CMU School of Drama


Monday, October 05, 2026

14 Handy Tools Small Enough To Fit In Your Backpack

www.slashgear.com: Most backpacks are usually filled with the things you expect to use during the day: a laptop, a charger, a water bottle, and perhaps a pair of headphones. Tools rarely make the cut because a regular toolbox is heavy and takes up too much space.

2 comments:

Violet K said...

I think the mechanical screw driver case is a bit much to be carrying around with you all the time. I can count the number of times I was suddenly building furniture with no warning on zero fingers. I do however really like this tiny little rechargeable flashlight, that seems like a great addition to the nonsense that is usually found in my bag. I think the laser measure is also a fun idea to have on you, in case you desperately need a dimension and don’t have a 100ft tape on your person. Spending $50 on a carabiner when I usually spend about $0 on one because I found it on the ground seems like a bit much. But I guess if it also doubles as a bottle opener that's probably worth it. The bike pump seems like a good tool to keep in your car, but once again I’d argue that a backpack is a bit of a stretch. My computer definitely could use a good hose down from an air compressor, so that seems like a good one.

chris said...

Reading through this, my first thought is that a lot of these could probably just be covered by one multitool instead of buying each one separately. I also personally am not a big fan of how it is organized around brands. Every entry starts with a specific product, so it reads a bit more like a shopping list than advice. I think it would be more useful if it started with the type of tool, talked about why you would want that kind of tool in your bag, and then recommended a brand for a certain reason. That way you kind of learn what to look for instead of just being told what to buy. That said, I do find the article useful for recommending all sorts of tools, especially the flashlights and the carabiner. Some of the other ones feel a little too specific though, like the tire inflator. That one goes more into good-to-have-somewhere territory rather than something you carry in an everyday backpack. For everyday I think a multitool can solve most of the issues you would run into.