Show Me Your Toolbags!

I got some new small tools for Christmas so I went thru and sorta re-organized my toolbag and drawers in my 4runner today (which is my offroader/camping truck - my taco is my DD). I got this tool bag about 2 years ago and I love it… It has a nice hard plastic bottom with a good 1” or so lip on it all around, like a pan on the bottom. And I really like how the front zips down and has all those pockets for all my small hand tools so I don’t have to go digging thru a big pile of tools in a dark bag every time I need a screwdriver or a pliers. Inside the bag I have my larger hand tools of course, some big sockets, a few spare hoses, a set of metric nut drivers, set of ratcheting SAE wrenches (my set of metric ratcheting wrenches I keep in the pull-out drawer), etc… This is a great little tool bag if anyone is in the market for a new one. It’s durable, designed well for convenience, and the perfect size for a truck.

In the drawer you can see my breaker bar, bolt cutters, deep and shallow socket sets, old Haynes manual I’ve had since I bought the truck in 2001, and a tire plug kit. Also a spare CV axle. Anyway, I thought some of you guys might like to see what I carry into the woods and deserts with me, and maybe show your tool bag too.

 

My tools are in the storage bins under/behind the rear seat and in a lock Contico box in the bed for larger tools (jack, gas, recovery gear). I do have a small tool bag from HB, and a larger Makita bag. On longer trips those bags will carry power tools, batteries, a second air compressor, etc …

 

re your onboard toolbag, I heard this great tip. The next time you work on your truck at home, use your truck's toolbag. If you come up short on a tool you need, you'll know you need to add it to the truck's toolbag for field repairs.

 

Super smart!

 

Note sure if this counts but my newest project. Full sockets hand tools and an impact . Plus saw oil gas recovery gear and air pump.

 

I have a Step22 Pangolin Tool Roll. It is very high quality, holds a lot of tools, and doesn't take up much space. Highly recommend.

 

We use the Klein canvas zipper bags. They fit nicely in the cabin storage behind the seats and you can color code for metric versus imperial or keep wrenches separate from miscellaneous supplies (zip ties, scissors, tape).

Klein Tools 5141 Canvas Zipper Bag, Tool Pouch, Tool Bag, Utility Bag, Bank Deposit Bag, 12.5 x 7-Inch, Brown/Black/Gray/Red 4-Pack

$39 Klein Tools 5141 Canvas Zipper Bag, Tool Pouch, Tool Bag, Utility Bag, Bank Deposit Bag, 12.5 x 7", Brown/Black/Gray/Red 4-Pack

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007V8RXVI

 

Husky same size bags are $5 each. I have about 15 of them and they are perfect for most little tool packs.

 

I go back and forth between boxes and bags. Stackable and robust, or stuffable and quiet. But I have a more general vehicle tool question. I’ve acquired a lot of tools over 50 years, a lot of duplicates - but not all. And with two travel vehicles plus home garage plus a separate bike toolbox, I find I don’t always have what I need where I need it. I have enough for home + one vehicle, but not for both. Do you guys with more than one vehicle carry full sets in each one? The storage spaces in Tacoma and van are different size and shape so one box/bag doesn’t work great.

 

Might sound like I am being posh or whatnot, but yeah, each rig has its own compliment of tools, specific to the rig and its "mission". The hassle and likelihood of me forgetting to swap stuff around made me land on that avenue. I also do it with my other "gear", its just easier to spend a bit of time building it exactly the way it ought to be and never worrying about it. I also prevents me from pillaging my other kits.