Tool roll-up kits

I am looking at my various collections of stuff that I call "kits," such as my fire-making kit, cooking kit, etcetera. I am thinking that many of them would benefit from a custom-sewn fabric roll-up, like those sometimes seen with wrenches and other tools.

I think I could use fabric roll-ups to protect and also quiet down gear which now resides loosely in various bags and containers. A shift to a roll-up from a container might also save some space.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

I think this would work best if the items are similarly sized, especially long and narrow, like wrenches or screwdrivers. Or if short, stacked pockets to store multple items in a row. If odd size items are included the roll-up tends to waste a lot of space and I think there would be better ways to package to reduce noise that can be backed in a compact space.

Such as?

No question you are right that some 'roll-ups" would turn out to be "fold-ups."

I have used both tool rolls and tool bags. My choice is a tool bag.

I keep assorted tools in a medium sized (aprox. 3"x10"x3") mollie bag. It is not a special bag for tools so I can change it as my needed tools change. Much smaller than a tool roll. To eliminate noise, I have a couple of straps that compress the bag tightly. The bag is designed so the top can be folded back around the sides making a very large opening which facilitates tool access.

I keep a small (aprox 20" square) bit of cloth in the bag. When needed I can dump the bag on the cloth to provide easier access to the tools. I usually do this only for "long" projects.

The cloth also provides a good "field expedient" workplace to prevent the escape of small parts. I sew a small border pocket along all the edges so parts can not slip off the edge but instead will be trapped in the edge pocket.

I have been using this method in one form or another for over 50 years now. Tool rolls take up much more room and are not adaptable as I discover new (and usually better) tools. With the bag I just abandon the old tool and drop in the new one. With a tool roll, I need to modify the roll. Not always an easy task.

Actually I have 3 tool bags. The largest is a open topped bag with many pockets. Left over from my "messing about with boats" life. It is my daily use "fix everything" bag.

Then there is the smaller one mentioned above. It goes with me when ever I leave home in a vehicle or flying (as checked baggage).

Last I have a small belt sized mollie pouch with just my "essential" tools. A bit heavy, but being a tool using creature it is worth the freight. It consists of; 6" vice grips, 6" channel locks, leatherman (original, small flashlight, 4"wire cutters, 4" long nose pliers, Kobalt mini screw driver with 1/4" hex very small bit drivers in the handle and a selection of 1/4" hex bits in a small rubber holder. It rides on my mollie vest, on my belt or in my carry bag as appropriate, but is never far away.

Nomad, your setup sounds truly awesome! Do you have any pictures you are willing to share with us?

Fascinating to see where threads head.

The gear I am looking to "roll" includes my first aid kit, hygiene kit, fishing kit, repair / ditty kit, game cleaning kit, eating utensil and spice kit, etcetera.

For my own tools i use a small gatemouth bag with several custom rolls for wrenches and screwdrivers. What i like about the rolls is that when the job is over it is easy to keep tools organized and also to make sure that you have not left anything behind.

Tool rolls are fairly easy to make if you have any kind of access to a sewing machine. My own tool rolls are made from scraps from an upholstery shop. Do get a few comments on the "pretty" colors when i display my wrenches.

Tool kits are only nominally portable. Heavy and bulky you really need a vehicle of some sort, even kid's wagon helps, if you have to go very far. That said, a well rounded tool kit is a real leg up in a lot of situations. The ability to repair, patch, perhaps even build rudimentary support systems, water, power and shelter, or get/keep vehicles running can be a huge benefit. Well worth the trouble taken to schlep around tools.

My tool kits vary in packaging but my large one uses a heavy-duty nylon tool bag with a shoulder strap to make hauling a little easier. Inside there are a couple of rolls for the majority of screwdrivers and pliers, and another one for a socket wrench set with sockets on a stick. Tape/s and chemicals go into a zipper bag. As do bulky items with accessories like test equipment. Another heavy canvas zipper bag is set up as an immediate use tool kit with a few frequently used tools like a multi-driver, box cutter, pliers.

These tools are duplicated in the main kit. Getting the most use they are subject to more wear and tear and are most likely to get broken or lost.

Large items, like hammers (claw, framing, small sledge hammers) a tool pouch and belt (Makes larger jobs more efficient), pry bars, and couple of saws all ride in the tool bag.

The combination of tool bag/s, zipper pouches, and tool rolls keep things organized, handy, organized, and well protected. Valuable, the complete set pushes seventy pounds last I checked.

What kind of material would you recommend?

Thanks.

I use tool roll-ups in my Jeep for wrenches and such. They are rolled up and carried inside an ammo can.

Mine are the ones Harbor Freight sells.

Depends on what you are using the roll for. Mine are just heavy fabric for holding wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. I picked the material because it was free. But what you are going to put in the roll should be what drives the material choice. Heavy tools, heavy fabric. Your spice kit could be made out of something light and easy to clean. If you need to see what is stuffed in a pocket use clear vinyl for the pocket, my adventure medical first aid kit has this.

If you are thinking of making your own here is a diy gear forum with information on sewing your own stuff,

http://www.diytactical.com/forums/

Don't know much about that forum and there are probably more, but there is good information and suppliers there.

If you make your own be sure to post a few pictures and show off your work.

Hey D,You know what works,Really Well,Those Cheapy White Canvas Tool aprons,usually with ACE Hardware stamped on front,They're 2-3 bucks each.It would be Real easy to Doctor them up,To your own specifications,If you have a Speedy-Stitcher,If not they are $10 w/2-needles & waxed thread,Good Luck!

thanks, rich, I will lookinto the Ace tool things. I have a speedy sticher but its "thread" is pretty coarse.

I use tool rolls for certain tools, I think it's made from Cordura or some other heavy canvas type of material. Sometimes it's convienent, other times a tool bag is more useful. For example, if you have a lot of long narrow items, and you need to have the entire selection exposed for a certain task (i.e. wrenches, screwdrivers, or in your case cooking utensils) and have plenty of space to use it, it works great.

However, it does take up a decent amount of flat space to have it unrolled, so say if you're working on a small area where there isn't a lot of area to lay it on, things tend to fall out. And sometimes the space/storage ratio isn't great if your tools aren't uniform, such as using it to store short or misshaped items. That's when I like using a small canvas toolbag, you can set it on a dashboard, shelf, your lap, almost anywhere. I use multiple smaller bags to separate my stuff into different catagories, that way I don't have to dig through a huge bag looking for one item.

I think a tool roll is better for storing items too keep them from getting damaged, but a tool bag is easier to actually work from.

If your tools are noisily rattling around in the tool box, that is Nature's way of saying you need to obtain more tools!

More seriously, consider simply padding them with good old rags, which will be useful in their own right.

I like tool rolls instead of hard boxes because I can stuff them in places. The tools I carry in my truck stuff under the very back of the back seat so they don't take up any usable space.