Judie, I understand that you favor Scott and are aggressively defending his product by countering every comment I made with reasoning that doesn’t really change a thing I said. You have to understand, that I can’t know the product completely until I buy it and use it. You’re mentioning things about another jacket altogether, and that’s fine, but I was speaking of the 4.0. I made a choice, bought it and liked certain things, but much of it, I ended up not caring for and don’t wear it anymore. It’s my experience, and I realize we don’t see eye to eye on all of that, but that’s just the way it is.

The Jacket I bought was the Tactical 4.0 System, not Stealth (my mistake) – I just remember it being described as “stealth” because it was all black.

And Judie, I take no offense, but please relax a little about the “white boy” comment. You’re free to have your opinion like anyone else, but if someone is going to put themselves out there on video like that, they’re open game. Simple as that.

Enjoy!

“I can’t stand the fact that the collar doesn’t fold down. What is it with these collars that just stick up all the time? The collars on every jacket you’d ever buy in a store fold down. Why not on this jacket?”

It’s obvious when you look at the SeV site which jackets have collars that stay up and which will lay flat.

http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/subindex_jackets_vests.shtml

I would imagine that if one style appealed to you over another, then you would order it instead of the other. If the features needed outweighed your dislike of a particular style collar, then you would have the choice of either buying a different jacket altogether, or accepting the compromise.

“I don’t like the net-like material on the inside. It’s scratchy to the skin and prevents the jacket from sliding off more easily when the jacket is being taken off, especially if you’ve been perspiring – then the netting really sticks to your skin.”

There is no netting in the sleeves of the Quantum, nor is there any in the sleeves of the Fleece 5.0. Since you would presumably at least be wearing a short sleeved t-shirt under either garment, I am not sure how the jacket’s netting would stick to you, even if you managed to work up an aggressive sweat. I suppose if you weren’t wearing a shirt at all, then it might be an issue…but eww.

“The pockets on the outside are fine, but I don’t like how the pockets on the inside are arranged. It’s too complicated. I owned this jacket for months and was still finding pockets and figuring out how they were all inter-related with one another. It’s too complicated. I’d just like to have simple pockets on the inside. Six on one side, six on the other – lined up in a couple of simple columns and a few simple rows, with the pockets just a bit bigger than gadgets like a phone, iPod, etc. Some larger pen pockets on either side would be nice, too (big enough to hold thicker pens (like a rollerball pen), or a thicker laser pointer, etc.). A dedicated Bluetooth earpiece pocket would be nice, too.”

Nowhere is it written that you have to use all of the pockets, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard Scott advocate it. Yes, it would be complicated if you didn’t pick a few favorites and stick with them – which is what I think most wearer’s do. I have found that most of the pockets are placed in ways that seem to complement the male anatomy – smaller vertical pockets on the chest so that they don’t bulk things up, and larger horizontal pockets on the belly, where the bulky items carried can better be disguised. There are also new handy icon tags on the inner pockets which can act as suggestions for what goes where; maybe the labeled pockets will help people who can’t help but overpack remember where all their gear is stowed.

As for pen holes, I guess it’s a personal preference. Thinner pens can go in the pen pockets, larger pens or lasers can go in either a vertical or horizontal pocket of your choice.

I have found that smaller Bluetooth earpieces fit quite well in the little tiny velcro pocket (tagged for memory cards) inside the bottom horizontal inner pocket (tagged for iPods). That’s just where I like to stow mine; I am sure that others have their own favorite spots.

“I don’t like the Velcro on the sleeve cuffs. Velcro does not belong on any jacket, period. I just prefer barrel cuffs – no zippers, buttons, snaps, magnets, or Velcro. It’s not as if any of us are wearing this jacket in an arctic storm… so what do we need to tighten down the sleeve cuffs for? How many other jackets in existence have that? Oh yeah… none!”

The Quantum is listed as a Snowboarding / Skiing jacket, and Velcroed cuffs are very common on these type garments.

http://www.the-house.com/bt3ak206gl7zz-burton-snowboard-jackets.html

http://www.altrec.com/roxy/juniors-blondie-snowboard-jacket

http://www.altrec.com/the-north-face/mens-hustle-stripe-triclimate-jacket

http://www.altrec.com/the-north-face/womens-milletan-triclimate-jacket

The Velcro on the Quantum Jacket is a feature that makes it easy to clamp the sleeves on over my gloves, which is especially handy when I am riding 4-wheelers in the biting cold. No, these are not arctic conditions, but I appreciate the air-tightness. When I am not wearing gloves, I can loosen the sleeves and they look nice. The overlaying tab is tapered, and it offers 1/2″ of material to grasp for easy opening and closing of the Velcro.

The Fleece 5.0 sleeves do not have Velcro; they are tapered with a 1″ finished hem.

“The jacket doesn’t breathe enough. I know they tried to make it breathable, but even without the fleece, this jacket wears HOT! And when you’re perspiring, the scratchy material on the inside feels terrible.”

It has not gone below 35º here yet, and during the day it has not been colder than 50º. With the wind chill factor you can subtract a few degrees from that. I have worn the Quantum with the Fleece on days as warm as 70º and either the Fleece or the Quantum (depending upon whether I needed the windbreaker properties or not) on days as warm as almost 80º. Maybe I am more cold-natured than most (Yes, I have been told that), but I have never found the jacket to be too hot; if I did, then I took it off.

“I don’t like the zippered sleeves. They make no sense. They’re always coming unzippered which allows cold air and even rain to enter. And this is a strange design choice considering that they designed the collar to remain forever in an “up” position – glued to your neck, and the sleeve cuffs to yank tight around your sleeves… but then Scott-eVest allows for potentially big gaps in the shoulder area where the sleeves meet the rest of the jacket in the form of a zipper? Even when you have the shoulder zippers completely zipped shut, there’s still a small gap in the shoulder area there. It makes no sense! And they just serve as weak points in the overall design of the jacket.”

The Quantum’s sleeve do not zip on or off, but they do zip open or closed to vent. There are also at least two other SeV designs without removable sleeves.

The Fleece 5.0′s sleeves do come off, but the small (maybe 0.25″?) gap between the zipper’s start and its end is located in the arm pit area – perhaps the one place on any jacket that could use a bit of venting.

“The white piping on the inner fleece needs to go. It’s a stealth jacket, remember? Please make the white piping near the pockets black.”

The Fleece 5.0 is not listed as a “Stealth” model, so no one should be offended that there are thin gray reflective piping stripes on each side of the chest and also by the handwarmer pockets. I see them as a safety feature, and I like them.

“Frankly, I think I need to design my own jacket, as I believe that not one single thing I mentioned here will be incorporated or considered.”

Good thing you didn’t place money on that bet, is all I am going to say.

One last thing: I’m not going to edit you, but the “WHITE-boy” comment? Totally unnecessary and classless; I’m disappointed.

Please don’t dance, LOL. This is NOT helping you sell jackets. TRUST ME. Just stick to designing and leave the dancing to people who know how to do it, WHITE-boy.

- I can’t stand the fact that the collar doesn’t fold down. What is it with these collars that just stick up all the time? The collars on every jacket you’d ever buy in a store fold down. Why not on this jacket? When I turn my head, I don’t want the collar in my face. It’s not as though I’m perpetually rubbing my hands together, saying, “Brrrrr!” and wanting to fold my collar up! Design that thing so it folds down!

- I don’t like the net-like material on the inside. It’s scratchy to the skin and prevents the jacket from sliding off more easily when the jacket is being taken off, especially if you’ve been perspiring – then the netting really sticks to your skin.

- The pockets on the outside are fine, but I don’t like how the pockets on the inside are arranged. It’s too complicated. I owned this jacket for months and was still finding pockets and figuring out how they were all inter-related with one another. It’s too complicated. I’d just like to have simple pockets on the inside. Six on one side, six on the other – lined up in a couple of simple columns and a few simple rows, with the pockets just a bit bigger than gadgets like a phone, iPod, etc. Some larger pen pockets on either side would be nice, too (big enough to hold thicker pens (like a rollerball pen), or a thicker laser pointer, etc.). A dedicated Bluetooth earpiece pocket would be nice, too.

I like the idea of having several pockets, but arranging them in a simple fashion is sometimes all someone needs. The way it is now, the pockets have a strange arrangement – some of them are absolutely huge, but when you unzip them, the delicate mesh just flops down (giving you the idea of instability) revealing a pocket so big it could hold a watermelon, while a couple of the smaller pockets are in odd locations down very low on the inside of the jacket making them difficult to reach. It’s just a very strange arrangement and as far as I’m concerned, needs to be completely re-thought and redesigned.

- I don’t like the Velcro on the sleeve cuffs. Velcro does not belong on any jacket, period. I just prefer barrel cuffs – no zippers, buttons, snaps, magnets, or Velcro. It’s not as if any of us are wearing this jacket in an arctic storm… so what do we need to tighten down the sleeve cuffs for? How many other jackets in existence have that? Oh yeah… none!

Another reason I also don’t like the Velcro tabs on the sleeve cuffs, is that if you do adjust them, the black tabs don’t lay down flat at the ends – they stick out. This makes the tabs look like an afterthought, not to mention, I remember lifting my arm to scratch my face and the end of the tab that was sticking out actually poked me in the eye! Ridiculous, but this needs to be redesigned. I don’t like to be injured by my jacket. Get rid of the Velcro tabs – in fact, get rid of the Velcro all together.

- The jacket doesn’t breathe enough. I know they tried to make it breathable, but even without the fleece, this jacket wears HOT! And when you’re perspiring, the scratchy material on the inside feels terrible.

- I don’t like the zippered sleeves. They make no sense. They’re always coming unzippered which allows cold air and even rain to enter. And this is a strange design choice considering that they designed the collar to remain forever in an “up” position – glued to your neck, and the sleeve cuffs to yank tight around your sleeves… but then Scott-eVest allows for potentially big gaps in the shoulder area where the sleeves meet the rest of the jacket in the form of a zipper? Even when you have the shoulder zippers completely zipped shut, there’s still a small gap in the shoulder area there. It makes no sense! And they just serve as weak points in the overall design of the jacket.

Even without the inner fleece, this jacket is simply too bulky and hot to wear as a vest, especially considering the collar that never folds down. Who wants to wear a black vest with a collar that hugs your neck the whole time as though you have it folded up? Cool in the arms, hot in the neck? This design makes no sense. If I want a vest, I’ll buy a vest. Just make a jacket a jacket, please. I didn’t buy the jacket for its vest features.

- The white piping on the inner fleece needs to go. It’s a stealth jacket, remember? Please make the white piping near the pockets black.

*******

I realize this is a lot, but it’s what I think and the changes I’d impart. I’m speaking from experience as I own the Stealth 4.0. I like that it’s completely black and some other small features, but these changes I list are absolutely necessary, and I’m one who will speak my mind – I don’t just automatically join the “all praises, no faults” crowd just because the jackets may enjoy some popularity among the geek crowd.

Frankly, I think I need to design my own jacket, as I believe that not one single thing I mentioned here will be incorporated or considered. I know I’m not the only one who thinks this way about the jacket.

No doubt about it, though, SeV makes some pretty slick gear. I was able to entertain my son with having him try to find all the pockets in my SeV jacket, and he got a kick out of finding the cards in each pocket and reading them off. I got a kick out of being able to store all my gear and have reasonable access to them.

Out of idle curiosity, how well does the fleece jack insulate electronics? It gets a tad cold up here close to Joel McLaughlin-land in the winter.