I have been wearing a travel vest for years; an article of clothing that holds my cell phone, wallet, passport, loose change and just about anything else that might set off a metal detector at airport security checkpoints.  I also carried a small personal item, the size airlines allow that will fit under the seat in front of me.  Luggage?  I checked that and paid the fee with no problems during my many years on the planet until two recent trips when two different airlines lost my checked bags.  That was all it took to make traveling with only what I would be allowed to carry on a fervent goal that had to happen right now.

Attacking the topic of luggage and looking for the ability to travel with only what I could carry on planes, trains, ships and busses, a new travel vest was in order.  Researching like my life depended on it, I found travel vest manufacturer SCOTTeVEST, in the business since 2000, developing tech-enabled clothing.  This sounded just like what I needed, a travel vest with tons of pockets, weight distribution that was lacking in vests I already owned and something new: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) security to twart the efforts of people using technology to exploit weaknesses in cell phones, credit cards and passports.

To do that, the people at SCOTTeVEST added RFID Protection to their vests in the form of pockets that block criminals intending to steal credit card numbers and other personal, sensitive information.

Before SCOTTeVEST Travel Vest our best recommendation to address credit card security while traveling abroad was to stay clear of ATM machines where people seemed to be ‘hanging around’, perhaps waiting to retrieve a device they had attached to the ATM to steal your identification

For those that were following along on our river cruise with Abercrombie & Kent, this was the big secret product I could not tell you about.  It was what we call ’embargoed’ information, meaning if we let the cat out of the bag no one would ever trust us with a secret ever again.  Well the cat is out now and let me tell you:  This is a product you need to own.

Even occasional travelers will like the basic uses of this vest, like those mentioned previously; keeping everything in one place and making it easily through airport security.  Better yet, the SCOTTeVEST RFID-blocking vest has features that are customizable to each user.

• The Personal Area Network feature allows storage of a cell phone in a clear pocket.  When the phone rings, a quick look inside the vest and I know who is calling, can see text messages or alerts and decide if I want to actually drag out the phone or not.
• Secret hidden passages allow the power cord from a backup battery to be attached inside the vest.  Earbud/headphone cords too can be kept in place with the CollarConnect system and BudBucket pockets.
• A pocket for sunglasses and/or eyeglasses includes an attached cleaning cloth that will never get lost.
• A digital camera pocket has a place for memory cards and not only a small point and shoot camera. I had my full size Nikon D5000 in there with a hefty lens attached
• The RFID pocket easily holds my wallet, passport and the little cash I have (Just in case some criminal is reading this and plans on bonking me on the head then stealing my stuff- this vest does no good for such things)
• The large Ipad Pocket , I used for travel documents, maps and other paperwork picked up along the way.  I still had space left for a kitty.
• The Back Pocket held my two Macbook Pro Computers that go with me everywhere I travel.  I still took my small personal item to carry those but could have simply put them in my back pocket.

Bonus great parts of this product include two-way zippers that never, ever get clogged; each pocket is labeled for those of us who might forget where we put things.  Seriously, I had so much stuff in this vest that I thought about writing an index to keep track.

Just before leaving on my last trip I misplaced a small battery backup that I like to have along when I travel.  Its not very good, only charges a phone once, but is handy and I like using it.  I could not find it anywhere in the house but kept going back to my SCOTTeVEST travel vest to look for it telling the dog “I just know its in here somewhere!”.  I found it upon return, under some socks I forgot to pack.

Downside of this product: None.  If I wanted to be nit picky I would say that black is probably not the best color choice for summer use but it also does not show dirt either, forcing me to wash my old vest after each trip.

Interesting Information:  They also make a ladies version which, for some reason, is two inches longer.  Why?