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Is This How to Carry Your Gadgets?
mightypie writes "What's the best way of carrying a Visor Prism, mobile phone, cybertool, digital camera, wallet & keys? I just don't like the vest solution Somebody here must have the solution" That is the most disturbing ad I've seen. Someday my phone/camera/pda/mp3 player will be one tiny happy box. As it stands my solution is baggy pants w/ big pockets.
All pockets are comfortable and fairly large. The side cargo pockets can accomodate a few small items like a PDA to large items such as your favorite beverage (each pocket can easily hold 12oz 3 cans). The pockets are sewen in a way that allows you to leave the forward buttons unbuttoned to easily slip items in and out without fear of them slipping out on their own.
I tend to like the stereotypical black BDU, but you can get them in a number of other solid colors which don't stand out as much as the numerous cammo varients. You can get different "weights" - usually summer and winter. I prefer the lighter summer weights as they breath well and are even comfortable in the humid southern US. A cotton and polyester blend avoids fading as much as 100% cotton (which fades and wears fairly quickly). Otherwise, BDU pants are very well constructed and will take a good beating (although you have to take some scissors and de-string all the loose sewing threads).
There are two problems with BDU pants. First, your items don't have much protection. You have to keep that in mind as you sit in a tight chair, lie down, or otherwise squeeze between things.
The second issue is fashion. BDU pants won't be acceptable in more strict environments. However, they do look fine with both T-Shirts and polo shirts.
...Now these are vests!
Yup. Pouches for everything you could ever need and then some. Palm? Check. Phone? Check. Nerf-dart gun? Check. Junk food? Check.
Best of all, you're ready to go in case you have an issue with the accounting department regading your IRS withholding taxes and such! Err, that is, out the door, not to switch with a Glock and scads of clips....
Greetings!
During my last trip to Europe I resolved that I wouldn't take my Compaq notebook (it's a light machine but it requires carrying an extra bag). As an experiment, I tried taking with me only the following:
This was a 2-week trip. During this time, I scheduled things so that I didn't have to look at e-mail every single day. Added a vacation e-mail auto-reply just in case. Any notes that I might've needed for the duration of the trip were downloaded to the Palm as Memo documents (no extraneous formatting).
I carried all these things in the external zippered pockets of my traveling leather jacket:
I had excellent results. During the trip I had the option of connecting with the Palm and sending quick replies, or heading to an Internet café, install a copy of SSH, check my e-mail and optionally review documents on my server(s), etc. Not carrying a lot of stuff, and having a device with only limited capabilities allowed me to be more productive about what I was doing during the trip. I only had my carry-on bag with 2 weeks worth of clothes, so I was in-and-out of every airport I visited (SFO, DeGaulle, Frankfort, Sheremetyevo, Cheboksari, and Toronto [I can't remember its name]) in less than 20 minutes, including customs.
I've been traveling for business for 12 years doing consulting and installing the software we produce worldwide. This trip taught me that it's not the quantity of what you carry but the quality and the planning what count. It was the first trip without my laptop/notebook since 1992.
The hardest part was synchronizing all the materials I produced while I was gone with the rest of the work at the company. It took a lot of cutting and pasting and a couple of revisions.
This experiment was an extension to my habit of not carrying a mobile phone. I own one but I don't even know the number, and I only carry it when I think I may have to call someone that I couldn't reach at any other time. I used to carry my phone at all times and spend lots of time using it. I realized then that my time is very precious and so is my customers's. No phone calls at all times means no interruptions while I'm taking care of business, dining out with my friends, at the movies or theatre, etc. I've never lost a deal because I couldn't take a call right that minute. If I'm expecting something critical, then I stay at my office where the phone and all other resources (including people in my staff) are available to take care of business.
Cheers!
Ehttp://eugeneciurana.com | http://ciurana.eu
My preference for a wearable is the good old shoulder holster design. Not very roomy, but wearables should be small and lightweight. Wireless networking, CF Microdrive, Twiddler keyboard, and finally this amazing thing for display (this guy fits a HMD into normal sunglasses, and it looks 100% cool!!)
There is absolutely no reason to panic.
Damn right. I'm no tailor, however, I am big into costuming (Rocky Horror, the SCA, Cosplay, etc). My "trenchcoat of holding" is legendary - an Adolpho trench modified to carry even very heavy objects with loops, buttons, huge internal pockets, etc. At Anime Festival Orlando, in addition to the usual con equipment - first aid kit, toolkit, Palm, journal, two sandwiches, several Three Musketeers bars etc, I carried a large bottle of Skyy Vodka, a decent sized bottle of Tullimore Dew, Cuervo Gold, and a canister containing the five Thinkgeek shot glasses. Nobody guessed I had anything in the trench as I walked around the con. I walked around with no weight or "sag" problem, thanks to a nice over the shoulder, around the neck webbing system that displaces weight.
I want to add a laptop, but the "flat and wide" dimensions creates a problem with making it hideable under the fabric - and the Picturebook, etc, seem to lack enough usefulness to justify buying one. When HMDs become decent (I have a Glasstron right now), I will probably use it, but attached to a laptop in my trench - I want a usable keyboard, dammit.
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
Well, this female says that the right size purse/shoulder bag is fine. I mean, my teeny wallet/purse will only hold my swiss army knife, palm and tiny cell phone, but it doesn't hold my camera, bottle of excederin, first aid supplies, spare dog cookies, checkbook, book that I'm reading right now, hand lotion, charecter sheet and spell list, waterless hand sanitizer, palm folding heyboard, flashlight, interview tape recorder, small sewing kit, luna bars, bottle of water, pack of tissues or CDs I'm going to listen to at work. So unless I'm just going out for a specific time and goals, I carry my larger purse, big black bag or backpack.
If you've got a bunch of stuff you need to carry, get a satchel, fanny pack, shoulder bag, backpack, sporanz or whatever you can wear without feeling that your masculinity is threatened. Or that vest could be cool when it isn't super hot out and you don't have to wear business wear.
Kahuna Burger
...will work for Chick tracts...
And I'm a large scary man, and when I'm not carrying my Timbuk2 DeeDog I carry my Mountainsmith Tour Pack (which has been discontinued for some very nice looking newer versions). I've never been accused of being effeminate, and I ALWAYS have the gear that I (and everybody in my immediate vicinity) seems to need. I've got tools for everything from solving differential equations to rescuing stranded motorists, and room for a great big novel too.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!