If you want to travel occasionally what benefit would this proposed setup have, over a MacBook Pro? Even if you add in a dock/hub to get more ports (e.g. the mini has wired ethernet), it's still less faffing around, likely less cost, and gives you a bigger screen than the iPad, without the issues inherent to using an iPad as a computer screen.

It isn't 2002. Laptops with features comparable to desktops do not require a three point lifting harness and a recurring appointment with a chiropractor.

For reference, I've used a desktop as my primary workstation since late 2018. For the ~decade before that I used a laptop as my primary workstation.