In this article, I give you my quick review of the ScotteVest products. These are products that help me carry all my stuff around town. I bring a lot of tech with me most of the time I am on a walk.
Well, when I’ve got the camera, and all its companions with me, I rely on luggage, and lots of it. But it’s summertime, man. And no one wants to be weighed down by bags in the summer.
So, I took that thinking to its logical extreme. What if I just got rid of all my bags, altogether? With ScotteVest products you can wear so much storage space on you that even your boxers have pockets.
So, the 20 or so pockets on casual wear I picked are distributed across four garments. All from the Idaho based SCOTTeVEST. These guys are serious about their pockets, from top to bottom.
I wasn’t kidding about those boxer pockets, they’re actually damn handy. Not because I make habit of walking around in my underwear, but because when you travel, it’s a good idea to keep your passport and cash, someplace a little snugger.
That said, no one at the cafeteria wants to see you reaching into your pants to get your wallet out. So, SCOTTeVEST also offers a more discreet solution in the Tech Ball-cap.
A small zippered pouch is cleverly tucked away over the right temple, and it’s deep enough to fit a couple of credit cards. But, just barely. And you kinda look like you have a plate in your head when you’re using it.
The Velcro sealed under-bill pocket has space for a couple of keys. If you’re staying at an Airbnb, or you’ve got something against key-chains. Just do yourself a favor, and stick a patch on there or something. Because going around in public with an unmarked ball-cap, makes you look like an undercover cop, who’s not so good at the undercover, bit.
But, pocket-pocked hats and underpants really aren’t my thing. So it’s fortunate that the other two garments, are more than enough on their own, to carry my entire mobile inventory.
First up, are the Hidden Cargo Shorts. Hidden, because apparently actual cargo shorts have been out of style for the past 15 years or so. I wish someone had told me sooner.
Anyway, these work by taking the openings to the thigh pouches, and moving them up near the waist. The result is four, very deep pockets, stacked two over two.
Just be warned that the deeper ones extend basically all the way down. So if you carry anything heavy down there, expect them to clobber your knees. Just like regular cargo shorts.
Also, the belt loops are pretty narrow, so get your thin belts out. Oh and uh, the back pockets, are held closed by magnets. Which is just the coolest thing.
Finally, there’s the Featherweight Vest. Which with ten major pockets, is probably enough for most gadget pack rats. SCOTTeVEST says this is the lightest vest it’s ever designed, and I believe it. Though I’d say the max temperature it’s actually comfortable, is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
On top of the two standard waist pouches, are two chest pockets, each big enough for a good-sized tablet. On the inside, you’ve got a set of embedded channels for power cables and a capture system for wired earphones. I didn’t use either of those.
Pockets for two pens, a dedicated ID holder, and a foil-lined pocket, that ostensibly prevents crooks, from skimming your credit info with an RFID reader. Be advised that this material has no effect on near field stuff as NFC tags or transit passes.
And, I was unable to test with longer range equipment since I’m neither an RF engineer nor a criminal.
Anyway, on the other side of the vest is the biggest compartment in the whole collection. A dedicated tablet pocket. I tested it with a Google Pixel C and its keyboard dock, and it was fun to be able to just pop out my convertible over lunch, and type a few things, and then put it in my pocket, when I was done.
I do wish they’d put this pocket on the back of the vest though. It’d be easier to carry, and it would allow for larger tablets and convertibles, which currently don’t fit. But then, that might’ve driven the cost up.
And even as it stands, the Featherweight Vest is a pricey item. Too pricey, in my opinion. For that price, I’d like something whose zippers didn’t get caught up on the wrong cover flap so often. And maybe something a little more fashionable. Though, admittedly that’s subjective.
Still, I’ve been eager to try SCOTTeVEST, for a number of years, and I’d be lying if I said I was disappointed by this trial. Wearing this stuff for a week has let me carry almost my entire daily inventory of mobile gadgets. Without the need for a backpack, or my usual murse.
More practical or frugal folks will still opt for a conventional bag. But for the serial flyer, looking to maximize carry-on space, or a guy so loaded with gadgets, he used to call himself Captain Two-Phones, SCOTTeVEST brings an innovative alternative, in a great, many available styles. Just be sure to check out their clearance rack first. And keep in mind it’s not the only show in town when it comes to travel clothing.
I hope to review some of the competition, soon. You know what they say about winter folks. It’s coming. And I’ll try to take some cold weather, carrying clothing for a spin when the snow shows up. Feel free to share this post.