L R Wicker Design

…like I need a hole in the head. But that has never slowed me down in terms of buying and trying to find the Holy Grail of tool bags. I have a left a long, twisty trail of my earlier bids at tool Nirvana behind me in this endless pursuit. If you, like me, have an unquenchable thirst for things to contain other things, things to organize other things,  things to carry other things, or things to do all these things to other things; then Veto bags might be something you should consider.

I have amassed a huge selection of tools and equipment over the years, my garage stands as testament to this. At this time my two car garage might just be able to house a single vehicle in an emergency if I piled some piles on top of one another and shoved everything to one side. Maybe. This is even with some organization, I imagine without any organization it would be impossible to get even a bicycle in there if hard pressed. So, I box, bag, cabinet, bucket, shelf, etc, my many, many tools and other necessities to make them somewhat easier to find and use when needed and then stash away to be found if needed again in the future. This is all well and good when I am working locally in my home or yard, however, when I must hit the road and take myself and my tools somewhere else, things get a little scary. I have found a few key items that make travelling with my gear a little more fun and a lot less hassle.

Now that I am running to school and TechShop frequently I decided it would be nice to have a belt kit that I could pack with the really bottom line essentials for most of my work. I started on a quest for the perfect container and luckily ran across the Veto TP3 at Woodcraft Supply here in Austin very quickly and immediately fell in love, or at least lust. Originally designed for HVAC workers, the TP3 is meant to house a meter and the hand tools generally used in the field. It features 19 pockets of various sizes for tools, a front Velcro flapped pouch, multiple D rings and a clip-ended strap to hold tape. The back has a heavy-duty clip to attach to other tool bags or your belt and the top is a heavy-duty leather loop that can slide over the belt of your choice for hip placement.  There is also a very durable rubber molded handle strap that can be attached to the side D-rings allowing one to carry it in hand and it will stand on its own empty or full in this configuration. I love that last bit, I can’t tell you how much I like putting down my tool bag and not having to lunge after it as it tips over because I have packed in something top-heavy.

The front pouch is a bit small for anything more than my business cards or small camera, but that’s okay with me. I have also used it to hold short items like a center punch and a Torx key set on occasion as well. In the photo above it is housing a short mechanical pencil since I am using the camera normally hanging out in there.

The back is rigid and the clip is riveted on, the leather loop is riveted as well to reinforce the stitching. You can see the attention to detail in the fit and finish of the back, this is the side most folks care little about but these guys have gone the extra mile and made it as durable and well-designed as the rest of the bag.

The rubber handle is molded to the nylon strap and attaches at the sides with clips making it easy to remove or re-attach as needed. I used the side area to clip my measuring tape on, saving lots of room inside and giving me easy access to it. I also slid a thumb drive in one of the pockets with a long leash so I can leave it attached while it sits near the computer.

I have stuffed this little guy with pliers, hemostats, a tape measure, small and large screwdrivers, heavy-duty scissors,  and a couple of other odds and ends I find I am always looking for and I still have a bit of room to wedge in few more items if I need too. The only quibble is the high price, but once you look at the quality of the bag and the durability, the price doesn’t seem too bad at all. I paid about $45.00 for this one at Woodcraft, but it can be had online at a lower price. For me, it has proved its value, I suggest getting a close look at one of these if it seems like a good fit for your work style. I guarantee you will be impressed and you may find you, like me, can’t resist this fetching little tool carrier.

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop for new items and drop back by to see what’s up!