I recently tested the SCOTTeVEST SeV Enforcer Jacket, a garment with strategically placed pockets for discreetly carrying your duty or off-duty equipment. Originally, I thought it was just geek wear for wannabes, considering the fact that it holds a couple of portable computers, but the Enforcer is really a slick way to discreetly carry safety equipment.
Before testing, I was thinking to myself, “Any manufacturer can make a pocket large enough for a small computer.” However, the difference is the ability to suspend and distribute the load. This attribute wasn’t lost on me while carrying my Glock 22 and 60 rounds.
I’m not one to carry a gun in my jacket. I like strong side carry covered by a jacket. However, the Enforcer can handle full sized ones easily. The same goes for batons, cuffs and other less lethal items. There are two rapid access panels in the front that have sub pockets inside. This is where my extra magazines went. It’s not a bad place to position an ASP Baton or TASER either.
Durable and Flexible
Since the pockets are in the vest, it doesn’t lose its cargo-carrying characteristics sans sleeves. The area where the sleeve connects to the vest is hidden, giving it a seamless look. While testing it during a storm, I found there was zero water ingress at the sleeve junction.
The durable cotton/nylon blend soft-shell exterior is also part of the deception. It looks and feels too soft to be durable. The material has the same texture as the products that hunters use for their stealth clothing. However, my experience in windy, below freezing conditions demonstrated the fabric’s wind-stopping ability. The shocker, however, was how it performed in a near-freezing downpour, which took me by surprise one day. One can dump gallons on the exterior and it sheds it.
The sleeves zip off with hidden zippers. The lining on the inside resembles the silk lining of a good blazer, only it is certainly more durable. This lining extends into the sleeves. It lines some of the pockets, but not all of them. For example, there is an RFID blocking pocket that is made of specialized material and another that has an elastic “hammock” in the small of the back. I wore this jacket for two solid weeks before I found the hidden zipper for this one. The hidden glasses pocket has a lens cloth on an elastic bungie with a map to the pockets.
The exterior didn’t stain with common beverages like sodas, nor did it pick up swatches of fur from my white cat that sheds year round.
Good Concealment
Holding a lot of stuff isn’t very useful if the items print on the outside. The soft-shell material, combined with the interior suspension of the pockets complete the illusion. To prove this, I filled my Enforcer with an iPad, a Surface 2, a Glock 22, 60 rounds, a baseball cap, radio and cellphone, bottled water and some food. It definitely increased the weight of the jacket. However, toting all of these items did not cause the collar to cut into the back of my neck or the jacket to pull on one side or the other.
There are four interior slash pockets. The opening for the two main chest compartments have hidden zipper closures that open from top to bottom, on either side of the sternum area. There are two MOLLE style strips at the top of this compartment and section of Velcro and elastic for keeping items stable.
I put a radio in one of these vertical pockets. There are slits designed to route media items like headphones from one place to another without exposing wires. They work great for iPhones, but are awesome for running the discreet ear set from the radio right to the collar. For smartphone users, your pocket is inside, above the breast on both sides. It has a clear cover and allows the user to see and press the screen without removing the phone.
A Product Without Peer
I used my Enforcer in the TSA PreCheck line, with no carry-on luggage. The Enforcer was my carry-on. I was allowed to just lay the jacket in the bin without removing anything. By the way, sitting down in coach airline seating while wearing the Enforcer jacket does not mean sitting on one’s accumulated wearable wealth. That is, the design doesn’t make the garment stick you in the back or poke the person sitting next to you.
What’s the downside of the SCOTTeVEST Enforcer? I have actually placed something in one of the pockets and forgotten about it, panicking when I could not find it later. Use of this product should be accompanied with training.
What’s the bottom line about the SCOTTeVEST Enforcer? This jacket is built with the kind of attention to detail “designer clothing” manufacturers don’t even achieve. I don’t say this often in the product review business, but no one has a similar approach in this design. The SCOTTeVEST Enforcer is a product without peers.
