Is there anything better than a rolling case for transporting heavy laptop??

[mdtaffet]

I started back to work full-time this past Monday, 9/24. I now have a heavy laptop that I need to transport from my car to the job site and back every day. It's heavy. Right now my only option is carrying it over my shoulder, just as I used to carry its predecessor. But I really want to get away from doing that. We do have an old/dirty/dusty rolling case that I could use, but I think that would come with a different problem. Instead of having to worry about the weight on my shoulder/upper back, I'd have to worry instead about being able to lift the rolling case up by just the telescoping handle when I need to lift it.

What I would vastly prefer, if there was such a thing, is a way to roll a laptop case, but have it still be elevated up off the ground where I can easily reach it. Something like a small dolly, but with the platform at the top instead of the bottom. Anybody know of such a device?

If not, any suggestions as to how to make a rolling case easier to handle?

-- Thanks,
Mary

[KathK]

Hi Mary,

I went back to work at 13 weeks post-op. I was, thankfully, able to work from home for about a month and then started to drive into the office 2-3 days a week. I have a somewhat clunky Dell laptop (it's no Macbook Air). I have always put it in a backpack and carried it in my arms in front of my body. For me, it helps to have the weight centralized and close to my body, as opposed to down by my side in one hand. I think that I picked the backpack because it was lightweight and didn't add a lot of bulk on it's own.

I have a roller bag also, but have not used it since surgery because I don't want to have to lift it in and out of the car (although I'm sure I could at this point).

Good Luck!
Kathy

[mdtaffet]

Hi Mary,

I went back to work at 13 weeks post-op. I was, thankfully, able to work from home for about a month and then started to drive into the office 2-3 days a week. I have a somewhat clunky Dell laptop (it's no Macbook Air). I have always put it in a backpack and carried it in my arms in front of my body. For me, it helps to have the weight centralized and close to my body, as opposed to down by my side in one hand. I think that I picked the backpack because it was lightweight and didn't add a lot of bulk on it's own.

I have a roller bag also, but have not used it since surgery because I don't want to have to lift it in and out of the car (although I'm sure I could at this point).

Good Luck!
Kathy

Fortunately I was already 8 months post-op when I went back full-time, though I had gone back part-time at home after 3 months until my former employer shut the company down in July. I've only been back full-time for the last two weeks, for a different employer this time.

I don't think that a backpack carried in front of me would work, because the building I work in is access-controlled. I have to swipe a card and enter my assigned PIN in order to be able to open the door. I'd need both hands holding the backpack in front of me, so wouldn't have two hands free to swipe the card and enter my PIN if I were to try that solution. What I do now is have my purse over one shoulder, the laptop bag over the other shoulder (holding the very heavy Dell Latitude E6250), the small cooler with my lunch over the same shoulder as my purse, and then the remaining bag (with the items I need to have with me in the bathroom) I carry in my right hand, with my left hand free to hold the cane, which I still need due to excessive hobbling. In both cases of having something over my shoulder, it goes over my head. So the purse which hangs on my left side goes over my right shoulder and the laptop bag which hangs on my right side goes over my left shoulder, otherwise they'd both fall pretty quickly.

I'd prefer to have something like an elevated rolling case so that I could just roll the laptop case, the cooler with my lunch, and the bag with the bathroom supplies, leaving only my purse to go over my shoulder. I just don't want to have to deal with lifting it up off the ground once I get there, or lowering it back to the ground when I'm ready to leave for the day.

I'm guessing that for now the best I will be able to do is just a standard rolling case, which isn't ideal, but will probably be better than holding the heavy laptop bag over my shoulder.

-- Thanks,
Mary

[Susie*Bee]

I use a rolling case (from Staples) to take my things in and out of school... I DO put my things in bags with handles, so I don't have to lift the tote/case while it is full. I keep it in the van and carry my huge Vera Bradley bag/purse, lunch, etc. (not far) out there and put them next to it. Once I arrive at school, I take my case out and set the bags in-- and since the handles are there, I don't really have to bend much. it works out pretty well. After school, I just lift everything out of the case, into the van, and then lift the case up into the van too-- and it's pretty light-weight. Works pretty well for me. I used to think they needed to invent a cart type thing (like one of those home grocery carts) that could move up and down for people who have bending problems. Probably make a fortune.

[debbei]

I've used a regular rolling case for the last 3 years. I started work at 8 month post op. It works fine for me.

when I get to work I lift it up onto my chair to unload it so I don't have to bend over.