My Go-Anywhere Dev Setup: Tern, Starlink Mini, and RDP Over Tailscale
I work across multiple locations. Scotland, England, client sites, my campervan, and sometimes Europe. That means I need a setup that travels without compromise. A proper second screen, a decent keyboard, and access to my full development environment wherever I land.
This post covers what I’m using and how it fits together.
One thing worth saying upfront: I use this setup on certain projects, not all of them. It is not my daily rig for everything. But when I do need to work remotely and properly, this is what I reach for.
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The Problem With Most Portable Setups
Most people who work on the road either tolerate a single laptop screen or drag something bulky that makes the whole exercise feel like a punishment.
Neither option works when you’re doing serious development work. Splitting your attention between windows on one screen costs more time than it sounds. Over a long day it adds up.
I wanted two screens, a mechanical keyboard, and my home server available to me regardless of where I was working. The setup I landed on achieves all three without adding meaningful weight to a carry-on bag.
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The Hardware
First up, the hardware. I wanted a light but durable bag and a bag I can just grab and go with all my hardware.
Fjällräven Backpack, ~£100
The whole setup lives in a grey Fjällräven backpack. Around £100, and worth it. The build quality is great. It’s the kind of bag that will outlast most of the tech inside it.
Everything fits without cramming, and it doesn’t draw attention in a coffee shop or airport the way a dedicated tech bag tends to.
It is a small thing, but the bag matters. If carrying the setup is a hassle, you leave it behind. This one never feels like a hassle.
I estimate the total weight of the setup is approx. 4kg. Without the Starlink mini, the weight is approx. 3kg.
Surface Pro 5 (Reconditioned), ~£150–£300
The foundation of the portable setup. I picked up a reconditioned unit rather than buying new. It handles everything I need at the edge. Running the RDP client, browser, and supporting tools, while the heavy lifting happens back at the server. Reconditioned made sense given the role it plays.
Tern Setups 16″ Monitor (1200p), ~£179
The second screen. The Tern is a 16-inch IPS panel in an aluminium frame with a magnetic tripod stand. It packs into its sleeve and goes in the Fjällräven alongside everything else without any drama.
The stand gets the monitor to eye level quickly and lets you switch between landscape and portrait without tools. It is stable once positioned, though I noticed a slight tilt if you plug something heavier into the built-in USB-A port. There is a sweet spot, once you find it, it stays put.
The 1200p resolution is more than adequate for .NET development, terminal work, and browser use.
The port selection is better than most portable monitors. USB-A, USB-C, and full-size HDMI are all on board. My Surface is old so use a USB dongle with HDMI port converter and connect using HDMI.
Logitech M240 Silent Mouse, ~£20
Nothing complicated here. The M240 is a Bluetooth mouse with no dongle required. The silent click is a genuine plus in co-working spaces and coffee shops where you don’t want to be that person. One less thing occupying a port and one less thing to lose.
Keychron K3 Slim Keyboard, ~£105
A low-profile mechanical that pairs well with the compact nature of the setup. The slim profile means it sits naturally next to the Surface without taking over the desk. Typing feel is a clear step up from the Surface keyboard for long sessions, and it is light enough that it barely registers in the bag.
Jackery Explorer 1000 (occasional)
When I am working from the camper rather than a hotel or co-working space, I bring a Jackery Explorer 1000 portable power station. It handles the Surface, the Tern, and anything else that needs charging without needing a mains connection. For camper trips it is the difference between a proper working setup and improvising.
I wrote a full review of the Jackery Explorer 1000 separately if you want more detail on that piece of kit.
Starlink Mini, ~£399 hardware + ~£50/month (Roam plan)
The connectivity fallback. The Starlink Mini is a compact satellite dish, roughly A4-sized and designed to travel. If the local hotel or co-working Wi-Fi is poor, I point the Mini at the sky and connect directly to the Starlink satellite network instead, bypassing ground infrastructure entirely.
It is the one piece of the setup that removes the last remaining variable. Everything else can be sorted on arrival. A bad connection cannot.
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The Software Layer: Tailscale and RDP
The hardware is only half the picture.
I RDP into my home server over Tailscale. This means I’m always working in the same environment: same tools, same codebase, same terminal history, regardless of which country I’m in or which network I’m on.
Tailscale handles the networking without any configuration overhead. Once set up, it is invisible. I open the RDP client on the Surface, connect to the server, and I’m on my main development machine. The Tern sits alongside as a second display running locally on the Surface for reference material, documentation, or anything that doesn’t need to be on the server.
The practical effect is that the portable workstation has no meaningful ceiling. Everything computationally heavy stays on the server at home. The Surface and Tern are just the interface.
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How It Travels
The full setup fits in the Fjällräven with room to spare.
- Surface Pro 5
- Tern monitor in its sleeve
- Keychron K3
- Logitech M240 Silent Mouse
- Tern cables (USB-C and HDMI included in the box)
- Starlink Mini
- Chargers
I have used this in the UK, hot desks, airports, Airbnbs in Málaga, and in hotel rooms. It doesn’t feel like a compromise. Setup time from bag to working is under five minutes.
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What I Would Change
The Tern’s built-in speaker is average. It is there, but you will use your laptop audio or headphones instead. Not really a criticism: most portable monitors have no speaker at all, but worth knowing.
The stand balance point takes a little trial and error when you first use it. Once you know where it is, it is not an issue.
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Total Cost
A breakdown of the cost can be seen here.
| Item | Cost |
| Fjällräven Backpack | ~£100 |
| Surface Pro 5 (Reconditioned) | ~£150–£300 |
| Tern Setups 16″ Monitor (1200p) | ~£179 |
| Keychron K3 Slim Keyboard | ~£105 |
| Logitech M240 Silent Mouse | ~£20 |
| Starlink Mini | ~£399 hardware |
| Total (hardware) | ~£950–£1,100 |
The Starlink Roam plan adds ~£50/month on top, but that is only activated when local connectivity is poor, it is not a permanent overhead.
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Summary
If you work across locations and want a real development environment rather than a laptop screen and a compromise, this combination covers the requirements without adding bulk.
The Fjällräven carries it all. The Tern provides the second screen. The Keychron provides a keyboard worth typing on. Tailscale and RDP remove the ceiling on what the portable machine can do. The Starlink Mini makes sure the connection is never the weak point.
It is a setup I would put together again without hesitation.
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