also fit a change of clothes and some other gear while still fitting in the overhead.

Contents of my travel kit/go bag:

• Tableau SATA/IDE write blocker with esata cables - I like eSata to save the USB bus for writes
• Paladin Boot CD - Works with new macbook airs
• Raptor Boot CD - http://forwarddiscovery.com/Raptor
• Screw driver kit - I like these Good grip and easy to use
• Seagate Backup Plus 4TB Desktop drive The ability to switch the connection is the best
• eSata to USB 3 bridge - In case I need to attach the eSATA write blocker to laptop 2
• USB 3 64gb thumbdrive - Microcenter makes great ones
• USB 3 32gb thumbdrive  - They are affordable too
• Dual sata drive dock with cooling fan - The cooling fan is key
• Laptop 1 HP Elitebook - Main laptop that is my mobile workstation
• Laptop 2 ASUS- Backup imaging computer and games
• USB Micro cable
• USB Mini cable
• Apple iPhone cable
• Apple Lightning cable
• F-Response dongle
• Network cable
• Crossover cable
• Power strip
• External CDROM/DVDROM

The idea of my kit is maximum flexibility with minimum bulk. When I first started doing computer forensics I had a big portable computer like this one we called it 'the heavy' for obvious reasons. At the time it was the only system I could get that could do what I needed. That thing was hard to travel with and was easy to get damaged in airline cargo. With this kit in an easy to travel with overhead bag I can handle 90% of situations with the last 10% requiring a trip to microcenter or frys if they have one where I am. When that fails me its on to the internet to see what I can find locally or if its an option have shipped overnight. 

I'll go the scenarios my response kit handles next week, until then get ready for this week's Sunday Funday!