I wrote earlier about "Packing for a Research Trip" and mentioned the various gadgets I take with me when traveling. I casually mentioned that I pack clothing that can be worn in layers. Today, I thought I'd add a few more details about that clothing and also supplement that with information about clothing made for technology travel.
Packing properly also provides a solution to price gouging by airlines for extra luggage. By selecting the proper clothing, you can save on or eliminate excessive baggage fees. As strange as it seems, one company makes clothing designed for travel with technology devices, clothing that can pay you back in saved baggage fees. Scott eVest knows you can't leave your gadgets at home, and they've designed "technology enabled clothing" that makes it easy to bring 'em all along. Take a tip from the Boy Scouts and be prepared with plenty of pockets for every gadget. I use ScotteVest clothing often for my trips to conferences, courthouses, and cemeteries.
NOTE: I am not being paid to write this article, and I make no money if you purchase something. I am simply a satisfied customer of Scott eVest. I have several of their items hanging in the closet, and I pack many of them on my trips.
The Scott eVest line of clothing features jackets, windbreakers, vests, pants, and more that contain many pockets. You can fill those pockets with all sorts of gear, be it camera equipment, cell phones, cameras, a few snacks, or whatever you wish to take with you. In fact, many of the Scott eVest jackets, vests, and other clothing even include "Personal Area Network" pockets. These are "tunnels" sewn into the clothing for your MP3 music player earphones. You can place your music player into an inside pocket, run the earphone cord through the "Personal Area Network" tunnels, and the earphones will be held near the collar all the time, within convenient reach. You will be better organized than before, and your earphones will be conveniently available whenever you want them. Other pockets are of the right size and location to conveniently hold cell phones, GPS devices, and even the new Apple iPad.
Best of all, a Scott eVest jacket can even function as an extra carry-on suitcase that is "invisible" to the airlines. First, you fill the pockets with whatever you wish to carry on the plane, be it music player, cell phone, camera, iPad, or lunch. Assuming you are willing to carry the weight, you can add several pounds of items into the oversized pockets. I once even carried an extra pair of shoes in my eVest jacket pockets when those shoes would not fit into my carry-on luggage. When you go through security, simply take the jacket off and place it on the conveyor belt of the x-ray machine. Security will treat it as any other jacket. Once you reach the other side of the x-ray machine, you simply put the jacket on again and walk to the departure gate. You can carry several pounds of gear in the jacket, and the airline will never charge you extra for wearing (or carrying) a jacket. With careful planning, your jacket can carry as much as a typical carry-on bag, and yet it doesn't count as another bag. Most airlines limit passengers to one carry-on bag plus a purse or a similar-sized bag. Your Scott eVest jacket or vest functions as a third bag as it is not counted as luggage. This is one of the best-kept secrets of experienced travelers.
The Scott eVest line of clothing includes these winning items:
My favorite item is the Pack Windbreaker at
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/nylon-windbreaker-packable-jacket.shtml. I use it as the outer layer when dressing in layers. Adding a sweater or hoodie under the windbreaker makes for a very warm combination. The windbreaker packs into its own back pocket, making for a very small package when placed in your carry-on luggage. Yet it has 17 pockets!
An iPod-friendly microfleece hoodie sweatshirt at
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/cotton-hoodie.shtml includes pockets and a "Personal Area Network" for stringing the earphones. When dressing in layers, I wear the hoodie as the insulation layer under the Scott eVest windbreaker.
Ultimate Gadget Cargo Pants at
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/40_ultimatecargopants.shtml - How about cargo pants with zip off legs? Okay -- common enough. But with 18 pockets? However, you cannot easily remove the pants at Security. Well, you could... but I don't think you want to. However, the zip-off legs will serve as two different items of apparel: regular pants plus Bermuda shorts. The cargo pants are made of a lightweight material and are easily packed in the carry-on luggage, adding only a few ounces of weight.
A travel vest at
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/New_Travel_Vest.shtml contains 22 pockets!
A Tec shirt at
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Tec_Shirt.shtml functions as a shirt or as a lightweight jacket. It has 8 pockets.
Scott eVest makes clothing for both men and women.
Scott eVest clothing was originally designed for plain clothes law enforcement officers, and the company still sells to the FBI, Secret Service, and other law enforcement agencies. Plain clothes officers found they could carry their firearms, handcuffs, walkie-talkies, and more in the Scott eVest clothing, all without attracting attention. You can do the same with your camera, cell phone, MP3 music player, and other gadgets.
The next time you see President Obama on television, look at the Secret Service agents that surround him. They may be dressed in business suits or, when traveling, they often are dressed informally. If in informal attire, much of their clothing apparently came from Scott eVest.
The Scott eVest clothing items tend to be rather expensive. However, they are ruggedly built and should last a long time. In addition, within two years of the purchase date, Scott eVest will either repair or replace your clothing item at no cost to you (including shipping), if necessary. I had a zipper go bad on a leather jacket I purchased from Scott eVest; the company replaced it at no charge and paid for the shipping besides. Finally, with the airlines charging $25 or more for checked luggage (each way), a jacket or other item from Scott eVest can soon save the frequent traveler hundreds of dollars in excess baggage fees over time.
The bottom line is that the (expensive) ScotteVest items can save you a lot of money.
For more information about ScotteVest's line of technology clothing for travelers, go to
http://www.scottevest.com
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