SCOTTeVEST Soft Shell Jacket Review

Monday, November 29th, 2010 in: News

This is perhaps less of a review than a field report of the SCOTTeVEST Soft Shell

SCOTTeVEST’s ad was recently rejected by Delta’s SkyMall mag for claiming to help you “beat the system” and “avoid extra baggage fees” (full story and video here). While I can understand the airlines trying to recoup their losses, I also think it’s ridiculous for them to implement hidden fees for services that everyone needs to use. Although we should all strive to travel as lightly as possible, very few people pack light enough to avoid baggage fees, especially when airlines start charging for any check-in bags. Some budget airlines have even begun to charge for essential services like using the bathroom facilities. This amounts to false advertising on ticket prices; it’s already annoying enough that the advertised prices are never all-inclusive. If we don’t call them on their shenanigans, they’ll continue to see how far they can push the envelope. Travel may be a luxury, but it’s one that we should all be allowed to experience. Transport is one of the biggest hassles and expenses of travel, and I applaud SCOTTeVEST for keeping the traveler in mind, even though they can’t advertise it on the pages of SkyMall.

My reason for bringing up this issue is that it’s true; I actually managed to avoid extra baggage charges when I left China to return to Japan  using my Soft Shell. I didn’t realize that only trans-pacific flights got two check-ins included in the fare, and so I was once again left standing next to a check-in counter, shuffling my belongings from my check-in to my carry-on, swearing I would never buy another souvenir. Try as I might, I realized I was still far too overweight to squeeze under the single bag, 20kg check-in limit. Then I remembered the SCOTTeVEST. It was the hottest part of summer so it didn’t occur to me to wear a jacket, but at this point I had no choice. Pulling out the jacket freed up weight and space in my luggage, and I was able to cram almost 10kg of junk into my pockets. Since Jackets aren’t normally considered carry-on, and the confusion of all my luggage voodoo was embarrassing the counter agents, they let me go without weighing my carry-on, which was probably already over the 10kg limit even without the jacket. The Soft Shell paid for itself that day, I realized as I sweatily heaved myself into my plane seat, stowing the jacket in the upper compartment with the rest of my luggage.

If you aren’t familiar with them, SCOTTeVEST is a clothing line that was established in man’s ultimate pursuit… of pockets.

They have jackets, hoodies, shirts, and pants with (almost) more pockets than you can imagine, but the real advantage is they are integrated into the clothing’s stitching, letting them carry a lot of weight without adding much visible bulk. This translates to a jacket that can carry a bottle of wine without anyone noticing. Trust me I’ve tested this on numerous occasions.

When I first decided to go  traveling, I thought it was a great excuse to get a jacket full of pockets. At first, I got one of their Fleece 5.0 convertible jackets, and was very pleased with its performance in the California winter. The fleece was warm and comfortable, and the pockets were indeed plentiful and useful. For the record, SCOTTeVEST doesn’t intend for you to use every pocket in your jacket; they put them all there so you can pick and choose your favorite ones to use. I for one love having all those options, and quickly realized that of the 24 pockets in the Jacket, there were about 8 that I used frequently.

After a trip to Portland, I realized that that fleece was lacking in one department that would come in handy during travel: waterproofing. I called to ask if I could exchange the Fleece for their new Soft Shell, knowing I probably couldn’t (but it never hurts to ask). They said they couldn’t take the fleece back since I wore it, but I could send it in for a repair (I had accidentally pulled out one of the elastic cinches in the waist). I explained my trip and my need for expediency. The service rep gave me a 20% discount for the soft shell, and when it arrived it came with a new Fleece 5.0 to replace the one I sent in. Though I would have loved to get the exchange, I can’t say I was disappointed in the way they handled the situation. Pleasantly surprised, more like it.

The Soft Shell has pretty much the same pockets and layout as the Fleece, except the arms are not detachable. The only addition I would have made is some sort of hood, but for most applications the Jacket performs as advertised. It’s waterproof, windproof, and warmer than the fleece at the expense of being less breathable, leaving me to unzip it on occasion to cool off. The shell was a constant companion from February through April in Japan, and it was especially nice to be able to carry just about everything I needed without an extra bag. I also made good use of it during my first month or so in China. Just as I arrived in Beijing around the beginning of May, the weather started to improve, and I no longer needed a coat except on rainy days, so the shell was relegated to the back of my closet for the duration of the Summer. When it came time to pack up and move on, I realized the big disadvantage of the shell as a travel jacket: it is rather bulky and heavy when you aren’t wearing it, so for half of the year (or more, depending on where you travel), the Jacket is just taking up space in your luggage. I recently found out they have released a light, compressible Tropical Travel Jacket, which is water-resistant. This would probably make a good addition to my kit, if I hadn’t already invested in a multi-layered solution with woefully few pockets.

SCOTTeVEST originally marketed itself for the gadget-enthusiast, with headphone wire-routing and translucent pockets through which you can use a touchscreen (these panels are a little cloudy, making them good for switching music on your ipod but I wouldn’t try to read an email through them). Eventually, their marketing strategy changed its focus to the traveler, and now they’re sponsoring the round-the-world “No Baggage Challenge”

So, although my SCOTTeVEST is no longer a part of my kit, they are still well suited for the traveler, or anyone  out there with pocket lust. I’ll continue to use and endorse their products if and when I ever settle down again somewhere.

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