A new iPhone / iPod Touch application called PocketTouch has surfaced, and may be the answer to a common problem with touch-screen devices like the iPhone. PocketTouch is a simple interface that allows you to control the playback of your iPhone’s songs without having to look at the screen and aim for a small button.
read it here iphone-cheats.com
I have recently purchased a O’neill jacket with a remote control for the ipod that sits in a special pocket, with cable path to the inside of the jacket for the headphone wires.
I find that basic commands - on/off, volume+:-, next/previous is not enough for me : I open the ipod pocket frequently to choose either my Playlist or my podcast.
--> I would definitely test such a solution before buying…