I’ve got a couple of trips coming up later this Spring to Europe, and in the process of doing research I stumbled upon SCOTTeVEST travel vests. The idea here is to better protect your essential valuables, credit cards, and ID documents from pick pockets/theft when traveling. But for photographers, I think there’s an even stronger use case here.

The concept is fairly straight forward. The SCOTTeVEST has several interior pockets for storing valuables. Zip up the vest, and the items in the interior pockets are well protected against pick pockets. What’s truly unique about the SCOTTeVEST is the sheer number of pockets, and the design which optimizes maximum storage without looking or feeling like you’re carrying a ton of gear. Promotional material advertises 26 different pockets on the SCOTTeVEST variant I purchased – understand that there are some pockets-within-pockets that the manufacturer “counts” as a separate pocket. Regardless, you won’t be lacking for pockets. One of the pockets is also advertised as being an “anti-theft RFID pocket for protecting your credit cards and ID.” As it turns out, this feature isn’t as necessary as the manufacturer might have you believe. Truth be told, the RFID threat has always been somewhat exaggerated. Particularly if you’re using credit cards and passports issued since ~2018 that use EMV chips (the kind you dip into card readers) rather than RFID, which was more common in older “tap” cards and e-passports. To steal your info via RFID, a thief would need to be VERY close to you (within a few inches) and have a very specialized RFID reader, and then somehow turn that limited data into a working card or account access, which is increasingly hard because of chip-and-PIN security, two-factor authentication, tokenization, etc.

I’ve never tried to count ALL the pockets in the vest – the manufacturer’s claim of 26 is…optimistic.  To me what count the most is the number of interior pockets in the inside of the vest. Those of the pockets that would be the most difficult for a pickpocket to access without being noticed by the vest wearer.   I count 10 interior pockets, including the pen pockets on either side, which is more than plenty.  Any zippers on the outside of the vest are much higher risk of theft.  There are two pockets on either side of the chest area as seen in the above photo which are accessible via “hidden” vertical zippers so they’d be tough to access.  But I wouldn’t keep anything super valuable in these pockets like your passport, wallet, or phone.

In the above photo you can see the pockets on the right hand side of the vest.  You can also see printed in white on the black border area icons of suggested (by design) items for each pocket.  For example, you’ll see a glasses icon on the center, vertical pocket.  Inside the pocket there’s a microfiber cloth attached to a cable so you won’t lose it:

This is a really cool feature – as a glasses wearer, I usually have to bring an extra cleaning cloth wherever I go.  I will say that for two hundred bucks they could have used a higher grade of microfiber cloth.  This one is super thin and super cheap, but will get the job done in a pinch.  Here’s a photo of the pockets on the left hand side of the vest:

Note the little square pocket at the bottom of the vest – perfectly designed for an Airpod Pro 2 case.  The middle pocket is super deep – it’s intended to fit a tablet.  How many times have I packed a carry on bag for a flight because I wanted something to carry and store my iPad?  The pocket is deep enough that you could easily keep a can of soda or a regular sized bottle of water in the exterior side pockets, but this deep interior pocket could carry a good sized water bottle…or even my Ulanzi Travel Tripod:

It felt a little weird or “off kilter” with the tripod in this pocket…but it’s for sure doable.  If I were going out a night in Paris or London and wanted to bring my $300 tripod, I’d most certainly carry it in my vest vs. the side pocket of my Ulanzi camera backpack.

I’ve been testing the SCOTTeVEST on some photo shoots I’ve done locally – trying to get used to using the vest before I go on my trip to Europe. Based on my experience, the vest will come in particularly handy at some of the indoor locations I’ll be going into while in Europe where you can’t bring in a backpack. The BMW Museum in Munich is a good example. The last time I was there a few years ago (OK…many years ago…) I had to lock up my backpack in a locker at the entrance before going in – large bags were not allowed. That meant I could only bring my (at the time) Canon 5D Mark III and whatever lens I chose on the camera. With the SCOTTeVEST, I’ll be able to have my Fujifil X100VI around my neck, my Canon G7 X in an interior vest pocket on one side, and my DJI Osmo Pocket III in the other side interior pocket…with plenty of room for accessories and memory cards, and maybe even a travel tripod. Even when you have the vest loaded up with several heavier items (the side pockets are deep enough for a good-sized water bottle) the way the pockets are designed and the weight is distributed, the vest never looks “off kilter” or makes you feel weighted down. SCOTTeVEST claims to have a specially designed and trade marked weight management system. It’s like magic – very impressive.

SCOTTeVESTS are made in a variety of colors and configurations. The vests are made of 100% polyester so they won’t easily wrinkle and are machine washable. It’s also pretty clear these vests are made in China, though the build quality seems to be exceptional with YKK zippers used throughout. I assumed I’d look pretty geeky walking around with a vest like this on (at 55 years old, I’ve stopped caring about such things) but it actually looks quite stylish.  I’m a sucker for red and love the red elements in the vest.  My trip is scheduled the last week of April, so I’m not anticipating either extreme heat or cold in Europe at that time, but I could see some rain.  Polyester is naturally hydrophobic so the vest should resist absorbing water.  It should be fine in a light rain, but not fully water resistant.  What I’m not certain about is how hot it will be wearing the vest during the summer months.  Probably not a huge issue – I’m typically taking photos in early morning or late afternoon during the summer, not during the hottest part of the day. They do make a couple of different models which may be better suited for warmer weather conditions. A “featherweight” model and one that’s 70% cotton (breaths better) and 30% nylon.

The SCOTTeVEST brand owns the travel vest market and for good reason. It’s a great product – albeit a bit pricey. The model I purchased on Amazon was $199.00 and does not go on sale from what I’ve seen.  I was concerned that I would use it maybe once or twice a year when I traveled, but seeing how handy it can be for a photographer like myself I anticipate I’ll be using it quite often.

I’ll be sure to add to this review after I get back from Europe and report on how it worked for me.  But again, based on several local test runs, it’s a fantastic product and worth the money.  Here’s my video review: