2. I Need A Pack Mule To Carry All My Technological Conveniences!

They told us that technology was going to simplify our lives, but in some ways this has turned out to be a big lie. At any one time I have (or want to have) my Pocket PC, WiFi Finder, a handful of papers or magazines I need to read, a portable gaming device, keys, a digital camera, a Leatherman tool, my wallet, a pen, a highlighter, and my cell phone. And that isn't even considering the laptop I find I usually need to drag with me everywhere. The fairer sex can use purses, Europeans can get by with fanny packs (and dark socks with sandals), students have backpacks, and businessmen lug briefcases. But what is there for the gadget-loving common man?

Where do I carry all this?

While I am certainly not a businessman and no longer a student, I can occasionally get away with either the backpack or the briefcase. However, while using these pieces of luggage ensures that my gadgets are with me, it doesn't leave them very accessible. Many times I have missed a perfect photograph, forgotten a universe-altering idea, or lost the perfect intro to my next article while unslinging my backpack and fumbling through its contents trying to find the right gadget.

And this?

A few years ago, a gadget lover in Idaho named Scott Jordan got fed up with the same problem. But rather than simply complain like I do, he chose to do something about it - and the first ScotteVest was born. Initial designs favored function over form, but the latest version (3.0) seems less like a fishing tackle vest and more like the sporty jackets you would find at REI.