3/8
Stow the Little Stuff
Parachute bags have been my fastener storage system of choice for at least 30 years now. Why? Because they’re not made out of plastic, which means no lids to open, no hinges or latches to break and no predetermined wrong-size cubbyholes. Just extremely simple, durable canvas bags with individual pie-wedge shaped pockets held closed or pulled open with a simple cord. This isn’t new, space-age technology, just ordinary sewn canvas or nylon fitted with intelligently designed cordage, but it’s one of the best ways on the planet to haul and store all those small tools every tradesperson needs every day. They also stack inside a 5-gallon bucket so you can haul a few different bags at the same time.
– Travis Larson
4/8
Get Yourself a Co-Pilot
If you drive a two-door pickup truck like I do, you know the drill. You hop in your truck and set all of your important papers, your lunch, and other assorted junk on the passenger seat because, well, where else are you going to put it? Invariably, though, you take a corner too fast or hit the breaks a little too hard and all of your stuff goes flying, along with a few expletives.
About 10 years ago I found a great solution for both my truck and profanity problems—the Cab Commander from Duluth Trading Co (these truck organizer ideas might come in handy, too).
My Cab Commander is made of rugged polyester, and stays in place with a strap that loops around the passenger seat’s headrest. There’s a big open pocket, into which you can stuff your laptop, clipboard, bungee cords and other assorted jobsite necessities. I’ve even shoved a framing nailer in there once or twice. There are also lots of small pockets for things like your cell phone, tape measure and business cards. The two tubular-shaped pockets on either end work great for long, round objects like a thermos, water bottle or flashlight.
– Jason White
5/8
No More Tangled Poles
As a professional cleaner, I have to haul around a bunch of long-handled tools: mops, vacuum wands, squeegee extensions. Driving between jobs, all those poles would dance around and get tangled up with each other, making it nearly impossible to pull out my other tools without a big hassle. My solution was to build a simple rack out of some scrap 2x4s and plywood. It took me about an hour to throw together and cost nothing. Now I just need a good storage system to keep my mop bucket from doing the tango back there.
– Curtis Peterson
