Comments on: Organized tool kits

By: twosandalz

twosandalz — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:00:23 +0000

I have a camping kit. All the misc items I use live in a plastic bin, ready to go camping. Duct tape, hammer, rope, Mad Libs, flashlight, matches, trash bags, multi-tool, etc. I call it the box of tricks. The bin doubles as a low table too.

By: Erica

Erica — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:34:44 +0000

I am a crocheter, and I work on the go a lot. I needed something to keep my hooks and notions organized but handy. I found a pattern for a hook case, which was enjoyable to make, and has proved SO useful. Here’s a link to a picture (which also has a link to the pattern if there are any crocheters reading this).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3.....925214935/

By: jamie

jamie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:39:18 +0000

i have a:

- sewing kit
- medicine/first aid kit
- computer cleaning kit
- office supplies kit
- contact lens kit

my guitar stuff is accumulating so i probably have to put them together in one kit someday. for now, they just go in the pocket of my guitar bag. the cables and wires i’ve accumulated over the years, i put them in a kit too.

By: Krys

Krys — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:34:35 +0000

Laptop travel kit!

In a *small* laptop bag, I keep a charged wireless mouse + extra mouse battery, power cord (I have 2, one for the house, one for travel) extension cord, DVD for airplane entertainment, and an extra laptop battery.

By: gypsy packer

gypsy packer — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:31:23 +0000

Hate to repeat myself–the link to McDonald’s site is superb! Emergency preparedness kit in a 3 gal bucket is next.

By: gypsy packer

gypsy packer — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:21:15 +0000

I keep several–a tool kit in a 3-gal square bucket with the purchased canvas apron–square bucket takes up less space in a pickup truck. My cleaning kit, though, is round, has another purchased apron with slots. I use a purse-style bifold travel caddy with meds on one side, toiletries on the other.

I keep a purchased kit of Sears battery-operated power tools from a Black Friday sale and intend to supplement that with a ratchet and socket set for auto emergencies. I also have a USB-end kit if needed.

My purse could qualify as a kit-multipocketed, multi-functional, carrying sunglasses, meds, camera, phone, and a few cosmetic items.

By: Angela Acosta

Angela Acosta — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:06:03 +0000

I like to go backpacking and I keep all my gear together in one bag. I can’t think of anything better that could double as an emergency kit! My backpack includes: a radio, first aid kit, sleeping gear, water treatment tablets, durable clothing and shoes, hygiene kit, a small flashlight or headlamp, granola bars, nuts and dried fruit and water, and spare batteries, etc. It helps that I go by the philosophy of ultralight backpacking, so even my tent and cooking gear weigh no more than 5 lbs.

When traveling on long road trips (even if I’m staying in hotels) I grab this bag and my car repair kit. If I ever need to evacuate, I just have to grab my backpack along with the items on my valuables list, and I’m set!

Having a kit like this on standby really streamlines the process of going on outdoor trips and provides me with great peace of mind.

By: Jeannine

Jeannine — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:23:15 +0000

Growing up in North Dakota, my parents required us to have a “Winter Survival Kit” in our cars — they were usually a small duffel bag with wool ski socks, winter boots, a hat and gloves, extra sweater/blanket, and an energy bar. This was a great idea with icy roads and below zero temps, it could be dangerous if you went off the road while on your way to a fancy event that had you in a skirt and heals. These days we could easily use our cell phones to call for help, but if you’re caught in a blizzard, you may be sitting there for a while. These items would keep you warm and nourished until help arrives. Even though I’m now in Nebraska (where the winters are much milder), I still carry a kit like this in my car — you can take the girl out of North Dakota, but not the Dakotan out of the girl!

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:16:43 +0000

I purchased a tool kit that had a tool bag rather than a hardcase with slots. It’s roomy enough I can easily toss in extra tools and if I ever acquire too many tools, I can easily upgrade to a larger toolbox/toolbag. I mainly bought it because it had many of the tools I needed for a fraction of what it would cost to buy everything seperately.

By: cv

cv — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:02:31 +0000

I agree with the person who said pre-made kits aren’t always the best. Some work fine, but they’re not very flexible. I has a tool kit for a while that had a nice little selection with a spot for everything, but when I added new things – a different kind of pliers, a pair of goggles, different drill bits – there was no place to put them. And I pretty much always run out of the regular size bandages in a first aid kit long before I get around to needing the gauze or bee sting stuff or whatever. So kits are great, but homemade ones, or at least ones that are easily modified or expanded, are sometimes better.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:51:50 +0000

I have an old Cool Whip container in my car with gauze, Neosporin, ace bandages, band-aids, tweezers, tape, etc. It’s water-tight and airtight enough that it will last a long time before needing replacement.

By: Nana

Nana — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:17:51 +0000

An emergency kit in EACH car. OC Fire & Rescue advised a backpack for each family member (including the dog). Heavy and/or wheeled tote may not be feasible.

Include emergency contact numbers (both in and out of area) and some comfort food. Remember to review every year, replace and replenish as necessary.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:07:04 +0000

These great ideas about disaster kits remind me of that emergency box that Suze Orman sells which keep all of your crucial financial stuff in one spot.

By: mdm

mdm — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:53:08 +0000

First aid absolutely. I pack in kids soccer bag.. I am known as the mom with the bandaids..

By: Sky

Sky — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:44:58 +0000

I keep a Rubbermaid box in the trunk of my car with a blanket, water, tools, plastic bags, first aid kit, flashlight, etc. It has come in handy a few times.

By: sue

sue — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:42:47 +0000

LOL! I might need some of Laura’s poop bags if “… a cop or firefighter pounds on the door and yells ‘Get out, now!’”

By: sue

sue — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:41:25 +0000

I have an office kit in my tote that contains single strips of tape, tiny tube of hand lotion, breath mints, OTC meds, a tiny tape measure, a pen, a small note pad, paper clips, a matchbook sewing kit, a matchbook firstaid kit, packets of sweetener, eyeglass repair kit and a Swiss Army knife.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:40:34 +0000

Jim MacDonald has some wonderful posts about emergency / first aid kits and go bags (not to mention some amazing emergency medicine posts).

http://www.nielsenhayden.com/m.....09528.html for bags that “you keep by your front door, or in the bottom drawer of your office desk, for the moment when the cop or firefighter pounds on the door and yells ‘Get out, now!’ “

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:35:43 +0000

Where I live, we are prone to wildfires and earthquakes. After our first mandatory fire evacuation last year, we put together a kit with a list of items to take: CD’s of scanned photographs, my accordian file of documents including passports, birth certs and SS cards, spare glasses/contacts, spare keys, etc.

For earthquakes I have a tote with canned chicken, bottled water, first aid, granola bars, a can opener!, copies of documents & CD’s of pics that might be destroyed.

Last Christmas, my sister gave me a cool gift: an emergency kit for our dogs! It includes a collapsible bowl, water purification tablets, poop bags, canine first aid, glow sticks, a leash, food and more.

By: infmom

infmom — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:16:19 +0000

As a diabetic, it’s essential for me to have a “purse kit” too. A small portable blood glucose monitor and a tube of glucose tablets are in there at all times, and often I will add a filled syringe or two in a special plastic container. I also have a small zippered bag containing a comb, mirror, nail clippers, a small multi-tool, an eyeglass cleaning cloth, Chap-Stick, reusable earplugs in a case, and a small plastic pill box with my Antivert tablets. You know, the essentials.

Years ago when I was first starting out building and fixing computers I bought a “computer tool kit” from Egghead (that will tell you how long ago). I still have it, but computers have gotten so much easier to take apart over the years that about the only tool I ever use any more is the screwdriver.