Tools of the Trade: Ergodyne recently announced a new tool carrier, the Arsenal 5843 Tool Backpack. Tool backpacks have been around for years and are typically aimed at repair and maintenance techs, electricians and telecommunications workers, and other trades that must climb with their tools or carry them to distant locations.
9 comments:
I have a CLC tool bag backpack currently and I must say I enjoyed the idea of the tool bag backpack at first but I am honestly no longer a fam. As soon as you put a considerable number of tools in it the weight just becomes a hassle. Especially for someone like me with shoulder problems. This bag does seem very well designed for organization however the issue with using a backpack like this is that retrievability does become an issue, finding tools quickly and getting to them quickly is a strain. Yes one could organize in such a way that it becomes easy to remember where everything is stored but the process of opening the pack and reaching where the tool may be stored and NOT spilling the entire contents of the bag out becomes a challenge. I personally am more fond now of the pelican case for storage of tools.
Right now I have two tool boxes that I use, and each one is 26" long. I love them both, and they're cheap, plastic, interlocking, and they come in different colors. That being said, fully loaded they weigh close to 50 pounds. As nice as that is to keep in my closet and get tools as I need them or to bring it to a job site and just leave it in the place for a full day, it really sucks to have to lug it around. I've been in the market for a better solution for when I only need a couple tools, so I decided to read this post. This bag looks awesome, although the price tag is a big no for me, but I feel that backpacks have a way of closing off their contents even when you want them to be accessible, whereas I could just put a tool tote bag down on a table, open it up, and be ready to go. Also, although I'm very organized I think that it would get annoying to have to put tools away in interior pockets all the time. It would also be way less efficient. These are basically the same reasons why I use a tote camera bag as opposed to a backpack camera bag. I'm buying it because I don't want to carry all of my stuff around with me, and what I do have I want to be able to use quickly and easily.
I'm going to have to agree with Sean. I too own a CLC bag, and although the organization and infinite pouches are fantastic, the weight is simply impractical. The best use case for it currently is to sit fully loaded in my car, so if I go to a site, I can lug it to a work table and have it sit there the rest of the day.
That being said, the Ergodyne Arsenal bag has some pretty cool features. I like the exterior straps for large tools. I could easily see this being a convenient bag for households or other small organizations to keep all their tools and supplies in one place.
I also have a CLC bag. I was a big fan at first. I could arrange all my tools and it didn’t take up much space. I think the time I saved in knowing where each tool was, was lost in trying to get it out from the clutches of the straps which either grabbed on so tight I couldn’t remove them without a hassle or were so loose that when I opened the backpack all my tools would just fall down to the bottom of the pocket anyway. I did use it a lot when I had to take the bus to work every day a couple summers ago because it allowed me to carry all my stuff easily. But now that I have my own transportation I prefer the tool bag. So I guess the backpack is great for transport and storage but if those are not an issue it isn’t really that helpful. That being said it makes sense that it would be targeted to technicians who are working in different places every day and do a lot of carrying around of their tools.
I've been looking for awhile at new ways to work with my Stage Management kit. Right now It's housed in a large fishing tackle box which is fine for overall organization but it's really heavy which is a bit or an irritant. I often use it as a base storage place at my apartment and then pull things from it that I might need for a show and then use a backpack to haul that stuff around which then makes organization more of a problem. I'm intrigued by the tool backpacks since I've actually never seen any around and whether this might be a possible solution putting together a small portable stage management kit, which could go to various rehearsal rooms (which have to be completely cleaned up every night) as well as be moved down to the space once tech and performances start. I understand Isaac, Sean, and Ben's concerns about weight but I don't think that's as much of a problems for my world as it is for theirs. I may have to borrow theirs at some point and see if I like the setup of it.
As of recently I have been looking for a good product that I can use as a gig bag to take whatever tools I need for the work call to the gig without having to empty out my regular backpack and make it super heavy. As a sound person my tool collection differs largely from most carpenters so I'm looking for a bag that has a practical and organized layout to carry my typical assortment of adapters, testers, and electronics tools. I started looking at the CLC stuff and they all looked too bulky and, like Sean said, they look like they would get heavy rather quickly. I'm now looking at Pelican cases that I can out fit with some mesh pockets and build some interior organization system into. These seem to be the most useful and I feel as my tool collection grows I can expand in the Pelican Case. Seeing this bag it looks like it would be a much better alternative to the CLC stuff due to the waist strap. If you have ever been on a long backpacking trip you know that having the waist strap is a lifesaver. It moves half of the weight off your shoulders and onto your hips.
While I like the idea of a tool backpack, the practical concerns that Sean, Thomas, and Ben brought up definitely make it seem like less of a good plan. Weight is an important factor for something that is designed to be strapped to your back and carry heavy objects. Personally I think I am more interested in a tool box that can be hand carried or on wheels. I am in the process of turning an old road case into a larger project tool box, but I still need a better solution for day carry. I have not been a fan of the soft bags because I like the ability to stack things on and around my tool box and not worry about deforming it or tearing the sides. My main toolbox currently is a small sheetmetal box I built in highschool which I really like, but it is rusting in some places and isn't big enough for all of my tools.
For quite some time now I've been looking at a tool pack because it is an appealing idea for someone who moves around a lot while they are working. The main issue that I have been presented with when discussing and checking out different tool packs is the sheer weight that comes with carrying all of your tools around on your back. Personally, I believe it just isn't safe and could be extremely hard on your back while moving around. Now I'm not sure is the Arsenal solves any of these issues or not but I think it might just be something that is unavoidable with this type of pack. The side pouch and strap for too-long tools is quite nifty and I'm sure that Ergodyne won't have any problems selling this bag.
I had the same thought as Sean. Even though I do not have this tool bag, I feel it would get very heavy and inconvenient. Yes it will help one with their organization of tool and having them all in one spot, but tools are heavy. Lugging that bag around, especially having projects in multiple areas, seems like a hassle. Also, when you have multiple pockets where you need to remember where everything is you could waste time very easily. So for those who feel they should spend more money on a backpack that will decrease efficient timing, then go ahead. And even the possibility of the bag dropping from a lifted surface could injure and cause more of a time deficiency with tools falling everywhere. I think this company is getting somewhere, but they should keep in mind what is more important to their audience because of all the multiple spaces they work in.
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