Getting Simple & Packing Stuff Around

I am attempting to get the junk out of my life. Junk of all types. One battle is the amount of junk I haul around.

I've fought a six year battle with my Targus backpack. (Targus 17” CityGear Chicago Laptop Backpack model number TCG650) It is the most useful piece of gear I've ever owned. It has crossed the country several times and accompanied me to work and just about everywhere else I've gone for at least six years.

It will carry just about anything you could want and more. One of the best features of this particular pack is that it will sit up on its own so you don't have to lean it on anything to keep it from falling over. The problem with it is that it is big and not the most professional looking thing you could haul around. The other problem with it is that one of the main zippers finally broke. It will not stay zipped.


I've tried numerous messenger bags and most recently a Scottevest travel vest. None have been able to replace the backpack. I take everything out of my pack every few weeks and examine whether I've used it or not. I only have in there what I use regularly.

Here is the lowdown / review on the Scottevest after about two weeks of ownership.

The good:

• A nice looking vest. It does not give you the tourist or old man look of a regular travel vest.
• 22 pockets. It took me a long time to even find all of the 22 pockets.
• Can carry a great deal of stuff and not look all that bulky.
• Pockets made just for phones and other gadgets
• A two year warranty.

The bad:

• I am not so sure about the long term durability. Time well tell.
• When it is unzipped it puts pressure on the back of my neck and it is usually unzipped.
• It will likely be too hot for summer wear (Scottevest does make lighter weight vests for hot weather).
• The personal area network is nice but you have to dedicate a set of headphones to the vest to really use it and the earpieces seemed to need just a little more wire to comfortably reach my ears.

Summary:
The Scottevest is a well thought out piece of gear and I will use it frequently. The more I use it the better I like it. However, most of the things I haul in my backpack are things I need nearby but not necessarily on me at the moment. It can't replace my backpack so now I have a vest AND a messenger bag that I've had for years.

The vest does simplify things when I'm say at the kids games. I don't have to carry the backpack with their water bottles and stuff as they fit in the vest pockets. However, it has not simplified my life overall as I'm still hauling the backpack around at least to the car and back.