Rather than simply working and biking each day, an ultra digital nomad by bike does all the cycling necessary to connect camps during a hard push for 72 hours over the weekend, usually covering over 300 miles in that time (on flat terrain, less when elevation is a factor). The rest of the week a UDNB spends their time recoverying, working, and exploring.
Being a digital nomad fundamentally requires gainful employment that allows working 100% remotely. Thankfully, the number of these jobs has dramatically increased and continues to grow as the millenial work force has insisted on better working conditions. (Unfortunately, this demographic obviously does not include people still going to school who need their Summers to make money to pay for school.
The entire point of DNB living is to really enjoy being out on the road while working guilt-free in a remote career for an amazing employer. Being gainfully employed while also adventuring by bicycle uniquely distinguishes a DNB from most of their adventure cycling peers who are usually indepedently weathly, employed as adventure athletes, or taking valuable time off from work. This means most DNBs shoulds have plenty of cash to spend making life as enjoyable as possible while living a luxurious nomadic life. The numbers in the budget, therefore, are higher than most would expect.
Notice these numbers are no different than most single people employed remotely would already spend anyway. In fact, single DNBs can arrange for an apartment (potentially with roommates) to be available after the season concludes (much like students do when they go home for the Summer to be ready when they return to school). This also does not count any money required to spend on storage while away for the Summer.
The Starlink Mini ensures that any location will have sufficient Internet to work including remote tent sites. This opens up the number of location possibilities to any that include the following mandatory resources:
The expensive lodging budget catches most by surprise for being so high. Isn’t the entire point of living nomadically to camp and rough it? Yes and no. Most of the places with full resources (shelter, power, water, showers) during the Summer months are going to be in areas where even a tent site costs 120 dollars per night (if you can even find one depending on how busy the location is). For example, lodging on the GDMBR/Tour Divide is notoriously high during peak season. Since a DNB’s job fundamentally depends on reliable lodging and adequate rest lodging is never something to be cheap about. During the push, however, free camping is perfectly normal and expected.
Counting on lodging for all but the short nights when pushing also means less hassle when traveling through remote areas with bears and other wildlife. While anything that smells should still be dealt with appropriately in such areas, the very question of where to best camp safely is largely a non-issue since lodging will almost always involve a motel or other accomodation instead of a tent site for the bulk of the week.
Luxurious lodging is also the carrot pushing an UDNB along when it hurts most during the push. Imaging a great shower, possibly even a jacuzzi, and a soft bed that doesn’t have to be made every day turns every push into a miniature event with a huge award awaiting at the finish. There’s no constant worrying about where to get power, will there be adequate work accomodations, and where is the food.
Planning to enjoy great local food is one main reason for living a DNB life. The food budget, therefore, also more than most would spend living in an apartment. Most meals are at local eateries when possible. Not only eating out like this really entertaining but it also prevents the bike from being loaded down unnecessarily allowing the fastest possible pace when pushing. Plus, in bear country there is less to worry about since there is almost no food on the bike to deal with and it is less critical if that food is compromised.
It is also much less logistical stress allowing the focus to remain either on biking as fast as possible or working efficiently. Upon arrival at the next location a single trip to the grocery store to resupply for the coming four days of work is also an option to keep costs more manageable. However, supporting the local economy and sampling all the best of the current local culture is a major reason and motivation to live a DNB life in the first place.
Since often the exact weekday does not matter to a remotely employed DNB, it is perfectly normal to stay in a spot longer than four days, perhaps followed by a longer push rather than the normal 72 hour push.
UDNB gear selection is exactly the same as that of any other competitive ultra-endurance adventure cyclist (think Tour Divide or RAAM) with the addition of a lightest remote office possible and using a phone for navigation and communication over other methods.
A good set of well-secured, water-proof mini-panniers are the likely prefered choice for bags with all the office gear (along with grooming luxuries) combined into the right rear bag to reduce risk of damage as much as possible. Otlieb Gravel or Classic Front-Rollers run on the rear seem to be solid choices so long as the attachment points are tightened down well (to the point of making it annoying to remove them).
Using a phone as the main navigation makes the most sense for a UDNB since the phone can also be used for primary communication with work. Most critical communication applications are cloud-enabled meaning they can be used from any phone just as well (sometimes better) than a laptop. Getting used to receiving and responding to work notifications on the phone is a critical work requirement for any DNB. The SpotX and Garmin inReach can also use a phone as a means of messaging as well. Therefore, using the phone for navigation makes the most sense. Carrying an old phone as backup is also a good idea.
Using a phone mount like the QuadLock that very securely locks in place and provides ongoing charging without requiring a USB connection is best. Having a water-proof sleeve is also essential.
While there are many great navigation apps, RideWithGPS is the most compatible with the goals of a UDNB allowing for the most flexibility when planning routes (including showing mobile phone coverage maps). It also adapts as ride history is added making more accurate predictions about arrival times and such.