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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 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
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.
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Go to ScotteVest and put all of your gadgets in there.
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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.
You, my fellow Slashdottter, are apparently not the type that would carry such a device. To each his own, but trust me -- carrying such utilities is not only useful to yourself but useful to others.
I have a Swiss Army Knife, but it's -really- large. My mother got it for me and I tell you this thing is great. I think thinkgeek.com features it even. It's the uber knife. I usually don't carry it. I do however carry a 3" folding belt knife all the time.
Once you're accustomed to such things you cannot do without. I'll provide some examples.
One day I'm going home for lunch (I live really close to work) and I pull into my apartment complex. I see a stranded couple there with their hood open. I'm a nice guy so I pull over to see if I can help. they've got a transmission problem. That much they know. They don't konw what's wrong though. I look under the car and see a big puddle of oil, I dip my finger in it and sure enough -- it's red. So, they've got an automatic tranny leaking fluid or something. I gander under the hood and spot a rubber hose that's just plain disconnected. That's where their leak's coming from. I'm wearing a knee length wool coat, shirt, tie, slacks, basic business attire. I toss the coat into the snow, tuck my tie into my shirt, and hunker down underneath the car. Inspect hose, determine that it's an easy clamp to refix and:
Yank my handy-dandy Swiss Army knife out of my pocket yank out the flat-blade screw driver and reattach the hose snuggly for them. I'm the friggen hero of the day for understanding basic (very basic) mechanics, having a tool to fix the problem, and I'm willing to get down and dirty to fix it. I snug the hose into place and let them know that they should probably drop a quart or maybe two into their tranny before driving it off. The funny part is the guy asked if I'd drive them to an auto parts store to buy tranny fluid. He didn't notice he was "stranded" 200 yards from an auto parts store. They were happpy and when I finished lunch the car was gone. Mission completed.
Carrying "crap" like this isn't always useful to the person holding onto it. However today when buying a battery for an older car of mien the salesman couldn't yank the silly stick-on security sticker so I yanked out my 3" blade (shirt, slacks, dress shoes again) and pryed it off for them.
You may think the "MacGuyver" mentality is silly, until you're broken down on the side of the road and some tech geek pulls up with a Leatherman on his belt, a set of socket wrenches in his trucnk, and jumper cables to boot.
Consider it a challenge. Most of us here can walk into any IT department and help them out. But, can you pull up to the car of a stranded individual and get them back on the road? If you have the mental capacity to swap hard drives you can fix most road-side problems. Be prepared, help your fellow man out, and carry the "burden" of being prepared for little things. It just might be your own arse.
Yeah, this doesn't help the original poster at all I guess. Except I would say don't give up any -useful- device you carry. Drop the GBA if anything.
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.
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. :)
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No towel?
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.