tool bag v tool box v cantilever box ?

[bert.]

ok this is mostly for 4 wheel driving in remote areas what is the best way to store your tools that you carry on the road with you?
my thoughts are
tool bag not many rattles and packs down to the size of its contents and wont scratch or dint
tool box a bit safer than a bag tools would rattle around
cantilever box would still be a bit rattly but would allow better organisation of tools

witch way would you go?
the tools being carried would be a basic set spanners screwdrivers pliers sockets just the basic bread and butter tools.

 

[JonnyMac]

G'day
I carry mine in a box in my camper trailer. Ive got the snap on box with a removable tote tray and a 2 sidchrome socket sets one 1/2 inch and the other 1/4 inch. Its pretty comprehensive and a reasonable size.
If you keep a box in the car make sure its well secured as they can be a bit of a lethal projectile if things get a bit hairy off road...Jon

 

[getahammer]

Put everything in tool rolls. Sockets on rails into canvas bags. (klein ) the ones with zippers. Then , into a portable tool box. Any kind will do. Nothing rattles, and tools don't get scattered all over hells half acre.

 

[sloppy]

Put everything in tool rolls. Sockets on rails into canvas bags. (klein ) the ones with zippers. Then , into a portable tool box. Any kind will do. Nothing rattles, and tools don't get scattered all over hells half acre.

I agree with this.. Rolls are the way to go.. But I would go with a ammo box for storage..

 

[Adam.C]

I have my tools in those plastic storage boxes with the clear lids for hardware. I chose boxes that have very few fixed dividers. I then packed each area with a high density foam (a camping mattress pad- about 1/2" thick), then made cutouts for tools. Not too difficult to group tools functionally. I have a 1/4" drive box with sockets, ratchets, bit sockets, small screwdrivers and pliers. Then the same for 3/8" drive and 1/2" drive. Wrenches are in canvas rolls. Each box is thin and portable and you can instantly see what is there and what isn't.

 

[isr2kba]

In NH,VT,ME an average day of wheeling in a 10 Jeep caravan includes 1 (gentle) rollover. Having seen that many rollovers and many storage solutions put to the test, I'd recommend choosing a storage system that can survive a 6' drop onto a hard surface without spilling its contents secured with ratchet straps and tie downs.

Test your storage scheme in the driveway, not the trail.

 

[bert.]

In NH,VT,ME an average day of wheeling in a 10 Jeep caravan includes 1 (gentle) rollover. Having seen that many rollovers and many storage solutions put to the test, I'd recommend choosing a storage system that can survive a 6' drop onto a hard surface without spilling its contents secured with ratchet straps and tie downs.

Test your storage scheme in the driveway, not the trail.

so what do you recommend?

 

[Jeeper]

I have a metal cantilever box with my "backup" tools in them. It's really noisy. I am at some point going to find a tool bag. Quieter and i think it will hold more. Not quite as organized but everything I have is on rails and in rolls.

 

[crewchief888]

a few tools in a bag,
strapped down in the truck.

i keep more tools (3 drawer CM top box) and spare parts ( kennedy cantilever) in the back of the tow rig.


heres the bag i carry

longer tools, like a breaker bar and prybar are secured to the cage

as mentioned it's no fun having stuff crashing down on you if/when you roll over

 

[Dave455]

Having stuff rattling around annoy's me, so I use an old ammo box (nice and solid, and with a rubber seal as well) but wrap up my tools in some rag to keep em decent and stoop rattling!

When I've finalised what I carry in a particular box, I usually go the distance and make some plywood trays as well!

 

[isr2kba]

so what do you recommend?

I have not personally rolled so in a sense my gear configuration is untested in that way. Two main observations that I have:

1. Restraint is the key. Concentrated effort on ensuring that tools will not fall out of their container (keep it securely closed) and that the container will not move about independently of the vehicle will pay off. Ratchet straps and tie downs work well -- bungee cords and cargo nets are crappy choices.

2. In the event that something comes loose soft containers fare better on drops than hard containers. Cheap plastic boxes always fail the drop test when loaded with heavy tools, often leaving a tell-tale tool yard sale. Heavy canvas duffle bags and the like tend to do better. Use tool rolls to secure the individual items within the bag (cuts down on the annoying noise too).

Now on to what I do:

I use a ski boot bag from the seventies to hold my 4" x 20' tow strap, tree strap, ****** block, spares, some chain and a variety of shackles. I use a ridiculously heavy duty samsonite laptop bag to hold my handtools. I've never seen anything so heavy duty before or since I found it at flea market for 10 bucks. Prybar, hilift, sledge & shovel are bracketed to the bumper.

I wedge the bags in the back along with the cool drink container and ratchet strap the whole thing securely to tiedowns that I added to the rig expressly for the purpose.

I really love wheelin' and I hope you do too!! Prepping is nearly half the fun!

 

[bert.]

i might have to look into getting some tool rolls made
do you guys have one for spanners one for sockets one for scredrivers etc etc..... or just have bigger ones that hold most things ?

 

[countryroad82]

For me I have the the same bag that goes with me from vehicle to vehicle. It goes from my daily drivers to junk I don't know anything about to buddy's junk before we hit the hills. Have had a couple spills, nothing terrible. But I carry what I call the basics, 1/4,3/8 full socket sets, a tree of 1/2 drive sockets, a multi-screwdriver along with a couple regular screwdrivers, tire plug kit, SAE/metric wrenches up to 3/4 and 18, test light, Ford tool (32oz hammer), and a flashlight. All this is rolled up in rolls and stuffed in the Makita bag I got with my buffer years ago. It's a tight fit but it's plenty portable, I take this set on most all my junkyard runs and with it there isn't much I can't fix or rig up to get home!!

 

[isr2kba]

i might have to look into getting some tool rolls made
do you guys have one for spanners one for sockets one for scredrivers etc etc..... or just have bigger ones that hold most things ?

I just use generic ones and they have held up fine the better part of 10 years. Wheelin' tools get loaned a lot on the trail, so you may consider that, but if you have the means, why not get some bombproof badass tool rolls made.

Conditions are different everywhere, but here in the Northeast, we have mud --lots of mud. And it gets into everything.