How the pros pack for CES

The 40th annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is set to kick off on Sunday, which means a few things:

1. McCarran International Airport is going to busier than a beehive;
2. This is the only time of year the Las Vegas strip will have more technophiles than dancers;
3. CNET reporters will be scurrying to pack their bags this weekend to jet off to Vegas!

Canon Powershot SD450

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Although the CES floors will be a veritable sea of shiny new gizmos and gadgets, attendees of the "biggest consumer show of the year" will have to take along some of their own gear as well. Besides the usual socks and lipstick, the CNET editors and video crew are packing up their favorite gadgets and putting them to work.

CNET Editor and "Road Warrior" Tom Merritt will be taking his prized copy of Ubuntu, the Linux-based operating system, as well as some portable USB flash drives. "I got this one for like $12 bucks at Target, which is a great deal for 1 gigabyte." Along with Ubuntu and flash drives, Merritt plans to take his new Apple iPod remote to keep his iPod handy and him preoccupied for the few free moments in between shoots and CNET stage duties.

The CNET video team will be strapped with lights, cameras and over 500GB of external-hard-drive action in order to produce videos straight from the show. Vincent Tremblay, a video producer for News.com, says that tech basics are the most useful on the CES floor. "It's good to come prepared for whatever might happen on the show floor, such as batteries running out and unexpected situations with A/V. That's why having plenty of backup batteries and adapters are essential for a show this big and of this caliber," he said.

Associate Editor Jasmine France will be packing an assortment of pocket-size mobile goods for the trade show, including her retractable Iogear Optical Mini Mouse. "It's nice to have a small, compact mouse without a long cord, especially when you're using your laptop all the time," said France. Along with the Mini Mouse, France will be taking her Canon Powershot SD450 to capture the memories at CES 2007. "I know they say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I want to remember it!"

For more from Tom Merrit, the video crew and Jasmine France, watch this CNET News.com video.