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Avoiding the Bat-Belt Syndrome?
sangfroid asks: "As my personal technology products have increased, I've started to look more and more like a Batman wannabe. I now carry an iPod, a PDA, a Cell Phone, a Leatherman and a GameBoy (for the subway, really -grin-). Cargo Pants are out because of work and I don't particularly want to carry a back-purse everywhere I go. Is there a solution that doesn't require me to give up all my technology? A PDA/Phone might help but the holy grail would be a HD-based PDA/Phone/Music Player. How do you deal with all these devices without looking like a gargoyle? Is the answer better technology or no technology?"
I'm cool
--
FreeNET user? Comfortable with the adverse selection?
Nice Stephenson (Snow Crash) reference!
I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
The answer is to stop trying to impress everyone.
It has been statistically shown that helmets increase the risk of head injury.
I got mine for under ten bucks at a local swap meet. It has slots that fit PCMCIA cards, a big pocket for my Newton MessagePad 2100, pen/pencil/stylus holders and a good spot for flat documents. On vacation it doubles as a camera bag, and of course the cell phone pocket on the strap means never having to figure out which pocket I put it in.
"You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely. E. Tufte
Do you really need all those things? Looks like you're maxing out, man. A cell phone is important if you're in demand, but all the other things can go (perhaps the PDA can stay, too). PDA's are getting thinner, so you can put them in your shirt pocket (assuming it's a new one). An iPod is probably going overboard and a Game Boy just seals the case. Perhaps you can carry one of those tummy packs and throw all that crap in there. I think you have too many things. Care to donate? :D
A blog like any other.
to either get this
or find yourself a girlfriend
Well, when my personal bat belt got to heavy, I got a job that required a laptop bag and a tool box. As a bonus, Carhartts are perfectly acceptable, so lots of extra pockets.
You say that cargo pants are out but Levis makes a docker pants with hidden cargo pockets. There are 2 pockets, 2 back pockets, 2 hidden thigh pockets that zip on the side and a third pocket hidden in the right front regular pocket. They are pretty decent pants. I've been wearing them for months and I still surprise some of my coworkers when they see me pull my pda out of one of the thigh pockets.
In Republican America phones tap you.
I think maybe they should go the other direction, and start actually making utility belts. Plus add a grappling hook to your PDA, shuriken to your cellphone, etc.
Seriously though, we're on the verge of the true multifunction device. You can get camera/MP3 players, camera phones, phone PDAs, camera PDAs, USB drive MP3 players, and so on. Eventually they will squeeze everything into one.
I actually didn't want my hard drive/wireless server/MP3 player/PDA to be my phone...much too bulky to hold up to your ear. People who use Treos look like idiots. However a light detachable wireless earpiece/mic boom would definitely be acceptable, your "tricorder" could stay on your belt or on the table and you don't have to hold a brick up to your ear.
But maybe still go with the grappling hook. How many times have you wished you could just drop a smoke bomb and airlift yourself out of an embarrassing situation? Unless you fell off halfway up or something.
...
Go to ScotteVest and put all of your gadgets in there.
-
... and the cargo pants should pass muster at work. The problem with cargo pants is that the tailoring normally used to conceal your hideousness is sacrificed to carrying cargo.
Why? I look pretty good in yellow, and chicks love gadgets... right? RIGHT?
A Keyocera 7135 Palm Phone will supply you with the PDA + gaming + Phone, and to a small degree MP3 player functions. That pretty much just leaves the Leatherman, which honestly, you don't need with you at all times McGuyver. If you really must have it handy, then consider a swiss knife.
Paul Lenhart writes words!
Dockers makes cargo pants -- Mobile Pants -- built from hidden pockets. They look more or less like standard business khaki's, but have hidden cargo pockets in the outer seam.
If that doesn't work, buckle down and get a man purse. I got mine this past summer, and my notebooks, camera, ipod, palm pilot, headphones, and cell phone have never been easier to carry around. You will look better for it.
To quote Zack De La Rocha, "Fuck it, cut tha cord!"
Someone hates these cans.
Ok.. I have one of these Ipaq's with a removable SD card. I have 2x256 SD's with my MP3's on it.. It can play .wma files, which I use with Movie Maker to compress video down to 30meg files. This lets me watch tv shows that my PVR saved for me. And I have a regular Gameboy emulartor on it.
Plus word, excel, m$ money. notes, contacts, calader, etc... (Wish: Now only if the linux distro came with more practical apps.)
I know how you feel.. I carry my leatherman, phone and a Ipaq everwhere I go.
p.s. My PVR is a sweet little linux box that works flawless.
The Kyocera 7135 gives you a Cell phone + PalmPilot + Mp3 + Color for games
perhaps you could put MAME on it to get all of the classic games.
Then the only thing you are missing is the mega capacity of the iPod.
mine works great.
sure, you can't wear it into an airport, but that's okay. i carry a flashlight, a pager, a palmpilot, a leatherman, a phone, and on a carabiner i carry a usb memory plug, a pill case, and a cross compacting pen. and, i don't have to do anything but slip it on in the mornings.
http://www.eholster.com
stored on computers from birth to the grave
take comfort:r il/
h /index.h tm
http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mith
Then look for ways to consolodate:
PIM Watch: http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/onhand-review.html
MP3 Watch:
http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/conel/mp3watc
Sad to say the PIM is pretty basic and the MP3 watch is far from HD driven. Somebody else mentioned the E-vest so I didn't post it here.
Lots of stuff can be found at http://www.the-gadgeteer.com, they do great reviews.
Dockers sells their Mobile Pant. There are three zippered pockets that supposedly will hide your PDA and accessories.
You can follow a true icon: John Popper of Blues Traveler. All those harmonica pockets can fit more gadgets that I can think of (except maybe filling extra pockets with more harmonicas).
I am, and always will be, an idiot. Karma: Coma (mostly effected by
When I'm installing Cat5 cabling, I carry on my belt:
- 2-way radio (think large Motorola radio police/fire carry)
- Keys
- Holster containing at least:
- AA Mag-lite
- Punchdown tool
- Snips
- Sharpie
- Pen
- Philips & flat screwdrivers
- Electrical tape
That's ten things!
My back pocket may contain:
- Work gloves
- Cordless screwdriver
Plus I always carry a cell phone, wallet, comb and ID badge.
Sixteen things total!
It's not a purse, it's a carry-all!
"...today consumers have been conditioned to think of beer when they see a bullfrog..."
Case Logic makes a very nice rolling computer case. Good for airports too, but I've always got about 20 pounds of crap in there.
Let me take a look:
-------------
Laptop
Power supply
12V inverter
digital camera
recycled AOL tin of useful CD's
lots of paper
passport
checkbook
backup money
Euro plug adapter
extra network PCMCIA card
cell phone
phone charger (USB)
phone charger (120V)
phone headset
USB cable
Badge for work
Icebreakers mints
the OpenGL redbook
tea and no tea
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
That said, you have a few approaches to the stuff that's left:
- Embrace your inner geek. Go with a vest or utility belt and wear all of your crap with pride While you're at it, grow a beard, put on a few pounds, and shower less often.
- Bring a bag. Brief case, backpack, belly pack, courier bag, whatever. Courier bag if you have to use the bus/subway, backpack if you walk, other stuff if you want to look like a corporate drone or a tourist.
- Move somewhere cold. As winter's setting in, I need my backpack less frequently. Heavy coats have lots of pockets.
If you're at work, the first rule is "bring only what you need". You don't need the gameboy or mp3 player when you leave your desk. You probably don't need the cell, either. If you have a job where you can't return to your desk often, pick up a sportcoat: tons of pockets for your stuff, and it drives chicks crazy. Or, at least, employers.Forward, retransmit, or republish anything I say here. Just don't misquote me.
You need something you can't buy.
A LIFE.
I mean, really. Do you really walk around with all that stuff? You are the epidemy of our geek culture and my hat goes off to you while I laugh.
Here's an idea to get rid of the iPod: Take some voice lessons, then leave your favorite songs in your phone as voice mail or voice memos.
> I now carry [...] a Leatherman [...]
You sad, sad, sad person you! Where do you find the space to stash the cape?
DO IT.
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
Pants are out because of work
YOW! What do you do for a living!!!
Dude, it's called a treo.
Just replace them all with an all-purpose slide rule.
Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
...I'm sure you've got some body cavities you're not using at the moment.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
We should all just embrace our geekiness and start wearing the geek equivalent of the comabat assault vest. Plenty of pockets, all within easy reach. :)
Plus it's a good conversation starter - I've had more than one woman walk up and ask me about it. :-)
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
I suggest increasing your pizza and beer intake. This will help you develope a respectable belly, and with it, a larger pant size, which in turn requires a longer belt. That'll give you more room so you can carry more gadgets comfortably.
He who laughs last is stuck in a time dilation bubble.
Building on that idea, how about a shoulder belt? You could get an ammo belt from a military surplus store. Just rig it so you can hang your gadgets on it.
You could get an ammo belt for the front, and attach a quiver on the back.
Last idea. Get a big gun holster and attach it to your belt. You could probably fit two or three devices in that thing.
Dude, get a pelican waterproof case and carve out a place in the foam insert for all of your goodies. Electronic crap looks like james bond shit when it's in one of these. Plus, room for all docking stations, cradles and power supplies and a laptop and dossiers for your targets :)
I think you really need to ask yourself "Do I really need all this stuff?". When I go out all I have is my mobile phone, it has built in calendar/appointments features and syncs the contacts and calendar items with Outlook... who needs a PDA? The iPod I can understand... the gameboy... not really. They have always been quite large units. If you really can't go without playing games then get a phone with Java support or something like that. Nokia phones have quite decent Java support and the games are decent. Sure, they are not as good as the gameboy but surely you can't be that addicted to it ;)
As I said.. you really need to evaluate just how important some of those things are to you and leave some of them at home :)
(\(\
(^.^)
(")")
*This is the cute bunny virus, please copy this into your sig so it can spread
Yup, that's what I carry my gear in -- an old M67 cartridge case. It usually has my Palm, car MP3 player faceplate, portable MP3 player, Zippo lighter, swiss army knife (mechanic style), toothbrush (hey, you never know...), and various other items (several of which vary from day-to-day, frequently including a can of Coke ;) ).
It has the following advantages:
I've carried my ammo case around everywhere for more than 4 years now. People often assume that I'd be getting stopped by security guards or the police often, but in all my time carrying it around, I've only been stopped twice (and once was because the guard wanted to tell me that he tought _he_ was the only one who carried all his stuff in one! :) ). I've never been asked to leave anywhere because I've had it in my possession.
Mind you, I don't take it into airports. And I've never crossed a border with it. And I do live in Canada, which tends to be less paranoid about such things than the US is (which is one reason why I've never taken it across a border...). But in general, everywhere I go, my ammo case of stuff follows.
Yaz.
My personal strategy for avoiding the bat belt syndrome... just go with the Chewbacca-style bandolier. =]
If you can't wear cargo pants because you're worried about your appearance (whether it's for dress code or otherwise), you should really put some thought into putting things on your belt at all. It's true that in many situations a person who dresses shabbily will often find themselves spending 10 minutes to earn a level of respect that someone who takes care of their apperance will be granted automatically.
This is also true for people who wear things on their belts versus people who don't. Maybe cheat on a cellphone, but I'd advise against it. Definitely lose the PDA; that belongs in a briefcase or bag of some sort. Lose the leatherman. Tools belong in desk drawers, car trunks, workshops, bicycle saddlebags. With the exception of pocketknives, the only reason you should need a letherman on your belt is if you are a contractor or a techie for a theatre company. Drop the game boy and get a game boy emulator for your PDA. Keep the iPod in your bag. Clip it to your belt _ONLY_ when you're using it.
here is a nice piece of kit I've been really happy with
Spire U.S.A.
get a game boy emulator for your PDA.
Are PDA CPUs up to 500 MHz yet? I imagine that it would take at least 500 MHz to run Game Boy Advance games at playable speed, given VisualBoyAdvance's performance on my 866 MHz Pentium III PC.
Will I retire or break 10K?
However, i live in Wash dc, the heat and humidity capitol of, well, the country. Adding one more layer i winter in fine, in summer, its suicide. I go with a shoulder bag/man purse. I blame macguiver for my tendency this way.
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
Escept my standard dont leave home without it is a 4 inch opinel knife(may be the worlds best/simplest folding knife, look it up). I noramlly also always have a swiss army knife ANd a leatherman tool. Ive toned it down a bit since the boy scout days. Of course, living in DC i always also always have a dust mask(terrarists) and a glowsick and a flashlight in my bag(metro sucks). I use my folding knife daily, and the swiss army knife and leatherman tool at least weekley.
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
I usually carry a shoulder bag which has room enough for my gadgets (iPod, Palm, Sony Ericsson phone) and lots more. I don't feel the need to have the 'gadgets' on my person all the time.
JP
Example 1: An old biddy got her shawl stuck in an escalator at the local shopping centre. My wife kept her upright while I hacked the end of the shawl off. Hope they get their asses sued for the faulty emergency stop button...
Example 2: My dad was first on the scene to a motorbike smash. Some nurses were also riding by and the three of them managed to keep the rider alive until hospital by cutting his leathers off him so that my dad could hold together the poor bastards main abdominal (iliac is it?) artery.
Example 3: I got bitten pretty badly while feeding the goannas at Taronga Zoo (it was my job) and had to slice up my shirt so I could get to first aid without too much blood loss. Should have seen the looks I got from the tourists - half naked, dripping blood everywhere, and cursing myself for not paying attention.
Example 4: A flatmates car caught fire in the middle of a main road. She ran across to the adjacent hospital and tried to grab a visible fire extinguisher. Unfortunately it had been cable tied (?!?) to the wall, fortunately she had a pocket knife in the car.
I could go on all day...
The only other tools I have ever saved a life with are my mobile phone and car. So how useful is your iPod again? PDA?
And fuck all your McGyver comments. I don't: whittle skeleton keys out of paddlepop sticks; build nuclear reactors from bleach, alfoil, and chewing gum; or make any crappy american TV.
Q.
PS. No I've never been a fscking scout or cub. I believe my dad went to one cub's meeting, but he burst out laughing at the whole "Dib dib dib. I will honour my Queen. Dob dob dob." bullshit and was asked never to return. :)
Insert Signature Here
I hate those roller toting motherfuckers. Especially in airports that have alot of tile. CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK! It's even worse in high schools. Two or three losers always had one of those, and instead of taking up their alloted one person worth of floor space, they took up about 6. People eventually got fed up with them and started walking/stepping on their rolly things, as there's no way to walk around them, you're "stuck" behind them forever! Grow a back bone and use a goddamned backpack like everybody else! AAArrrgh!
moox. for a new generation.
You look a lot less stupid for wearing a bat-belt if you have the whole batman costume to go with it.
Err...
Perhaps not.
Sounds like a Sony Erricson P800 to me...check them out there all in one solution. Being a fellow iPod user i know it will be hard to give up the wads of space to move back to memory card. As for your GB, keep it!
"What do you mean you have no ice? Do you expect me to drink this coffee hot?" - Random Customer, Clerks
Dump the Gameboy and iPod and trick out your PDA. Try the CE/gg emulator that emulates gamegear / Master system games. Baku Baku animal, Doctor Robotnik's Mean Bean machine and Sonic Chaos are wicked. I've got a Dell Axim and with a Gig microdrive then I've also got the MP3 side of things covered. If battery life is an issue then go for the SD /MMC option. 128M SD card will let you store ~3.5 CD's (or 3 CD's and some random tracks)
The Romans didn't find algebra very challenging, because X was always 10
and you're good for anything. i've bought every multitool on the market and the only one i'm guaranteed to have with me *all the time* is one small enough to go on a keyring. if this puppy had a 5mm torx driver for compaq kit it'd be all i needed.
if it's too big for you to always have it on you, you won't always carry it.
Almost. (400 MHz for the new Palm T3)
-- Pete.
Monochrome - Probably the UK's largest internet BBS
Dockers Mobile Pant
Assuming the obvious, that you carry what you do because you like the stuff and you don't want to ditch it, then you need something that can go from "casual dress" to "casual play".
I carry about the same load in a "photographers" or "safari" style vest. If you wear Dockers or similar style dress khakis and get one in Khaki or Black it even looks stylishly nice with a tie.
Scott has a high end "evest" with zip-off arms that is rather pricy. I like one by Trail Designs that is much less expensive, especially if you get it from someplace like CAMPMOR.COM.
And yes, it even has inside pockets sized for pens, pencils, and a leatherman.
The nice thing about the vest is if you use inside pockets for your wallet, etc. you don't need to worry about pickpockets, just button up the front and velcro the pocket.
It doesn't matter what you wrap your emotions around, Reality is a brick wall specifically designed to scramble eggs
Oops. You overconstrained the problem to where my solution won't work!
I was going to suggest surgical alteration, to have the devices implanted, but those unsightly rectangular lumps under the skin sure do make people stare.
The cell-phone shaped ears are a particular problem because they attract attention visually and when they ring and, again, when I hit the answer button inside of my head.
Don't even get me started about changing batteries in public.
"Provided by the management for your protection."
I used to love Dockers... before I finally got around to dropping some pounds (and before I hit my final growth-spurt)
I now wear a 32w/36l, and am dying for some decent, relatively inexpensive pants =(
Finding pants with the length greater than the waist is hard enough, but Dockers don't even come in above a 34 length (unless you manage to find their big-n-tall line, which starts at a 40-something waist.
I could definitely use a pair of the mobile pants, and one of my former favorites was a pair of Dockers stain defenders - great for the more clumsy individuals (or those who, like me, eat haphazardly at their desk).
Not to turn this into a clothing discussion, but do any other lanky geeks out there have pant-finding tips? (dress-casual for work)
First, try to figure out what you absolutely need to have in your pockets/belt (try maybe pocketing/belting the cell phone and the pda). The rest can be put in a handy case -- made specifically for hauling your shit to and from work. These cases, typically designed to handle briefs (not your underwear), can handle these devices with ease (hence the name briefcase). They're usually priced at $25 and up. Click here to get started (no affiliation...just a google search).
Good luck!
-Turkey
Unless you absolutely need the pliers, consider switching your full-sized Leatherman out for a Leatherman Micra, which will fit on a keychain without leaving a noticable bulge in your pants :-).
"Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?"
OK I know there have been a thousand and one solutions. Here is mine. I have a zaurus, cell phone and slingbag. I have a small letherman in order to satisfy my cutting needs. The zaurus could be the all in one solution. you can buy a phone, and play games on the zaurus with no trouble at all. It is small enough to carry around in a small pouch.
7680 MB Disk,192 GB Transfer,
-Not to turn this into a clothing discussion, but do any other lanky geeks out there have pant-finding tips?
When you do find something that fits, that looks good : buy every damn pair they have. No joke - the extra $150 you spend on 4 or 5 more pair is a mere pittance when you can hang them in your closet and not have to worry about finding them again in the future. Keep at least one pair new with the tags still on so you don't wear them - so you always have at least one pair of pants that are new, pressed, creased and clean for emergencies.
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
I would highly suggest some type of vest. The scottevest looks cool but it's expensive. About a year ago I got a black ck, lightweight nylon vest on ebay. It's got 4 pockets to shove crap in, and it's easy to throw on and off.
The comment about swapping out the leatherman for a micra was spot on. I carry my micra everywhere and have since retired my larger swiss army knive to the glove box of my car. Personally the only electronic thing I carry *everywhere* is my pager. Usually my phone too, but when I go out to bars I leave the phone and just grab the pager making sure to not clip it on my belt like a retard but sticking it in my pocket or something so it's at least partially concealed.
I've been carrying a purse for the last couple of years. It's gray canvas, about the size of Programming Perl, and used to be my wife's. It holds my wallet, PDA, camera, keys, pen, plus whatever other small crap that I need that I used to shove in my pockets, thus having to empty/reload every day. I love it.
I think in the whole time I've had maybe two people make some sort of comment about "a guy with a purse." I just say "yep" and that pretty much is it.
My point? (Do I have to have one?) Don't sweat the the word "purse". Just go to the department store or whatever, browse the nearly infinite supply of purses, and pick one that will suit. You'll like it.
Man-purse, whatever. I carry my Leatherman (micra) on my keychain. My cell phone goes on my belt, not because I like the way it looks there, but so I can keep it on 'vibrate' to avoid bothering my coworkers (hey, being nice pays off sometimes ;). Everything else goes in my laptop bag.
Read my keyboard review.
Try interacting with people, usually they're much more fun than the things on your belt.
..........FULL STOP.
He's asking how to avoid the problem, not what's the best 'utility belt'... and I think there ARE several good multifunction devices out these days, including the Treo 600. For me, it's not just a matter of how much stuff you're carrying, but how many different chargers/sync cables/carrying cases etc you have to deal with, plus keeping up with software or firmware updates, warranty expiration, etc - forget it. Technology is a convenience only up to a point.
(re: carrying an iPod, here's a heads-up: nobody really needs more than about 12 hour's worth of MP3 capacity for a daily commute...)
Perfectly Normal Industries
No, people are *not* always more fun than the toys on your belt. Sturgeon's Law applies to people, you know. And sometimes you want to be left the fuck alone, especially after working with people all day.
So, if the singular of "radii" is "radius", then the singular of "virii" should be "virius".
in a few months, when i get some 'real' money and/or job, i'm gonna procure a T-mobie sidekick (scuttlebutt has is that they are negotiating to use AT&T's network), my current phone, a AT&T Nokia 81x is bulky to say the least, the SK is about the same size, has a handsfre earpiece 9a must), plus internet connectivity and base PDA functions to boot.
:(
I got a 1st hand look at a iPod the other day, definatly want one, smaller than i expected. those two items can easily be load-balanced in two pockets.
Definatly keep a SAK or leatherman on you, never know when you'll need one, though if you're in school, don't even think about a simple screwdriver
My bat-belt at the moment consists of a Nokia phone and a 128MB USB flash stick on my keyring (said memstick contains putty, trillian, openOffice, winamp, winzip, teamspeak, etc. (geek survival tools)
Logistical Chaos Officer http://www.slagg.org - LAN Gaming in Sarasota FL,USA
The point of having a large-capacity MP3 player (such as the iPod) is so that you don't have to do that: you just take your entire music collection with you and you can listen to whatever you feel like on a given morning without having to decide beforehand.
If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
Why look further http://www.scottevest.com/
Scott Jordan, CEO www.scottevest.com
I have problems finding pants in 34w-38l (and 32-36 was difficult too). I finally found an Eddie Bauer outlet store in my area, and I can actually find nice things there at really good prices. About 2x a year, they have all pants 75% off, which is $12-$15 and I shop for stuff then. In short, try an outlet store. There you can get the pants that are odd sizes.
Like pi? Try 10,000 digits.
I tripped over one of those the other day and nearly fell down the stairs, i cursed out the kid after (making it look like an accident since id already tripped) kicking it down the flight. The damn underclassmen who dont realize they dont need to carry every book with them at all times have these and are too small/fat/lazy to carry it themselves. I manage with a small shoulder bag with a few notebooks and my pens/pencils/calc/etc in it and if i need a textbook i get it from my locker before class, carry it myself, and put it back after the period.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
I carry a (UK) military surplus black canvas satchel. The first one lasted me from 1987 through 1996, the second one has lasted me from 1996 to the present day. Considering they only cost a fiver, that's pretty good. I stitched an Aphex Twin patch onto mine.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
A PDA/Phone might help but the holy grail would be a HD-based PDA/Phone/Music Player.
Try the Nokia N-Gage
Also, here's the obligatory eHolster link (although that really looks like a BatBelt -- nevermind).
Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
Some things I've come across:
- Timbuk2: Supposedly top quality custom made bike messenger bags that come in four sizes (S,M,L,XL). They have a newer Shortcut bag that looks particularly interesting. Certainly not cheap.
- Manhattan Portage: These seem a little too hip and trendy for me, but they are certainly popular with the NYC crowd... especially the Model 1414 and various DJ bags. Not horribly priced, but not cheap.
- Maxpedition: I don't know much about this place. There are some people that recommend their Thermite Versipacks.
- e-Holster: Heh. No.
- SCOTTeVEST: Some people actually say these are cool. But it doesn't meet my design criteria of not wanting to wear a vest/jacket/etc all the time. What about summer?!
- Kelty supposedly has some smaller bags that people have used as well.
I haven't bought one yet for myself but I do plan to purchase a bag soon. Having a small bag to grab and go... with cell phone, PDA, small digital camera, GPS, pocket knife, etc. would be perfect.BTW, if anyone else has a bag that they are currently using, please share some info!
-- null
I don't understand this reaction. So many people complain that other people are buying things out of "consumerism"; that they don't need the things, but they buy them to show off or something.
I don't get it. I want a PDA because I want to know what time my doctors appointment is, and what floor her office is located on because I can't remember. I want it so that I can find the phone number of someone without carrying around a static phone book. I want it so I can listen to music on the train because I get sick trying to read on the train. I don't want a PDA to look cool or to seem rich or important.
A few years ago, people kept saying that other people bought cell phones just so they could walk around with a cell phone to their ear to look important. WTF? People bought cell phones because it's often very convenient to be able to call someone when you're away from home.
If I had a lot of money, I'd buy an expensive car. Not so I could show people how much money I have, but because leather seats feel nice, powerful engines are fun, cruise control is convenient and navigation systems save me time.
My guess is that certain people want to look down on other people, and one easy way is to criticize them for owning an item that they don't themselves have a use for (or don't know yet that they have a use for).
You think that's hard? What about the poor /.ers who have to search for 52-20s?
Personally, a bat-belt makes my pants fall down. A European Man Bag is too easy to loose track of and gets in the way of my laptop case. I prefer the Doc Savage solution, a multi-pocket vest. I'm on my second Scott eVest and other than them touting that the POTUS and SS use them on a regular basis I recommend them highly.
Yes you look like a geek with the vest but face it, if you have to carry all that crap around with you YOU ARE A GEEK. Only sales droids and PHB's can get away without carrying three items of tech at any given moment.
It almost makes me wish for days of the mandatory suit and tie.
Where would we be if Wheel had hid her round rock in a cave instead of showing everyone how it rolls?
It's not consumerism, it's convenience.
I have a cell phone, a Palm Vx, knife, screwdrivers.. I need them all. I have a memory like a rusted bear trap (very hard to make anything go click), I have to be in communication with people at all hours of the day (on call ISP tech) and I spend most of my time taking things apart.
If not for the PDA, I'd have to carry a phone book, maps, notebook, and laptop. If not for the phone, I'd have a pager and a pocket full of quarters. If not for the tools, I'd be running back and forth to the toolbox. Don't start on the knife, I'd have that anyway.
At the moment, I have three electronic devices, two full size screwdrivers, the biggest Gerber single blade they make in 60/40 serrate. a 7/16 box wrench, a tape measure, change, a Zippo, and a pack of Lucky Strike in my pockets..
I look like a fool, but I can survive the day..
It honestly has gotten better as newer stuff (the trendy combo devices) hit the market. I used to have a flap in my jacket so I could stuff my 486 Thinkpad in there, plus PCMCIA cards so I could dial up over the cell. PDA fills the role now. Used to carry a pager and small brick sized phone.. Now the phone doubles as the pager, and it's hella small. Smaller than the pager.
.sig: Now legally binding!
Army Surplus. Go buy some US military pants. Can get em in any size a human comes in, from 90lb-and-6-foot-5 stick to I-replace-the-springs-in-my-Crown-Vic-yearly, and so long as you don't tie the cuff pulls, they look enough like the trendy cargo pants no one will ever notice. They come in black, grey, khaki, artic blue, and artic white..
Side note: Look at the label and price before you buy. If they're not $30ish a pair and made in China (Or are made in China, period) don't buy em. They're cheap knockoffs. The major company that sells to the DoD and to the surplus market puts a nice loud label stating "MADE IN USA" in em, and they last like 10 times longer than the knockoffs.
.sig: Now legally binding!
For any serious excursion, I have a great bag from Timbuk2. It's a jumbo messenger bag with an insert for my TiBook, and it rocks. Unfortunately, the exact model isn't around anymore because they stopped offering waxed canvas as a fabric. They make similar bags from heavy-duty nylon, though, which are almost as good.
Then for littler trips (just need gadgets, no laptop needed), I have a waist-strappable camera bag. It holds my Palm, cellphone, Leatherman, and when I was working (until recently), my Blackberry. I can also toss my Zaurus with all the network trimmings in it and have a useful Linux box wherever I go.
Finally, I have a small nylon bag that has a fixed strap on it. It's almost a man-purse, but simpler - it only has a light flap that velcros down. I think it was originally a tool holder for something, but I bought a couple of them for $2 at an MIT flea a few years ago. They're just big enough for a PDA and cell phone. Not very elegant, but effective.
I also use the "scattered pockets" method of distribution when I want to avoid the bat-belt. I just stick with the keychain Leatherman, put the cell in a pants pocket and the Palm in my jacket. It's OK. I have several pairs of Bill's Khakis, they're almost indestructable and made from WWII-style patterns. Which means they have real deep pockets and can haul all kinds of stuff without worrying about them falling out.
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
http://www.eholster.com/
I used to wear a pocket protector for all my stuff (I know, I know, geek to the max!) with an assortment of screw-drivers and one of those all-in-one tools (pliers, knife, screw-drivers, etc. that folded up nice and compact).
One night a woman I worked with couldn't get her car started. As I was leaving, I noticed her there in the parking lot and managed to get her car started for her (frozen choke plate, flooded).
Later that week she asked to borrow a pen. I didn't have one! I had enough in there to fix a car but no writing instrument! We all had a good laugh over that one.
I now carry a man-purse (highly recommended) stuffed with checkbook, DL, cell-phone/PDA (auxiliary memory) and mini-toolkit.
Just shove a towel in there.
Or some of that rubber stuff with adhesive backing you find in hardware stores..
Or make some 'compartments' out of foam... that's also sold at hardware stores..
Use your imagination
---- Booth was a patriot ----
How do you get to the top racks of servers, then?
I have always used the trusty old backback. A few months back i bought a great backpack from REI that has a special compartment for my laptop, and it can hold my wireless keyboard and mouse (laptop keyboard is worn out), my PDA, cellphone, GPS, MP3 player (and headphones of course) and any programming books i an currently using, all the cables needs for all my gadgets, as well as anything else i may need at the time. Sure once its all loaded up it may weight 30 pounds, but at least its not all hanging from my hips trying to pull my pants down. It also makes for a good workout for those of us who sit on our butts most of the day. :)
check out www.rantradio.com Sean Kennedy has a solution that I use. Stop buy your local army surplus and check out their gear. I believe you want that.. I can fix your computer professional look and also have I'm a fucking stormtrooper thing going at the same time. A very professional look can be aquired using military surplus items. Check it out I mean hey it beat a fagish fanny pack.
I recommend a full length leather trenchcoat. Mine has two very deep outside pockets, and four inside pockets. Ample room for my phone, PDA, wallet, headphones, knife, lighter, torch and anything else I pick up. It beats the belt clips I used to have. Now I just have to take my coat off and I am free of all gadgets.
On top of all that, it looks cool. It's just a shame the Matrix stole my look...
A latent existence
Here's one of the Techno-Bill strips. A classic.
"There are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare." - Blair Houghton
I use SonyEricsson T68i with POP3 email and GPRS internet connection for a notebook computer when necessary. Its enough to take a small bag carry full load of ammo.
Instead of a Manpurse, there is the classic, flap-thrown-over, 'bookbag' that functions as a manpurse. It's got a lot of advantages.
You can consolidate your stuff in there, it's fulla pockets which makes it modular. It's smaller than a messenger bag (smaller than a real one, at least), and many designs can expand or contract with the opening or closing of a zipper.
Better still, the classic bookbag affirms your humanity by not saying that you are hidebound by corporate style.
To mail me, remove the 'mailno' from my email addy.
"Yeah. It smells, too..."
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