Go Go Gadget Minisaw

weighn writes "The SMH has this story about an eccentric Frenchman who carries about 1300 useful items attached to his body by various means. A digital camera is mentioned, so I guess there may be some form of computing device nearby. Anyone else a bulging pocketed geek-scout?"

Did anyone else need to look up sartorial?

[UpLateDrinkingCoffee]

Or Panoply? You'd never catch media in the U.S. using college words such as those :)

Possible Hoax

[kaosrain]

This sounds a lot like a hoax to me...he refuses to give his last name, and it seems like a story based completely on how "crazy" he looks would at least include a picture. I could be wrong, but I suspect we've been had.

Did somone steal the story?

[AcquaCow]

I did some searching and apparently the Australian Broadcasting Company [abc.net.au] is also running the same story [abc.net.au]. Its not exactly the same, but there are direct quotes between the two.

Does anyone know if SMH [smh.com.au] is a partner company? Same company?

Does anyone know who had the story first?

-- AcquaCow

I've been bested!

[Engelbot]

Or, to be more accurate, completely outclassed. I'm still in the game, however.

Early on in college, I got diabetes [jdrf.org], which I ended up treating with an H-Tron Plus [disetronic-usa.com] insulin pump, from Disetronic. After trying a few different schemes for securing it to my person, I decided to park it on my belt.

Shortly thereafter I switched to a different blood glucose meter [lifescan.com], which I discovered had a belt loop on its pouch. This made carrying it around much easier and more reliable. Sometime in here I found I needed my Leatherman [leatherman.com] more often than I happened to have it around. On the belt it goes.

The Palm [palm.com] and its belt case came shortly thereafter, rounding out the utility belt. It's served me well, but I'm not a student any more, and it's starting to get a bit awkward. (Yes, I probably ought to have realized this sooner.)

I'm hoping to consolidate, using a Visor [handspring.com] and a FreeStyle Tracker [therasense.com] for the meter (coolest device ever), but I'm also looking at a wireless telephone [verizonwireless.com] . . . maybe I should just give up and get a nice vest [tilley.com] instead. Hmm.

Oh--yes, going through airport security is a royal pain.

Is this the same as eVest plus more pockets

[johnnliu]

Reminds me of Scott's eVest [scottevest.com]

Re:I Now Have A New Hero...

[zaren]

Quite right you can never have too many pockets. I purchased two demin vests from clearance racks because they were loaded down with pockets, and I use one of them during the summer when it's too warm to wear either the trenchcoat (with it's almost elbow-deep pockets) or the jean jacket (two chest pockets, two inside pockets, two outside pockets, always holding at least one item each).

The vest came in really handy when I sprained my ankle and had to hobble around the house on crutches and yet still take care of the kids - in addition to the lefhanded Swiss Army knife / pill bottle / hankie / belt knife / pager I lugged around in or on my jeans, the vest came in handy for carrying a juice cup (covered), a bottle of milk, cordless phone, diapers, and a box of baby wipes (in the large pocket on the back), occasionally all at the same time.

Re:I like the part

[TiMac]

Indeed. For those that didn't read, the quote is:

"I use the [paint]brush a lot because I often end up sleeping in odd places and this is the best way I have found for removing dust," he says.

But what I'm wondering is...if he carries a blow-up-mattress (as mentioned in the NEXT PARAGRAPH)...then why is he sweeping up the dust on the ground to sleep? Why not just blow up the mattress?

Sheesh....French! :)

My kit

[Anonymous Coward]

I only carry a trusted Leatherman tool and a small flashlight on my keyring - and people often call me the gagdet man!

Well, not exactly true, because my pockets often also contain a mobile phone and an ipaq, and since I'm living in "some" African country, a 9mm Parabellum in my waistband. Some are geek tools, and some are just plain survival tools.

Guilty as charged - and some

[vik]

OK, I think I can match that. I'm currently carrying in my bum-bag/utility belt:

Symbol SP17000 PalmOS PDA with laser barcode scanner, sunglasses, hair ties, cable ties, Leatherman wave, whistle, resusci-shield breathing mask, laser pointer, universal key, pen, surgical gloves, mini-blowtorch, lock-knife, magnifier/torch, cellphone, pager, 10m parachute cord, tape measure, various medications (figures, huh?), syringe, insulating tape, lockpicks, paperclips, magnesium flint block, mini-leatherman, wire probes, pins, needles, safety pins, wire saw, compass, fishing tackle, betalight, antiseptic, plasters, steristrips, pencil, waterproof matches, salt, snow-marker, comb, rescue shears, 2 marlin spikes, antiseptic wipes, wire saw, binder, Pez, cash and a major credit card.

This is all held on with a single quick-release clasp in case I fall in deep water!

By way of explaination I'm a volunteer First Responder occasionally known to the brigade as "Gadget".

Vik :v)

I guess I'll bite too . . .

[White Shadow]

I carry the following:

Palm IIIc [palm.com]: Front left pants pocket

Dell X200 Laptop [dell.com]: Ultra-portable laptop (12")-- I carry this in a RoadWired messenger bag [ebags.com] which I take almost everywhere.

Canon S110 [powershot.com] digital camera (digital elph): It's in a small pouch attached to the shoulder strap of my laptop bag

Nokia 3360 [nokia.com] cellphone: I don't carry this as often, since I don't like cellphones, but if I'm carrying it, it's in the interior jacket pocket.

Panasonic CD player: I have a little cd carrying bag that I sometimes lug around with me if it's a long walk to where I'm going.


Yeah, I like my toys to be small.

Well, my big problem with newer gadgets is that people seem to care more about extra features rather than making them smaller. I have no interest in a PDA that can play MP3s or has 64MB of memory. On the other hand, if you can shrink one down to just the size of the screen (plus a small border) and make them half an inch thick, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Also, make more small phones without movable parts. I don't want to waste my time pulling out an antenna or flipping open my phone. And stop putting features in my phone! I don't need an MP3 player in my phone.

I want small specialized products.

Re:Possible Hoax

[Walt Dismal]

The article says 1300 items, and the weight is about 12 to 15 kilograms. So, on average, each of his items weighs roughly 10 grams. That is pretty lightweight. For example, a nickel weighs about 5 grams. So each of his objects is roughly equivalent to two metal nickels. That is really not much substance. And for every heavy object like a PDA, there would have to be undersized objects to balance. I smell a fish. Or a rat. Or possibly a lot of tools made out of paper or wire. On the other hand, Harpo Marx carried complete dinner settings for 500...

Re:What has it got in it's nassty pocketsses?

[ZBM-2]

My father used to work for the airlines doing Radio and Radar repair. He carried a little kiddies pencil case containing a Swiss Army Knife and an expensive Fountain Pen. The case was labelled "747 Repair Kit" and he swore those were the only tools he ever used. He also remarked that he used the fountain pen more than the knife.

LOL,when I used to work A-10's on the flightline,80% of my work was done with a comm headset and a pencil. Sure,you can adjust radio squelches from the cockpit. C-N-D,what's that? ;-)

My Swiss Army knife (a top-of-the-range one) includes a small ballpoint pen - so I don't need the fountain pen...but I have a tiny LED flashlight.

I carry a mini Swiss Army too,but those red LEDs on the Midnight series are too dim. I carry a white Photon instead. [photonlight.com]
Much brighter,and you see everything in true color.

Re:Dilbert...

[MacAndrew]

Self-respect?

I'm one of those vexed at the Scott Adams sellout years ago. His work (if he even draws it -- many cartoonists have assistants) no longer feels fresh and subversive, and is going the route of "Garfield." Yes, it's nice he's gotten rich, but I don't have to respect him for that, or forgive (originally endearing) his stick figures. A polar opposite might be Bill Watterson, who is a talented artist, refused to use assistant cartoonists, and refused to merchandise [alloftheabove.net] Calvin and Hobbes to the point of nearly losing his job. (Perhaps this was too extreme; I'd love to have a Hobbes stuffed tiger for my kids. ;-)

It may just be my romantic notion of art over profit. Or maybe I'm just bored with the stagnancy of Dilbert, where it used to be such a terrific strip.