Review - Scottevest Travel Pants

Scottevest makes travel clothing designed to help travelers easily carry more items, but with a bit less baggage. The clothes are loaded full of discreet pockets with far greater carrying capacity than similar products. When I spotted a sale on the company's Flex Cargo Pants, I ordered a pair to to see if it's all hype.

A few days later, the Flex pants arrived on my doorstep. They looked pretty much like a well-built but nondescript set of dark-grey chinos. But as I looked a bit closer, I noticed a few small things: hidden pockets, pockets within pockets and even some magnetic closures to completely hide pockets in plain sight.

They also fit pretty well: I went for the 34-34-sized pants, and they were perfect in all dimensions.

Every day, I head to work with a smartphone, wallet, keys and a USB charger cable. The Scottevest Flex pants swallowed it all with room for plenty more. So I stuffed an energy bar or two into my pants, and still found plenty of room left over. During a recent flight, I also found room for my boarding pass and ID.

Because of the way the pockets are layered, it wasn't really obvious that my pants were stuffed like an 80s rock star's Spandex. And it didn't impede my ability to sit comfortably.

As for build quality, I was impressed with the solid brass zipper and button. They're built to last. I didn't see any stitching out of place or any loose threads. I've seen dress pants considerably pricier than the $60 tag for the Flex that could take a quality note or three from Scottevest.

I tried them at the office, in the car and aloft and felt pleased with the purchase. I made sure to spill a few things to test the Teflon-coated cotton. Sure enough, it shrugged stains off very easily.

Now, if I had my way, there are a few things I'd change.

First, I'd want another sneaky pocket hidden about halfway down the left thigh - and accessible from the side rather than the top. If you're sardined into a small airplane seat or driving a car with a manual transmission, this is a good place to stuff handy things for easy access.

Second, I'd widen the belt loops. I have several belts I can't wear with the Scottevest pants.

Finally, I'd broaden the range of colors. You know have a choice of Bark or Carbon (of course, marketing is the difference between "Bark or Carbon" and "Brown or Dark Gray").

Still, there's a tremendous upside to the Flex. I'm going to try a few more Scottevest products based on my experience with these pants. I can see how they're a great asset for the traveler.