Avoiding the Bat-Belt Syndrome? 198
sangfroid asks: "As my personal technology products have increased, I've started to look more and more like a Batman wannabe. I now carry an iPod, a PDA, a Cell Phone, a Leatherman and a GameBoy (for the subway, really -grin-). Cargo Pants are out because of work and I don't particularly want to carry a back-purse everywhere I go. Is there a solution that doesn't require me to give up all my technology? A PDA/Phone might help but the holy grail would be a HD-based PDA/Phone/Music Player. How do you deal with all these devices without looking like a gargoyle? Is the answer better technology or no technology?"
As long as it doesn't bulge my suit pocket (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re:As long as it doesn't bulge my suit pocket (Score:4, Funny)
But don't you understand? That's why Slashdot geeks love owning PDAs, MP3 players, and other geek gadgets: for the first time in their lives, something bulges in their pants.
And with a PDA-cellphone, they can sit in a singles' bar and feel at home by IM'ing in a chat room as a beefier guy with all his hair.
dork (Score:2, Funny)
one word: manpurse (Score:5, Insightful)
I got mine for under ten bucks at a local swap meet. It has slots that fit PCMCIA cards, a big pocket for my Newton MessagePad 2100, pen/pencil/stylus holders and a good spot for flat documents. On vacation it doubles as a camera bag, and of course the cell phone pocket on the strap means never having to figure out which pocket I put it in.
Re:one word: manpurse (Score:2)
additionally, when you go shopping with the ladies, you can be all helpful and carry things. Normally nets me a free lunch.
Mind you, my friends all call me the pack mule for a reason
man purses are the way of the future, man.
Re:one word: manpurse (Score:2)
additionally, when you go shopping with the ladies, you can be all helpful and carry things. Normally nets me a free lunch.
You go shopping with women, and you let them pay for your lunch. You advice is diminished by the fact that you bat for the other team.
Re:one word: manpurse (Score:2)
Re:one word: manpurse (Score:5, Funny)
One day I asked him about it, he opened it up and showed me : Chrome Desert Eagle - the biggest hand cannon I had ever seen. I had no clue all those years, but I'm glad I never gave him any shit about carrying a manpurse.
"manpurse", feh! t's a purse, be happy (Score:3, Informative)
I've been carrying a purse for the last couple of years. It's gray canvas, about the size of Programming Perl, and used to be my wife's. It holds my wallet, PDA, camera, keys, pen, plus whatever other small crap that I need that I used to shove in my pockets, thus having to empty/reload every day. I love it.
I think in the whole time I've had maybe two people make some sort of comment about "a guy with a purse." I just say "yep" and that pretty much is it.
My point? (Do I have to have one?) Don't sweat the
Re:one word: manpurse (Score:3, Informative)
I agree with the need to carry a bag, but we can do better than a purse.
This bag [duluthtrading.com] is tough and manly, and more importantly, has lots of pockets. There's one for a laptop [duluthtrading.com] too.
Re:one word: manpurse (Score:2)
I swore for years that men should have purses too, and that women got a better deal than men in that category. I started noticing murses around, but didn't pay them much mind because in my head all I could think was "backpack." I finally came around to my sen
Military surplus (Score:2)
but really (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:but really (Score:2)
Re:but really (Score:2, Interesting)
Find games for it, and away with the Game Boy.
Unless the PDA/phone combo unit has a kick@$$ processor (and the battery drain that goes with it), it's not going to be emulating a GBA anytime soon, which means no familiar titles, no Wario Ware, no Zelda 3, no Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, no nothing.
Most native cellphone games suck. Look at the disappointing review that GMR gave to the N-Gage handheld system.
I agree! You are not what you own. (Score:2)
Try interacting with people, usually they're much more fun than the things on your belt.
Re:I agree! You are not what you own. (Score:2)
I don't understand this reaction. So many people complain that other people are buying things out of "consumerism"; that they don't need the things, but they buy them to show off or something.
I don't get it. I want a PDA because I want to know what time my doctors appointment is, and what floor her office is located on because I can't remember. I want it so that I can find the phone number of some
Re:I agree! You are not what you own. (Score:2)
I have a cell phone, a Palm Vx, knife, screwdrivers.. I need them all. I have a memory like a rusted bear trap (very hard to make anything go click), I have to be in communication with people at all hours of the day (on call ISP tech) and I spend most of my time taking things apart.
If not for the PDA, I'd have to carry a phone book, maps, notebook, and laptop. If not for the phone, I'd have a pager and a pocket full of quarters. If not for the tools, I'd be running
Re:but really (Score:2)
My suggestion? Get a fscking huge memory card for the PDA to store MP3s (and rotate what's stored on the memory card) and get a Gameboy emulator for the PDA. That's two devices gone. So what if the memory card for the PDA doesn't store as much as the iPod, but you *do* want to stop looking like a gargoyle, no?
Re:but really (Score:2)
frankly, I'd get a courier bag. It's a nice professional alternative to a breif case. And also has room for actual WORK, magaz
Dockers (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Dockers (Score:3, Funny)
Depending on your co-workers' expectations, I guess it could be a real surprise.
Re:Dockers (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Dockers (Score:3, Funny)
Don't forget to say, "'Scuse me, while I whip this out!"
Re:Dockers - Pants for lanky geeks??? (Score:4, Insightful)
When you do find something that fits, that looks good : buy every damn pair they have. No joke - the extra $150 you spend on 4 or 5 more pair is a mere pittance when you can hang them in your closet and not have to worry about finding them again in the future. Keep at least one pair new with the tags still on so you don't wear them - so you always have at least one pair of pants that are new, pressed, creased and clean for emergencies.
Re:Dockers - Pants for lanky geeks??? (Score:2)
Side note: Look at the label and price before you buy. If they're not $30ish a pair and made in China (Or are made in China, period) don't buy em. They're cheap knockoffs
Where does he get all those toys? (Score:5, Funny)
Seriously though, we're on the verge of the true multifunction device. You can get camera/MP3 players, camera phones, phone PDAs, camera PDAs, USB drive MP3 players, and so on. Eventually they will squeeze everything into one.
I actually didn't want my hard drive/wireless server/MP3 player/PDA to be my phone...much too bulky to hold up to your ear. People who use Treos look like idiots. However a light detachable wireless earpiece/mic boom would definitely be acceptable, your "tricorder" could stay on your belt or on the table and you don't have to hold a brick up to your ear.
But maybe still go with the grappling hook. How many times have you wished you could just drop a smoke bomb and airlift yourself out of an embarrassing situation? Unless you fell off halfway up or something.
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:2)
A friend of mine has Jaba Freespeak Bluetooth Headset [com.com] that rocks. He can put his phone on his desk and call me from the coach w/ voice dialing. Bloody cool.
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe if you weren't such an elitist you would get up out of your first class seat and go back there and talk with him. And what's that desk doing on the plane anyway?
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:2)
Or perhaps something like the last line in Scene 29 [sacred-texts.com]: "Excuse me, could, uh, could somebody give me a push, please...?"
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:5, Funny)
Please mod parent Troll, or mod me up to help me feel better for looking like an idiot.
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:3, Informative)
His iPod, gameboy, and PDA can be replaced by a laptop, but he'd have to keep his cell phone. I think that would work well; a laptop is far too clunky to be used as a phone, and a phone is far to small to be used as a PDA/mp3 player/gaming system.
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:2)
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:2)
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:3)
I don't know about that. I'm a college student, and I take my laptop with me to school every day. I've also got a lot of downtime between classes, most of which I spend connected to the school's excellent wireless network.
I have found that ever since I got the laptop (and my cellphone), I essentially stopped using my PDA. Most of the computer-like functions can be served by the laptop, and the quickest contact info is in my phone. That works well.
Re:Where does he get all those toys? (Score:2)
Get a Scottevest (Score:4, Interesting)
I like the idea (Score:3, Insightful)
Get your body fat to 12% or less ... (Score:2)
Consolidate / Do without (Score:2)
Re:Consolidate / Do without (Score:5, Insightful)
You, my fellow Slashdottter, are apparently not the type that would carry such a device. To each his own, but trust me -- carrying such utilities is not only useful to yourself but useful to others.
I have a Swiss Army Knife, but it's -really- large. My mother got it for me and I tell you this thing is great. I think thinkgeek.com features it even. It's the uber knife. I usually don't carry it. I do however carry a 3" folding belt knife all the time.
Once you're accustomed to such things you cannot do without. I'll provide some examples.
One day I'm going home for lunch (I live really close to work) and I pull into my apartment complex. I see a stranded couple there with their hood open. I'm a nice guy so I pull over to see if I can help. they've got a transmission problem. That much they know. They don't konw what's wrong though. I look under the car and see a big puddle of oil, I dip my finger in it and sure enough -- it's red. So, they've got an automatic tranny leaking fluid or something. I gander under the hood and spot a rubber hose that's just plain disconnected. That's where their leak's coming from. I'm wearing a knee length wool coat, shirt, tie, slacks, basic business attire. I toss the coat into the snow, tuck my tie into my shirt, and hunker down underneath the car. Inspect hose, determine that it's an easy clamp to refix and:
Yank my handy-dandy Swiss Army knife out of my pocket yank out the flat-blade screw driver and reattach the hose snuggly for them. I'm the friggen hero of the day for understanding basic (very basic) mechanics, having a tool to fix the problem, and I'm willing to get down and dirty to fix it. I snug the hose into place and let them know that they should probably drop a quart or maybe two into their tranny before driving it off. The funny part is the guy asked if I'd drive them to an auto parts store to buy tranny fluid. He didn't notice he was "stranded" 200 yards from an auto parts store. They were happpy and when I finished lunch the car was gone. Mission completed.
Carrying "crap" like this isn't always useful to the person holding onto it. However today when buying a battery for an older car of mien the salesman couldn't yank the silly stick-on security sticker so I yanked out my 3" blade (shirt, slacks, dress shoes again) and pryed it off for them.
You may think the "MacGuyver" mentality is silly, until you're broken down on the side of the road and some tech geek pulls up with a Leatherman on his belt, a set of socket wrenches in his trucnk, and jumper cables to boot.
Consider it a challenge. Most of us here can walk into any IT department and help them out. But, can you pull up to the car of a stranded individual and get them back on the road? If you have the mental capacity to swap hard drives you can fix most road-side problems. Be prepared, help your fellow man out, and carry the "burden" of being prepared for little things. It just might be your own arse.
Yeah, this doesn't help the original poster at all I guess. Except I would say don't give up any -useful- device you carry. Drop the GBA if anything.
Re:Consolidate / Do without (Score:2)
While I do own a leatherman and swiss knife, I only really carry them when I know they'll be useful (camping etc...)
Forget the other crap and keep the knife. (Score:5, Informative)
Example 1: An old biddy got her shawl stuck in an escalator at the local shopping centre. My wife kept her upright while I hacked the end of the shawl off. Hope they get their asses sued for the faulty emergency stop button...
Example 2: My dad was first on the scene to a motorbike smash. Some nurses were also riding by and the three of them managed to keep the rider alive until hospital by cutting his leathers off him so that my dad could hold together the poor bastards main abdominal (iliac is it?) artery.
Example 3: I got bitten pretty badly while feeding the goannas at Taronga Zoo (it was my job) and had to slice up my shirt so I could get to first aid without too much blood loss. Should have seen the looks I got from the tourists - half naked, dripping blood everywhere, and cursing myself for not paying attention.
Example 4: A flatmates car caught fire in the middle of a main road. She ran across to the adjacent hospital and tried to grab a visible fire extinguisher. Unfortunately it had been cable tied (?!?) to the wall, fortunately she had a pocket knife in the car.
I could go on all day...
The only other tools I have ever saved a life with are my mobile phone and car. So how useful is your iPod again? PDA?
And fuck all your McGyver comments. I don't: whittle skeleton keys out of paddlepop sticks; build nuclear reactors from bleach, alfoil, and chewing gum; or make any crappy american TV.
Q.
PS. No I've never been a fscking scout or cub. I believe my dad went to one cub's meeting, but he burst out laughing at the whole "Dib dib dib. I will honour my Queen. Dob dob dob." bullshit and was asked never to return. :)
Re:Forget the other crap and keep the knife. (Score:2)
Car problems:
Has either fixed the problem or kept the problem from becoming so bad I couldn't make it home dozens of times. Used it to extract myself from a wreck once, and once to cut the seatbelt of someone else.
Computer problems:
Have basically taken everything imaginable apart with a knife.. It's a flat head, a phillips, a torx, a pry bar and if you're real careful with knife selection a pa
Re:Forget the other crap and keep the knife. (Score:2)
Yeah.. McGyver was too lame. He needed various tools. All you need is a knife.
Oh, and i don't like your making fun of scouts. I was one and we did not do stupid things. We were always ivnolved in community issues, we learned a lot of things like knots, reading flag signs, first aid and a lot of other things. Not to mention that you belong in a community that cherishes "old-fashioned" values like truth , honor, friendship. Most importantly, thought, we had fun.
And
Re:Forget the other crap and keep the knife. (Score:2)
Re:Forget the other crap and keep the knife. (Score:2)
hmm.. i never noticed anything like that. Ofcourse the Scout movement is large and i suppose that it may take slightly different forms throught the world.
I was a scout in Greece and i can not remember anything political or religious while being a scout. (ok maybe a little religious but this has nothing with the scouts themselves but rather with the general mentality about Church here in Greece)
In fact i doubt it
Re:Forget the other crap and keep the knife. (Score:2)
There have been lawsuits trying to force the BSA to accept atheist or homosexual members, I don't remember the outcomes, but it illustrates the dogmatic nature of the organization. Howev
SOunds just like me. (Score:2)
Re:Consolidate / Do without (Score:2)
Add road flares, cell phone, and a bike pump to the junk in the trunk.
I came across a lady last month on the foggiest night of the year whose alternator and battery died, leaving her in the middle of the road, just past a dangerous curve, in a cell-phone deadzone, with no streetlights around. That she was panicked also contributed to her danger.
We pushed her to the side of the road's tiny shoulder, put out some flares (they only last 15 minutes - have at least 6) and drove
Mobile Pants (Score:4, Informative)
If that doesn't work, buckle down and get a man purse. I got mine this past summer, and my notebooks, camera, ipod, palm pilot, headphones, and cell phone have never been easier to carry around. You will look better for it.
Rage (Score:2)
eholster. (Score:3, Informative)
sure, you can't wear it into an airport, but that's okay. i carry a flashlight, a pager, a palmpilot, a leatherman, a phone, and on a carabiner i carry a usb memory plug, a pill case, and a cross compacting pen. and, i don't have to do anything but slip it on in the mornings.
http://www.eholster.com
John Popper (Score:2)
Re:John Popper (Score:2)
back-purse? (Score:2)
Re:back-purse? (Score:2)
Re:back-purse? (Score:2)
http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheReversePeepho
consolidate, eliminate (Score:2)
That said, you have a few approaches to the stuff that's left:
Re:consolidate, eliminate (Score:2)
Oh my! (Score:2)
You sad, sad, sad person you! Where do you find the space to stash the cape?
Utilikilt? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Utilikilt? (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.utilikilts.com/ [utilikilts.com]
(But I'll post their URL!)
skirts maybe? (Score:3, Funny)
Pants are out because of work
YOW! What do you do for a living!!!
Old School Geeks (Score:2, Funny)
Why wear them outside.... (Score:2)
Re:OT: Virii (Score:2)
Embrace your geekiness - the geek assault vest (Score:2)
We should all just embrace our geekiness and start wearing the geek equivalent of the comabat assault vest. Plenty of pockets, all within easy reach. :)
some ideas (Score:2)
Building on that idea, how about a shoulder belt? You could get an ammo belt from a military surplus store. Just rig it so you can hang your gadgets on it.
You could get an ammo belt for the front, and attach a quiver on the back.
Last idea. Get a big gun holster and attach it to your belt. You could probably fit two or three devices in that thing.
My solution -- an ammo case. (Score:5, Interesting)
Yup, that's what I carry my gear in -- an old M67 cartridge case. It usually has my Palm, car MP3 player faceplate, portable MP3 player, Zippo lighter, swiss army knife (mechanic style), toothbrush (hey, you never know...), and various other items (several of which vary from day-to-day, frequently including a can of Coke ;) ).
It has the following advantages:
I've carried my ammo case around everywhere for more than 4 years now. People often assume that I'd be getting stopped by security guards or the police often, but in all my time carrying it around, I've only been stopped twice (and once was because the guard wanted to tell me that he tought _he_ was the only one who carried all his stuff in one! :) ). I've never been asked to leave anywhere because I've had it in my possession.
Mind you, I don't take it into airports. And I've never crossed a border with it. And I do live in Canada, which tends to be less paranoid about such things than the US is (which is one reason why I've never taken it across a border...). But in general, everywhere I go, my ammo case of stuff follows.
Yaz.
Re:My solution -- an ammo case. (Score:2)
Re:My solution -- an ammo case. (Score:2)
Only slighty kidding. I ONLY carry 2 items on my BELT (Knife and PDA) - but don't ask what's in my pockets or in my WAY to big backpack
A towel (Score:2)
Or some of that rubber stuff with adhesive backing you find in hardware stores..
Or make some 'compartments' out of foam... that's also sold at hardware stores..
Use your imagination
Re:My solution -- an ammo case. (Score:2)
To be honest, I've never padded it, and it's never been a problem. I simply don't shake it around, and generally keep it upright. There is enough stuff in it (including little things I didn't bother to list) that it's never been an issue.
It's worth noting here that there are different sizes of cartridge cases (just as there are different sizes of cartridges). Mine is roughly 27 x 18 x 9 (cm
Re:My solution -- an ammo case. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:My solution -- an ammo case. (Score:2, Informative)
Avoiding the bat belt (Score:3, Funny)
For the discriminating packrat. . . (Score:2)
This is also true for people who wear things on their belts versus people who don't. Maybe cheat on
Re:Is emulation practical at typical PDA CPU speed (Score:2)
Almost. [palmone.com] (400 MHz for the new Palm T3)
-- Pete.
Shoulder bag (Score:2)
I usually carry a shoulder bag [freitag.ch] which has room enough for my gadgets (iPod, Palm, Sony Ericsson phone) and lots more. I don't feel the need to have the 'gadgets' on my person all the time.
JP
Bat Belt (Score:5, Funny)
Err...
Perhaps not.
PDA + Phone + MP3? (Score:2)
ayup (Score:2)
and you're good for anything. i've bought every multitool on the market and the only one i'm guaranteed to have with me *all the time* is one small enough to go on a keyring. if this puppy had a 5mm torx driver for compaq kit it'd be all i needed.
if it's too big for you to always have it on you, you won't always carry it.
Load up the PDA (Score:2)
gargoyle? (Score:2)
Oops. You overconstrained the problem to where my solution won't work!
I was going to suggest surgical alteration, to have the devices implanted, but those unsightly rectangular lumps under the skin sure do make people stare.
The cell-phone shaped ears are a particular problem because they attract attention visually and when they ring and, again, when I hit the answer button inside of my head.
Don't even get me started about changing batteries in public.
I'll tell you where you can stick 'em. (Score:2)
First, try to figure out what you absolutely need to have in your pockets/belt (try maybe pocketing/belting the cell phone and the pda). The rest can be put in a handy case -- made specifically for hauling your shit to and from work. These cases, typically designed to handle briefs (not your underwear), can handle these devices with ease (hence the name briefcase). They're usually priced at $25 and up. Click here [tinyurl.com] to get started (no affiliation...just a google search).
Good luck!
Switch the Leatherman out for a Micra (Score:2)
address his question... (Score:2)
(re: carrying an iPod, here's a heads-up: nobody
You're missing the point of a high-capacity player (Score:2)
While true, nobody wants to sit around deciding on which MP3 files to download to his player every morning, then waiting for them to download.
The point of having a large-capacity MP3 player (such as the iPod) is so that you don't have to do that: you just take your entire music collection with you and you can listen to whatever you feel like on a given morning without havi
eHolster, etc. (Score:2)
Also, here's the obligatory eHolster [eholster.com] link (although that really looks like a BatBelt -- nevermind).
Man Purse... ok, you can stop laughing now... (Score:3, Informative)
Some things I've come across:
BTW, if anyone else has a bag that they are currently using, please share some info!
Different bags for different trips (Score:2)
Then for littler trips (just need gadgets, no laptop needed), I have a waist-strappable camera bag. It holds my Palm, cellphone, Leatherman, and when I was working (until recently), my Blac
Re:my advice would be (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Might not work for everybody. (Score:2, Interesting)
They make good carpenter pants, a pair of which I am wearing now. I have all the regular jean pockets plus a hanner loop, a long left thigh pocket and a long right thigh pocket with a top divider.
If you happen to get the good pants with the extra protective knee/chap piece that extends from mid-thigh to upper-shin, it is supposed to have a hole at the bottom between the layers. Th
Re:Belt pouch (Score:3, Funny)
Um... yeah. I imagine the women go crazy over a guy with a modern day knockoff of Middle Ages gear on their belt...especially when it is filled with 3 cans of Coke.
Rant... (Score:2)
Damn Straight! (Score:2)
Re:Damn Straight! (Score:2)
In my school, we weren't allowed to go to our lockers between classes.
Re:Luggage. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Nice Stephenson reference! (Score:2)
As for the OP:
Dockers Mobile Pant.
(note : not pants, simply pant. I didn't name them - I just wear them.)
The front pockets are massively deep, the right front pocket has a second zippered smaller pocket for change or whatever, and on the sides of the thighs are two discrete zippers that also have pockets (I keep my checkbook in one, it barely fits, so your average tech toys will probably fit nicely - my Jornada 680 does NOT fit.) Becau