Our editors’ desk setups, part 14: Richie temporarily works from the mountains
13/3/2026
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Pictures: Richard Müller
In this series, our editors reveal which equipment they use every day – be it for work or gaming. I had to move my setup to Ticino at short notice – to 1,000 metres above sea level, no less.
My workspace isn’t usually located up at high altitude. But a family emergency has forced me to relocate my office to Ticino at short notice. Surrounded by mountain scenery and limited furnishings, I had to work out how much gear I actually needed to stay productive. I parked my car at around 700 metres above sea level. After that, it’s about a 40-minute hike to my parents’ house – and the reason why I kept an eye on weight when putting my setup together.
In the rush of it all, I forgot my laptop charger at home and had to pick up a replacement on the way over. I opted for the Sitecom 140W PD Wall Charger. Not because I was familiar with the product, but because it was the only one in the shop that just about met my requirements. My laptop is power-hungry, demanding 170 watts. I can just about get by with a 140-watt charger without my laptop complaining about the power supply being too weak. Far from ideal, but good enough in an emergency.
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 and FlipGo Dual: a mobile multi-monitor setup
At home, I work on a 34-inch monitor from Dell, and I’m totally happy with the single, large display. On the road, it’s a different story: I don’t enjoy working on the 15.6-inch display of my Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 for long periods of time.
I need to be able to keep several windows in view at once. So, I got a portable second monitor for use in the mountains. Samuel, lent me his FlipGo Dual, which he reviewed here. Laptop included, that’s three screens. I wouldn’t call it fancy, but it’s much more comfortable than working on a single 15-inch screen.
The laptop and extra monitor are at the heart of my temporary setup. The portable monitor and its accessories are too heavy for my taste, given I have to carry it up a mountain with the rest of my gear.
Native Union: proper ergonomics thanks to a laptop stand
I’m 196 cm tall. That’s a challenge when it comes to staying ergonomic, and it’s why I care all the more about having good posture. But hauling my height-adjustable desk up the mountain was hardly an option.
As a pragmatic solution, my boss handed me a laptop stand from Native Union. At least it lets me raise the display to eye level. As a temporary solution, that’s good enough.
I also brought the Digitec Thunderbolt 4 docking station with me. I got the docking station from my boss as well, who promptly nudged me to write an article about it:
In the end, I plugged the dock in once and promptly packed it away again. Turns out I didn’t need it for my temporary setup. However, if you use many peripherals, you’ll probably appreciate having it.
Mouse, keyboard and headset: Logitech takes the lead
At home, I type on a mechanical keyboard. It feels better, but unfortunately isn’t exactly backpack-friendly. For my temporary setup in the mountains, it was too heavy. My lighter solution: the Logitech MK295. I’m sure my colleague Kevin would consider this an outrage. But I was surprisingly productive with it, even if the typing feel is no match for my usual keyboard.
My mouse stayed the same; I use the Logitech MX Vertical. It has an ergonomic shape and is available for both right- and left-handed users. After a short adjustment period, I couldn’t imagine not having it any more.
In the rush to leave, I also forgot to pack my headset. Since the faux leather on it was already starting to disintegrate, I had its successor, the Logitech Zone Wireless 2, sent to me in Ticino. It’s comfortable, the battery lasts a long time and ANC works reliably. I’ll be keeping this headset for home use.
Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro: an expensive router with a tendency to overheat
Back home, we have an internet speed of 1 gigabit per second (Gbit/s). For my temporary setup in the mountains, I bit the bullet and went with the Netgear Nighthawk M7 Pro after a lot of hesitation.
This router isn’t cheap. But after a week of using it, I can say with conviction that it was worth buying. The connection is stable and I can participate in video calls without dropping out. My team confirmed this.
I did have one outage of my own making, though. On a sunny day, I left the router out in direct sunlight. It overheated and shut down – right in the middle of a meeting.
In the winter months, Cortoi, located above Mergoscia, is quiet and remote. It’s all the more exciting when someone does come to visit. While my brother was chopping logs into firewood behind the house, I had some furry company during my work breaks in the form of a cat that regularly mistook me for a cat tree.
I’m back to working from my own home now. But the equipment is staying up at my parents’ place – for the mountain office days that still lie ahead.
If you’re interested in the previous instalments of our desk setup series, you’ll find the full overview here:
Richard Müller
Teamleader Editorial
Richard.Mueller@digitecgalaxus.chI'm a journalist with over 20 years of experience in various positions, mostly in online journalism. The tool I rely on for my work? A laptop – preferably connected to the Internet. In fact, I also enjoy taking apart laptops and PCs, repairing and refitting them. Why? Because it's fun!
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