I’m a certified bag-and-bucket guy for the last 15+ years; 30+ bags and 10 buckets. Other than tools that are self-contained (shovel, tile saw, etc.) or come with their own parts-storing hard cases (nail guns, circular saws, etc.) the rest of my (literal) ton of hand- and portable-tools are bagged or bucketed. (Small lie - there’s a couple of milk crates in use, and several of these great little DeWalt $6 hard cases.)
I also generate wallets and sub-bags to keep the parent bags organized. Carhart fabric, seam tape, and boot laces are all it takes; super simple to cut and sew a tough drawstringed, square-bottomed bag, for pennies.) Each big bag gets a list of contents, and there’s a master list of all tools-n-parts and where they go.
All this organization somehow offsets my ADHD when it comes time to pack up or take inventory, and getting ready to work couldn’t be easier – load up any big stuff, snag a few bags, and I’m ready to roll. The last decade has seen a nice explosion of durable, inexpensive bags, allowing me to mix manufacturers and use color-coding for more convenience. Even Harbor Freight has good bags!
Perhaps best of all – it’s near impossible to bark a shin while carrying a bag, and dropped bags don’t kill toes.
