I just kinda throw tools on the ground, pick em up when I need em.

 

That’s why I spend about a half hour a day looking for my knife, my pencil , my tape measure etc.etc.etc.

 

Ain't you never heard of a bucket?

 

All my buckets are broken.

 

It took me about 10 years of constant tweaking, but I've finally achieved the perfect tool belt. (at least for me)
On both sides I have 5 pocket pouches. I can't stand having to fiddle around looking for things that have fallen to the bottom of a pocket.
On my left side pouch, I riveted in some small individual holders, one for my *, one for my chisel, one for my ricky bar, another for both needle nose and screwdriver. I also have a piece of reinforced pvc tubing to hold my cat's paw in place. On the outside is a holder for my Stanley 199. (I'm very old school)
In front I attached a large tape holder with the keeper strap cut off. I carry a 30 footer and remove the belt clip. It's a perfect fit, easy to pull out but it won't fall out if I bend over.
On the right pouch I cut a small hole at the bottom of the top pocket so my speed square (I write with my left hand) will drop all the way down. I also added that rivet to keep it at exactly the right height. Also, after a while I figured out that a flat bar fits perfectly between the pouch and the belt in case I need to have that with me.
The very last mod I did is my favorite. On either side of my tape I attached a hook. I then attached a tiny bungee with a split ring to my impact and drill. That way I never have to set them down. It's especially handy when working on a ladder.
Yes, when fully loaded with all the tools and full of fasteners it weighs about as much as a two year old, so I use suspenders. I tried a couple different brands before I found those DeWalts. I've had to have a couple of the seams on the left pouch stitched back up a couple of times, but it's probably 20 years old. The right side used to be a 4 pocket until I was able to find a 5 pocket. It's probably 5 years old. I do have to replace the belt itself about once every year or two but that's no big deal.
If you can beat my setup, I'd love to see it.

Tool. Let are so personal

It took me about 10 years of constant tweaking, but I've finally achieved the perfect tool belt. (at least for me)
On both sides I have 5 pocket pouches. I can't stand having to fiddle around looking for things that have fallen to the bottom of a pocket.
On my left side pouch, I riveted in some small individual holders, one for my *, one for my chisel, one for my ricky bar, another for both needle nose and screwdriver. I also have a piece of reinforced pvc tubing to hold my cat's paw in place. On the outside is a holder for my Stanley 199. (I'm very old school)
In front I attached a large tape holder with the keeper strap cut off. I carry a 30 footer and remove the belt clip. It's a perfect fit, easy to pull out but it won't fall out if I bend over.
On the right pouch I cut a small hole at the bottom of the top pocket so my speed square (I write with my left hand) will drop all the way down. I also added that rivet to keep it at exactly the right height. Also, after a while I figured out that a flat bar fits perfectly between the pouch and the belt in case I need to have that with me.
The very last mod I did is my favorite. On either side of my tape I attached a hook. I then attached a tiny bungee with a split ring to my impact and drill. That way I never have to set them down. It's especially handy when working on a ladder.
Yes, when fully loaded with all the tools and full of fasteners it weighs about as much as a two year old, so I use suspenders. I tried a couple different brands before I found those DeWalts. I've had to have a couple of the seams on the left pouch stitched back up a couple of times, but it's probably 20 years old. The right side used to be a 4 pocket until I was able to find a 5 pocket. It's probably 5 years old. I do have to replace the belt itself about once every year or two but that's no big deal.
If you can beat my setup, I'd love to see it.

Tool belts are so personal.that one looks like a mess but if it works for you? Keep on keepin on,

 

Tool. Let are so personal

Tool belts are so personal.that one looks like a mess but if it works for you? Keep on keepin on,

It does look a little cluttered, but since I do a lot of remodeling I have to carry a lot of tools that I didn't when I was just a framer. And the basic layout has been the same for so long that I can grab any tool in a second without looking. When my guys need to borrow something they know that under penalty of death, they better put it back exactly where they found it. It's pretty funny when they don't. Even if it's only an inch away from where it should be, I can't find it.
Also there are lots of misc items in the pouches - non contact detector, wire strippers, wire nuts, about 15 different driver bits, 5 sizes of nut drivers, laser measurer, most common drill bit sizes, three sizes of nail sets, a center punch, etc. The drill and driver bits and nut drivers are all in their own containers so they don't get lost.

 

I do mainly interior remodeling I rarely ever need to wear my tool belt nor do I want to.

 

As a framer and as someone who still frames occasionally, I keep my bag as empty as possible so that I can carry as many nails as possible.

 

RIGHT SIDE

LEFT SIDE

I went 20 years with a free set of DeWalt bags and only now have the $$$ to have oxy’s.

I’ve always carried my main tape on the outermost left pouch. Tape left hand - pencil right hand.
Put tape away - speed square left hand.

When I carry a laser, uppermost left pouch.

Always (2) tapes.
Always extra pens and markers.


Bags on sides to rear. Hammer middle back but I like the diamond back side holster. That might be a good place for my hammer.

Ive never used the provided tape holder on the upper right. It doesn’t feel like a natural location for me.

 

Them bags don’t look they seen much use. 😳🤣

 

I once worked with a guy who prided himself with how he carried ever possible tool on his bags so he’d be ready for anything. He was a big guy….6’-6” maybe 300 pounds. Funny thing.

HE NEVER WAS UP SETTING RAFTERS WITH ME.

I try to rig my bags for the task. As tasks change, regroup, rerig, and get to it!

My cut man rig is different as well.

• cut stations have dedicated tapes, pencils, markers, clamps, whatever.
• the framing square becomes more prevalent.

 

I once worked with a guy who prided himself with how he carried ever possible tool on his bags so he’d be ready for anything. He was a big guy….6’-6” maybe 300 pounds. Funny thing.

HE NEVER WAS UP SETTING RAFTERS WITH ME.

I try to rig my bags for the task. As tasks change, regroup, rerig, and get to it!

My cut man rig is different as well.

• cut stations have dedicated tapes, pencils, markers, clamps, whatever.
• the framing square becomes more prevalent.

I agree, outfit for the gig. I'm no rafter monkey, other than tricky hips or something I usually laid out plates for the rafters or trusses and then went to saw. Same with walls, I laid out and detailed plates and them helped put them together, had a helper on a pre made cut list like this one pictured and a hand nailing headers and, cripples etc together and stacking. If it was a big house we'd do a section like at a time. If it was small (3k and under) or just real simple but big we cut and stack all the pieces at once. When the roof started I took over the saw

This how they are set up currently, just pulled them out of the box. Tape, pencil, awl, grease pencil and soap stone (we do hybrid structures, steel and wood on a lot of our customs), speed sqaure, combo sqaure, cold chisel, chlak line, nail bar and hammer if i need anything else ill grab it but IF the bags were to come out now its either to layout or cut. Usually there'd be an adjustable wrench to change blades, chisel and knife, but my hands steal my hand tools right out of my box 😆

Framing sq is behind back seat of my truck with my levels so they don't get banged around

I keep 3 spare Tajima chalk lines still, probably over kill I should give those to the guys lol.

when I'm nailing anything I carry a **** ton of fastners

 

My bags used to run 25-30 lbs with all the stuff I carried. I guess old age caught up--now it's tape, pencil, square, hammer and nails. Maybe a couple other things as I foresee the need.

I always cringe when I see/hear about someone carrying his hammer in the back. You ever take a good fall onto that, it could easily be the end of walking, let alone building.

 

I've only fallen on my hammer once, but oh boy was it a doozy, and probably almost did me in. I was framing a new house (not dried in yet) and it was dirt all around. I had laid out some 2x12's as a "sidewalk" to get from the street to the house. It started pouring down rain. We were scrambling to load up. The last thing I carried out was a full box of 16 hand drives. I hit a patch on the 2x12's that was slipperier than wet ice. My feet went out from under me in a millisecond and I went down on my back. Ouch. Not to mention the full box of nails smashed into my chest. It was a couple of minutes before I could get back up.

 

Custom oxy's

 

I wouldn't think twice about getting new bags if I needed them. I'd even stock it with HF tools and paint them all pink.

 

Your still on the tools. I have maybe 8 men that work for me who've never seem me wear bags. Two looked like I had two heads because I welded two pipe sections together waiting for Juan the other day with one of their hoods 😆

If I did lose my bags I'd just buy a chitty set, doesnt draw attention like a shiny set of new Occis lol

Plus - you or @Tinstaafl rolls up with mickey mouse bags and my wifes handy homeowner hammer people will be like yeah that dude can wear whatever he wants, no one's mistaking yall for paper boys. I roll up in new high end bags they are like oh look the briefcase must of got a gift card to the Tool Store 🤣

 

I did something similar to Superseal... I'll take a pic in a bit.
I try not to pack as much as I used to, but when we're working I inevitably need access to almost all of what I carry.
The weight reduction from not carrying absolutely non essential items is negligible.... So the items stay in the belt until I need them.

 

I added a nail puller pouch because the location of the one on this set up is bad for me.
I keep all my layout and marking tools, chalk, and small fasteners on the right side. Backwards, but it's what I've gotten used to.
Tape in a dedicated holder on the back.
Hand tools in the left side including a small pry bar, pull saw, folding chisel, pin punch, linesman pliers, blade wrench, #2 bits, predrill bit, bit extension... And all the stick and common nails go in to the left hand pouches.
I also keep a pencil in the suspenders.... Got tired of reaching for a pencil awkwardly when framing. Now I've got three on me at all times.

 

Fascinating thread.

 

These bags were my rig for over 20 years. They came for free when I bought my first sliding compound miter saw.

The gloves and suspenders started when I moved to wet western WA in 2006.

 

A humble submission from a minimalist cabinet guy. Diagonals and flat bar in back right jeans pocket, tape holster on front right, screw bag on front left. My real bags have been retired and stuffed in a corner closet for better than 2 decades now.

 

We used to call diagonal pliers dikes......is that wrong in 2022?

 

It took me about 10 years of constant tweaking, but I've finally achieved the perfect tool belt. (at least for me)
On both sides I have 5 pocket pouches. I can't stand having to fiddle around looking for things that have fallen to the bottom of a pocket.
On my left side pouch, I riveted in some small individual holders, one for my *, one for my chisel, one for my ricky bar, another for both needle nose and screwdriver. I also have a piece of reinforced pvc tubing to hold my cat's paw in place. On the outside is a holder for my Stanley 199. (I'm very old school)
In front I attached a large tape holder with the keeper strap cut off. I carry a 30 footer and remove the belt clip. It's a perfect fit, easy to pull out but it won't fall out if I bend over.
On the right pouch I cut a small hole at the bottom of the top pocket so my speed square (I write with my left hand) will drop all the way down. I also added that rivet to keep it at exactly the right height. Also, after a while I figured out that a flat bar fits perfectly between the pouch and the belt in case I need to have that with me.
The very last mod I did is my favorite. On either side of my tape I attached a hook. I then attached a tiny bungee with a split ring to my impact and drill. That way I never have to set them down. It's especially handy when working on a ladder.
Yes, when fully loaded with all the tools and full of fasteners it weighs about as much as a two year old, so I use suspenders. I tried a couple different brands before I found those DeWalts. I've had to have a couple of the seams on the left pouch stitched back up a couple of times, but it's probably 20 years old. The right side used to be a 4 pocket until I was able to find a 5 pocket. It's probably 5 years old. I do have to replace the belt itself about once every year or two but that's no big deal.
If you can beat my setup, I'd love to see it.

Contractor Wife here: Love this! Dunno if I can even be in the running, but when I'm with Hubby, building Frontage (like a faux front movie stage set- only it has to stand up to gypsum dust storms of 70+ mph winds, extremes of temp, and weather) for our 'vacation' camp at Burning Man, I use a modified tool belt: a few zip pockets for small essentials/screws/ and bits and bobs (chapstick keeps those zips running when the sweat hits the powdered gypsum), rolls of duct tape on zip tie loops, sharpies and lighters attached with a retractible leash (I don't smoke but sometime you have to burn a tiedown cord), scissors/needlenose in a seamstress holster. Similar tape measure. I strap other things to the sides of my kneepads, and extra cable leashes when hanging upside down from the grid when focussing lights, or climbing the bakers/ scaffolding - don't wanna drop a wrench on drunk effer's head, because they ignored the caution tape. Some of the guys on our team wear utility kilts Modern Utility Kilts, cargo kilts, low price - UT Kilts for the breeze, some wear just the tool belt p) One year we had a Mr. Toolbelt Contest. Yes there was a Talent portion...

Lolly

 

Contractor Wife here: Love this! Dunno if I can even be in the running, but when I'm with Hubby, building Frontage (like a faux front movie stage set- only it has to stand up to gypsum dust storms of 70+ mph winds, extremes of temp, and weather) for our 'vacation' camp at Burning Man, I use a modified tool belt: a few zip pockets for small essentials/screws/ and bits and bobs (chapstick keeps those zips running when the sweat hits the powdered gypsum), rolls of duct tape on zip tie loops, sharpies and lighters attached with a retractible leash (I don't smoke but sometime you have to burn a tiedown cord), scissors/needlenose in a seamstress holster. Similar tape measure. I strap other things to the sides of my kneepads, and extra cable leashes when hanging upside down from the grid when focussing lights, or climbing the bakers/ scaffolding - don't wanna drop a wrench on drunk effer's head, because they ignored the caution tape. Some of the guys on our team wear utility kilts Modern Utility Kilts, cargo kilts, low price - UT Kilts for the breeze, some wear just the tool belt p) One year we had a Mr. Toolbelt Contest. Yes there was a Talent portion...

Lolly

I can't even imagine what your rig looks like, it seems like you have stuff hanging all over.

 

It took me about 10 years of constant tweaking, but I've finally achieved the perfect tool belt. (at least for me)
On both sides I have 5 pocket pouches. I can't stand having to fiddle around looking for things that have fallen to the bottom of a pocket.
On my left side pouch, I riveted in some small individual holders, one for my *, one for my chisel, one for my ricky bar, another for both needle nose and screwdriver. I also have a piece of reinforced pvc tubing to hold my cat's paw in place. On the outside is a holder for my Stanley 199. (I'm very old school)
In front I attached a large tape holder with the keeper strap cut off. I carry a 30 footer and remove the belt clip. It's a perfect fit, easy to pull out but it won't fall out if I bend over.
On the right pouch I cut a small hole at the bottom of the top pocket so my speed square (I write with my left hand) will drop all the way down. I also added that rivet to keep it at exactly the right height. Also, after a while I figured out that a flat bar fits perfectly between the pouch and the belt in case I need to have that with me.
The very last mod I did is my favorite. On either side of my tape I attached a hook. I then attached a tiny bungee with a split ring to my impact and drill. That way I never have to set them down. It's especially handy when working on a ladder.
Yes, when fully loaded with all the tools and full of fasteners it weighs about as much as a two year old, so I use suspenders. I tried a couple different brands before I found those DeWalts. I've had to have a couple of the seams on the left pouch stitched back up a couple of times, but it's probably 20 years old. The right side used to be a 4 pocket until I was able to find a 5 pocket. It's probably 5 years old. I do have to replace the belt itself about once every year or two but that's no big deal.
If you can beat my setup, I'd love to see it.

It took me about 10 years of constant tweaking, but I've finally achieved the perfect tool belt. (at least for me)
On both sides I have 5 pocket pouches. I can't stand having to fiddle around looking for things that have fallen to the bottom of a pocket.
On my left side pouch, I riveted in some small individual holders, one for my *, one for my chisel, one for my ricky bar, another for both needle nose and screwdriver. I also have a piece of reinforced pvc tubing to hold my cat's paw in place. On the outside is a holder for my Stanley 199. (I'm very old school)
In front I attached a large tape holder with the keeper strap cut off. I carry a 30 footer and remove the belt clip. It's a perfect fit, easy to pull out but it won't fall out if I bend over.
On the right pouch I cut a small hole at the bottom of the top pocket so my speed square (I write with my left hand) will drop all the way down. I also added that rivet to keep it at exactly the right height. Also, after a while I figured out that a flat bar fits perfectly between the pouch and the belt in case I need to have that with me.
The very last mod I did is my favorite. On either side of my tape I attached a hook. I then attached a tiny bungee with a split ring to my impact and drill. That way I never have to set them down. It's especially handy when working on a ladder.
Yes, when fully loaded with all the tools and full of fasteners it weighs about as much as a two year old, so I use suspenders. I tried a couple different brands before I found those DeWalts. I've had to have a couple of the seams on the left pouch stitched back up a couple of times, but it's probably 20 years old. The right side used to be a 4 pocket until I was able to find a 5 pocket. It's probably 5 years old. I do have to replace the belt itself about once every year or two but that's no big deal.
If you can beat my setup, I'd love to see it.

Pretty Impressive! Shows your work means a lot to you if you're gonna use your free time to create something to be more productive at work. I know nothing of your skills, but I do know that I have to have everything I need before a project and it needs to be "right there" when I need it. Lol, so I get that!

 

I took me a long time to get it exactly the way I want it. Over the years I eventually figured out those tools that I needed most often and made a specific spot for them so I can grab them immediately. I don't know how people can work when every time they need something they have to dig around in a pouch that has everything laying at the bottom in a jumble. I have zero patience and if I have to waste 10 seconds on exactly the same problem multiple times a day, I'm going to do something about it.
The last thing I added were the hooks and bungie cords on my cordless tools for when I have to climb a ladder. Not only do I not have to make multiple trips, but I have a way to hold my tools so I don't have to balance them on a ladder rung.

 

That's an optimized rig. I wore Occidental bags for many years. Builders can carry a load, but aid climbing takes more.

 

Wow! How much does all your equipment weigh? Regardless, I imagine you can just skip doing squats when you're at the gym!