ScottEVest vs. Biege Vest-full-o-pockets
I got a ScottEvest last week after having kept it on my wish list for at least a couple of years. ScottEvest promises more than a double-digit pocket count–the website calls the various ScottEvest garments “Gear Management Solutions.” This stand in contrast to what was once called the photojournalist’s vest–the khaki vest now carried by any number of outdoor gear outlets that covers every square inch inside and outside the vest with a pocket of some kind.
ScottEvest calls out a number of innovations, with the “Personal Area Network” among the more highly touted. This allows you to put your electronic gadgets in one or more pockets and you can run wires between different gadgets through specially made loops and holes sewin in the lining that let’s you keep your gear connected. Other features include integration with Camelbak water packs, and magnetic closures for the main pockets.
You’d think ever self-respecting geek would already have one of these, but I had been waiting, and patience paid off when SeV had their annual spring sale last week and marked a substantial amount of their stock half off. So my cheapness combined with patience paid off. Here’s what I have found after a week with SeV, including a trip to New York.
First, the downside of waiting for the sale is ending up with a nice, warm black fleece vest/jacket just as we’re starting to hit summer temps here in Southern CA. So it made sense to wear it in the morning, and during a windy boat cruise in New York, but the reality is that the SeV will probably not get a full workout until fall.
Second, while the PAN is good idea on paper, it’s not working out as the huge benefit to me that I thought it would be. The problem as I see it is that the wired gadget world is leapfrogging the PAN solution and going straight to Bluetooth. Not to say that the PAN doesn’t function if you need it to, it’s just likely to be eclipsed by wireless technology.
That said, the pockets are intelligently laid out, and you really get the sense that the SeV people wear these all the time and are constantly refining the design. Each pocket has a little card in it when you buy it to explain what each pocket is for, and it’s actually pretty helpful.
But the main reason I am liking the SeV better than the khaki vest-o-many-pockets, and that is that despite all the storage, the vest does not look like you’re filling the pockets with stray silverware and desk clocks. You can walk around and not be an obvious geek/dork from 50 yards away.
The hazard of overdoing the SeV and similar products with a lot of pockets is you could get to a point where you have 10-12 pockets in the pants, a shirt with 4 or so, and vest with another 29 pockets, and what the heck, you got a shirt from Ex Officio, and now you up to nearly 50-70 pockets in total. All I can say is don’t forget which pocket has your keys. It could take half an hour to find them.
In conclusion, the ScottEvest is solid and well made. The sticker price on the website is higher than what you could pay for similar clothing in others stores., but there’s a lot of thought that clearly goes into the product and I doubt you’ll find a product that completely matches what the
ScottEvest has going for it.
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