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PC/Tool Backpack

willf650

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Mar 10, 2010
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I know this is a “garage” forum but there are guys from many trades here so there may be some first hand usage of a PC/tool back pack. I work in a field where 70% of the time I need tools and a pc with me. If I’m doing heavier construction I carry in a tool bag that is approaching 45# in addition to my PC in a backpack which is about 15# with the tools I keep in it. If just basic day to day stuff I carry the PC bag and a small tool pouch.

I got a sale flyer in my email for a Klein PC/tool bag and see they make a back pack version. Has anyone used this or something similar? An Amazon search brought up several makes and I believe I’ve narrowed my favorite's to the Klein and a Wiha. I’m shying away from the Veto due to weight. Had a Veto PC tool bag in the past and gave it away due to the weight and lack of cable storage.

Anyone used the Klein or have a recommendation?
 
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willf650

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Ditch the back pack and get a pelican case 1510 or 1560. Id rather roll a case then carry on my back.
That’s the exact opposite of what I’m looking for. I don’t work in an environment that would allow that to be useful about 50% of the time. They are also huge.

I need to go up and down steps, straight ladders on buildings and equipment. Current set up may make to elevation on my back or a rope. Many times there will be no easy rolling path. When I bring in a wheeled box (dewalt tough system or Klein modbox) sometimes it’s an ordeal to get it there and I only do it when it will be used to lock stuff on site for several days.
 
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snowblindb

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Finland
I just bought Knipex X18 backpack from amazon.de. I keep all my VDE tools and meters in that. I would otherwise bought the Veto MB5B Blackout (fits only iPad in that) but postages and custom to Finland would double the price against X18. So far I have been satisfied with the Knipex.
I can send pictures from the inside if you need to know some measurements etc.

Edit: It’s not for rough work so if you have haul a lot of heavy tools, it’s propably not the best one for that.

IMG_2484.jpeg
 
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willf650

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I just bought Knipex X18 backpack from amazon.de. I keep all my VDE tools and meters in that. I would otherwise bought the Veto MB5B Blackout (fits only iPad in that) but postages and custom to Finland would double the price against X18. So far I have been satisfied with the Knipex.
I can send pictures from the inside if you need to know some measurements etc.

Edit: It’s not for rough work so if you have haul a lot of heavy tools, it’s propably not the best one for that.

IMG_2484.jpeg
That looks nice but not easy to get over here from what I see. It’s also quite an expense for me to get from my search. It’s similar to the Wiha

I ordered a Wiha and a Klein and will return the one I don’t like.
 
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ihateminimumwage

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Jan 26, 2012
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I've had the older lay-flat style Klein, and currently have one of the (discontinued model?) laptop backpacks. Haven't tried the newest, but been real happy with the two I have. Have held up to plenty of abuse at work, and carry more than I need in most situations.

I tried some Veto stuff and found they were plenty heavy before even putting tools in.

Was going to suggest ordering through Zoro or somewhere with an easy return policy, but you obviously already went that route.
 
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willf650

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If it matters I went with the Wiha. I had the Klein and Wiha I purchased and also the Veto lined up side by side.

Here’s how they stacked up to me. The Klein had the most room but was also the poorest quality. It’s no sturdier than the Swissgear laptop bags I use currently and can see it going south with the added weight of a few more tools.

The Wiha is right in the middle on storage volume and quality. It has a nice side pouch I can store my meter in which is great and is heavier construction than a standard computer bag.

The Veto was the best built but also the worst to carry a PC. It has a PC sleeve but not enough space to carry cables I need nor my meter well. It also has a weird metal piece that transfers weight from shoulder straps to the carry handle that has to be removed to open the PC compartment. It’s the smallest overall and fell over on me twice just getting the PC in and out. It’s basically a tool bag with a PC sleeve.

In terms of price they are tiered with Klein on the bottom and Veto at the top. My shop sells Veto in our parts department and even at my cost it was the most expensive. You do seem to get what you pay for though.
 

Steve_P

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Coincidentally, I just got an email from Wiha yesterday about their backpacks- which I didn't know they made. I don't have a use for them, but they do look great in the pics.
 

KnurledNut

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@willf650
That Wiha looks really nice. I was aware of their collab with Veto and the Red Stripe model but haven’t seen this one. Looks like its made in Vietnam?

Laugh if you want, but I have been using the Bauer (HF, not the hockey company!) backpack for a year and a half now and its been great with no issues. Typically carry a tablet instead of laptop though. I have gotten so used to the layout, it would be hard for me to adjust to something else now. I have come to appreciate having wide open space in a bag instead of all tool holders. I have some bulk items that wouldn’t carry well in many other bags I looked at.
I too would like to see your bag loadout.
:beer:
 

snowblindb

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Finland
If it matters I went with the Wiha. I had the Klein and Wiha I purchased and also the Veto lined up side by side.

Here’s how they stacked up to me. The Klein had the most room but was also the poorest quality. It’s no sturdier than the Swissgear laptop bags I use currently and can see it going south with the added weight of a few more tools.

The Wiha is right in the middle on storage volume and quality. It has a nice side pouch I can store my meter in which is great and is heavier construction than a standard computer bag.

The Veto was the best built but also the worst to carry a PC. It has a PC sleeve but not enough space to carry cables I need nor my meter well. It also has a weird metal piece that transfers weight from shoulder straps to the carry handle that has to be removed to open the PC compartment. It’s the smallest overall and fell over on me twice just getting the PC in and out. It’s basically a tool bag with a PC sleeve.

In terms of price they are tiered with Klein on the bottom and Veto at the top. My shop sells Veto in our parts department and even at my cost it was the most expensive. You do seem to get what you pay for though.
I have a few years old Veto OT-LC and TP3B and I have lost count how many times they are tripped/fell in van and tools are all over floor. That’s one reason why I wanted backpack with zippers.
 
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willf650

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I have a few years old Veto OT-LC and TP3B and I have lost count how many times they are tripped/fell in van and tools are all over floor. That’s one reason why I wanted backpack with zippers.
I have 5 different Veto bags at this point but two aren’t in use. One of them is worn out and one was a little too small for its intended purpose.

This is my big bag at the moment I bought recently to replace the worn out bag. It has spilled on me a couple times. It’s the open top version of the bag I wore out.
IMG_1468.jpeg

I‘m getting old and have a bad hip so I try to only bring this in on a cart. I’m setting up a smaller pouch styled Veto to use most often and trying to set up the PC bag with minimal multi size tools. Personally hate the “10 in 1” style stuff but I’m trying to cut down on weight.

My main problem at the moment is I have triple of some tools with one of them in each bag. On the bright side many of my tools are brand new as I buy the double/triple of them to put in different bags.
 
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willf650

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This is what I think I’m going with. Probably 2/3 the tools in here are new as many are multi use/size, think 10 in one screwdriver, and I hate using them as a primary tool. Weight is a concern with this bag multi use it is.

I feel like those guys on YouTube showing there “load out” but nothing they have has ever been used. I assume tool companies must pay them and supply the free product. I’m wondering if many of them don’t actually work in the trades.
IMG_1562.jpeg
IMG_1563.jpeg
 

Snapped-off

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The Wiha looks pretty nice. I've got the small Milwaukee backpack I use for a few tools, plus a laptop. It's been great so far.

I wanted the smaller one for climbing ladders.
 

dynatrix

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May 26, 2026
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I had a similar problem for a while. The backpack itself was only part of it. I was also trying to find a laptop that was both light enough to carry all day and still powerful enough to actually do real work on site.

I eventually settled on a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon because it was one of the few machines that didn’t feel like carrying a brick around all day. For the backpack I ended up using a SwissGear for a long time before moving to a Klein setup once I started carrying more tools regularly.

Seems like every option is a compromise though. The powerful laptops are heavy and the lighter ones usually struggle once you throw real workloads at them.
 

ecotec

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I hated working out of a Klein backpack so much that I do not even want to try the other brands. I went back to a toolbox.

We work off Rubbermaid style carts, so a toolbox isn’t bad once you get it to the job.

I liked the idea, but it was functionally/ergonomically a disaster.

A couple times, I almost pulled the trigger on a Veto Tech Pac MCP.
 

bmwrd0

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I used an Ideal tote, like this one. Stuffed a tablet with keyboard in the center pocket, hand lined it up on roof tops. I was doing inspections for the PUC of commercial HVAC, tool boxes were absolutely out of the question, and back packs threw your balance off too much going over parapets and onto ladders.
 

danski0224

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Jan 29, 2005
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Near Naperville, IL
If it matters I went with the Wiha. I had the Klein and Wiha I purchased and also the Veto lined up side by side.

Here’s how they stacked up to me. The Klein had the most room but was also the poorest quality. It’s no sturdier than the Swissgear laptop bags I use currently and can see it going south with the added weight of a few more tools.

The Wiha is right in the middle on storage volume and quality. It has a nice side pouch I can store my meter in which is great and is heavier construction than a standard computer bag.

The Veto was the best built but also the worst to carry a PC. It has a PC sleeve but not enough space to carry cables I need nor my meter well. It also has a weird metal piece that transfers weight from shoulder straps to the carry handle that has to be removed to open the PC compartment. It’s the smallest overall and fell over on me twice just getting the PC in and out. It’s basically a tool bag with a PC sleeve.
I recently had an employer change, and the Everki I suggested previously would not work for carrying and organizing tools (which I mentioned), even though it was absolutely great for carrying enough tech bits for a mobile office.

I pretty much went through the exact same things mentioned in this quoted post.

I had previously purchased the same Veto Tech Pac LT, and experienced the same issues. There's absolutely no room for much more than a small charging brick in the same laptop stowage area. Veto has the best, by far, accessory storage pockets for other office stuff like pens and there's another sleeve for a tablet or clipboard, but this compartment really needs to be 1" deeper. There is pretty much the same issue on the tool side- there needs to be an additional 1" of space front to back. It's well made, and it is heavy when empty.

The extra piece that must be disengaged to access the laptop side is just about the most irritating thing ever.

The Klein backpack offers next to zero protection for the laptop, but it is better than the otherwise interesting Welkinland 76 pocket backpack. The one big plus on the Klein is the contrasting interior color.

I did look at the Milwaukee structured backpack, but did not experience anything to justify the Milwaukee tax. The earlier model has a lot of bad reviews about the zippers being poor quality.

In the end, I decided on the Wiha 91689. If it had the same laptop organization as the Veto Tech Pac LT and the contrasting color inside like the Klein, it would be awesome. It has that little bit of depth in the laptop and tool stowage area that makes it much more useful, IMO, than the Veto LT. However, the provided storage in the laptop area that's on the zippered door is useless for anything with any depth. I wound up putting the charging stuff for the laptop on the opposite side in the compartment with the Wiha logo.

This one probably has the best laptop protection because there is a plastic cage around the perimeter of the bag. One side of the zipper is on a rigid piece, and the laptop is recessed into this area. A similar setup is on the opposite side. I really don't care about all of the MOLLE strapping on the outside.

The Veto Tech Pac EVO is about 2" deeper than the LT bag, and it isn't exactly cheap. It comes with one interior panel that I wouldn't want, forcing me to buy another $100.00 part. There's only one place around me that would actually have one of these in stock to look at, but it would have to be totally awesome to justify being 2x the cost of the Wiha once it's all said and done.
 

ecotec

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I have also looked at the Veto Pro Pac MC and MCP (meter storage on the sides.

They are a much more reasonable size to carry around, but the upper tool holders are not big enough for longer tools.

I have pretty much figured that if I am going to go to a Veto, I am going to have to go to a standard Veto Pro Pac.
 
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willf650

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An old thread, but if anyone does a search in the future, CK make good tool bags in this area. Backpack, over shoulder and trolley.
Who is CK? When I google CK all that comes up is Calvin Klein and we're not even in the same realm of reality if that's what you're talking about.
 
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