A notion...

[g33k]

Veils, we know, are not Harry's strong-suit.
He got a lot better -- made himself get better -- because he needed to train Grasshopper.  But it's still not a strength of his.

Magic items, however, ARE something he does particularly-well.  So... I bet he could make a powerful veil by way of an item.

I figure he makes it out of the "scrubs" that crime-scene techs wear, who are tasked to "leave no detectable trace."  Outline of the notion designed by Butters (during his time crafting items with Bob).  Dresden could write or paint on the fabric, in lieu of the carvings and dyeing he did on staff & duster.  The advantage over most wizards' work is that it also blocks leaving physical traces that forensics could find (most wizards have no idea how comprehensive and how subtle modern science has gotten).

And Dresden's "ninja wizard suit" ends up being nerdy as fuck, instead of cool & sexy, so completely on-brand.

[Fcrate]

I like it. Jim has not written any upgrades to Harry, item-wise for quite a while. Potions also took a back seat (except for Changes). I doubt Jim would be so... Crude as to write a Wizard Harry with an invisibility cloak.
I'd like to see more versatile rings. (And perhaps body implants that can't be taken away) for telekinesis, maybe a speed boost shoes (Remember the kinetomancer in GS?). More importantly, where is the flash drive belt buckle from Blood Rites? But maybe Jim thought it was too much of a guaranteed escape to work.

[Mira]

  Harry is much better at veils than he used to be, because he got off his lazy ass and worked at making his skill at doing them better.  He doesn't need a veil suit in my opinion.. Um, I'd call the Artifacts a HUGE upgrade item wise for Harry, he now has in his possession the fricking Spear of Destiny for crap sake...  As he matures and is able to focus his power more and actually works at what he is doing, I think these kinds of skill "crutches" become less necessary and are a bit of a distraction.

[Fcrate]

Huge and hugely USELESS upgrade. Cannot be safely used on a day to day basis. Not to mention all the potential thieves they're going to attract. It's like wearing a gold plated shoes to go grocery shopping or something. I meant his own crafted items, especially those that store their own power. If wizards the power and age of McCoy find them useful. Harry can't really argue with that, right?

[Mira]

Huge and hugely USELESS upgrade. Cannot be safely used on a day to day basis. Not to mention all the potential thieves they're going to attract. It's like wearing a gold plated shoes to go grocery shopping or something. I meant his own crafted items, especially those that store their own power. If wizards the power and age of McCoy find them useful. Harry can't really argue with that, right?

And just what gadgets does McCoy use outside of the blackstaff?  Who says that a veil suit cannot be stolen?  There is a reason why Harry stores the Artifacts on the island, so they won't be stolen..

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Harry already owns most of the most powerful magical artefacts in reality. Where is artefact upgrade has begun is with Bob the Castle, his Smart Ass House. There is potential there for Harry to plug into 21st Century technology his wizard peers can’t, with Bob being able to project on castle surfaces and interact with the electromagnetic spectrum.

Otherwise, it’s self improvement, things which were difficult becoming much easier (making the Gatekeepers anti veil ointment quickly from Tiger Balm for example) through experience or skill. It is clear Harry is going to learn shapeshifting and replicate and develop a defence to Carlos favourite disintegration attack from Battle Ground from the way things were set out. He is going to observe more what his opponents can do and be able analyse and direct countermeasures in real time, like he began to do in his battle with Eb, and replicate it. He is telescoping a couple of centuries experience into a couple of decades, Eb should have creamed him quickly, but Harry won that encounter.

[Fcrate]

And just what gadgets does McCoy use outside of the blackstaff?  Who says that a veil suit cannot be stolen?  There is a reason why Harry stores the Artifacts on the island, so they won't be stolen..

Exactly. Stored on the island. Useless in a fight, unless he sees it coming at least 4 hours ahead, and actually has a chance to get them.
I don't like the veil suit idea, but Harry's crafted items will be less coveted, and presumably worn on his person at all times, ready for use and much harder to steal.
McCoy used a kinetic energy ring in Blood Rites.

[Mira]

Exactly. Stored on the island. Useless in a fight, unless he sees it coming at least 4 hours ahead, and actually has a chance to get them.
I don't like the veil suit idea, but Harry's crafted items will be less coveted, and presumably worn on his person at all times, ready for use and much harder to steal.
McCoy used a kinetic energy ring in Blood Rites.

Harry also has one of those rings.. And the Artifacts are not supposed to be used on a daily bases, so they are fine where they are. I also think that Harry will find a way to the island that will get him there almost instantly.  If not a way, I wouldn't be shocked if he learned to teleport in next book or two.  Why else bring it up like Jim did in Battle Ground? Harry can improve his shield bracelet and the other gadgets he already has, but honestly I believe he has all that he needs.  We've yet to see fully what the staff he made from wood on the island will do..

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Harry is likely already working on a way to get to the super weapons quickly. In Little Things he has the Za Guard living in the Castle for no given reason and is meditating a lot. Bob has now taken on Winter Blue livery. What I think is that he is trying to re-direct the Way from Lea’s Murder Garden to the Winter Knights Apartments at Arctis Tor. I believe there is already a way from Arctis Tor to Demonreach as both the Gatekeeper and the Winter Lady were able to access the Island by the Ways before it’s defences we’re fully engaged. Most likely Mab’s ice Dungeon.

That means once at the Castle Harry can access the super weapons securely in a matter of minutes, no more long vulnerable journeys by boat.

[g33k]

And just what gadgets does McCoy use outside of the blackstaff?

McCoy uses his OWN staff on the daily; he only whips out the Blackstaff for really-big fights.
Similarly, his robes are armored-up; they're like Dresden's duster, but noticeably superior.
He and Harry share a pair of "speaking stones" (presumably McCoy's make).
He has a Kinetic ring like Harry's (presumably, Harry's is modeled on Eb's, like his staff is).

We also just don't see Eb enough to be sure how much more gear he uses, or doesn't use...

[g33k]

... I also think that Harry will find a way to the island that will get him there almost instantly.  If not a way, I wouldn't be shocked if he learned to teleport in next book or two.  Why else bring it up like Jim did in Battle Ground? Harry can improve his shield bracelet and the other gadgets he already has, but honestly I believe he has all that he needs ...

I think Harry needs more "gadgets" for two reasons:

1) To cover his weaknesses.  He's really really strong, in the areas here whe's strong.  But he's only fair-to-middling in several other ways.  Finesse and delicacy are areas where he still needs these "crutches."  Also note that the Merlin -- in "combat gear" -- looks a helluva lot like a "Special Forces" guy, wearing a harness and a BUNCH of pockets, pouches, clips, etc holding a BUNCH of these gadgets.

1a) Harry's chiefest weakness is just his frail humanity.  He still dies when someone shoots him, stabs him, etc.  His shield-bracelet can stop a hail of bullets... if he has a moment to deploy it.  Someone shooting him from under a veil would be an insta-kill.  Likewise a savage brawler like a ghoul:  if veiled, if Harry had no clue until the ghoul actually had his claws on Harry... that'd be it.   Remember Eb's robes, in the battle at Chichen Itza?  Eb didn't have to "do" anything, the bullets just thumped into the robe ... and dropped to the ground.  Harry needs defenses that are always-on, that defend him even if the bad guys give him no warning.

2) Fan service.  The readers just like Harry's toys.  They like the scenes crafting them in the lab, where Harry and Bob snark at one another.

... We've yet to see fully what the staff he made from wood on the island will do.

  The easy answer would be, "open a Gate from the staff to the tree."  Boom, on the island.

The other likely method, IMHO, would be to find Runes linking the castle to the island.

I mean... the island's Runes were a level of complexity even Bob found daunting.  And now Harry's living in a castle carved with such runes... and Bob is living *AS* the castle.  Talk about a chekhovgun!!!

[Fcrate]

This is something that's been bugging me throughout the series. Someone holds Harry at gunpoint, he raises his hands and hopes for a moment to raise his shield, then the conversation takes about 5 minutes, with Harry trying to defuse the situation because he's scared of the gun. I mean... Raise the freaking shield already. As far as we know, it only takes pouring his will into the bracelet, no gestures are even required.
I do understand that it's a little necessary for furthering the plot on many books, even if it doesn't make sense logically.
@ g33k: Harry has his duster, and there was a hint in Changes that he'll eventually be able to learn how to extend its protection to cover the head.

[vincentric]

That should be the next upgrade he makes to his shield bracelet. Store enough energy and the spell sequence to activate it with a single word and no gathering of power and make it last the few seconds he needs to gather his will to sustain it.

[Mira]

That should be the next upgrade he makes to his shield bracelet. Store enough energy and the spell sequence to activate it with a single word and no gathering of power and make it last the few seconds he needs to gather his will to sustain it.

I'm fine with that, it is an upgrade to what already exists, like he realized after Mavra nearly burned his hand off that he had to also make the shield bracelet heat proof.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

That should be the next upgrade he makes to his shield bracelet. Store enough energy and the spell sequence to activate it with a single word and no gathering of power and make it last the few seconds he needs to gather his will to sustain it.

More likely that he gets finesse in how he directs his shield, making multiple shields at the same time, englobing an enemy with his shield so their fire returns at them and then contracting in to the size of a grapefruit (that would work lovely on Blamps, just like his gravitational spell but with less set up).

Now what is Harry going to do with Bob’s old skull? I would think that he would modify it to communicate remotely with Bob the Castle. If he can contact Bob with it, then Bob can patch him into the cell phone network, so that Harry would have a mobile bone phone. A telling bone so as to speak.

Mobile communications taken together with his mothers gem would allow Harry to be anywhere in North America in minutes, he could outflank the wardens. Easily.

The sonic screwdriver was abandoned in classic Doctor Who because it was too easy a solution for a story lasting 4-6 episodes. In Modern Who it’s perfect because it pushes the single episode stories on at a pace. That is the dilemma with most of Harry’s gadgets, they need to be appropriate to the speed of the narrative.