Over packing and being under equipped

[davispitt]

I work in commercial carpentry, and every day on site can feel like a grab bag, one moment it’s wood, the next it’s concrete, then framing or some random fix nobody planned for and because of that, I’ve gotten into the habit of bringing a lot of hand tools with me, like I mean multiple bags or boxes, loaded with everything from the basics to the odds and ends that always seem to go missing. The issue is, I’ve caught some flak from coworkers for “moving in” to the job site every day. Since we usually carpool in company trucks, space can get tight, and I get why it looks like I’m hauling half a workshop around but in my defense and just as often, I end up being the one people borrow from when something basic isn’t on hand.
I’m trying to figure out a smarter way to pack, something efficient that still keeps me prepared for the variety of work we do
Thanks for your advice in advance,
Davis

 

[farmer Pet3r]

man, being prepared beats being delayed 100% of the time.
the key is moving from "a lot of bags" to a mobile, modular system. Look into Milwaukee Packout or DeWalt TStak/ToughSystem.
You can dedicate one box to "Daily Carry/Basics," one to "Fasteners/Consumables," and a larger one for "Specialty/Concrete." When carpool space is tight, you only grab the Daily Carry box, leaving the specialty ones locked up on the truck or in the trailer until needed

 

[mr spareparts]

I get that, lived with my uncle for a while before I finished college, he used to haul way too much too, then switched to a core bag for daily stuff and a secondary tote he'd leave locked in the truck for the just in case tools. Cuts down on clutter but still covers everything when surprises hit and maybe that kind of split setup would work for you too

 

[Sosa.xx]

Look at building a core kit that lives in one bag, your everyday tools and then keep a small modular box or pouch setup for specialty stuff you can swap out depending on the day’s tasks