Favorite Utility Pouch

Dillon C Novak · June 26, 2011

What are people's preferred Utility Pouches? And their contents? I'm creating mine, so far for contents I have a stubby, a cube tap, a notepad, a multitool, and gloves. I'm trying to keep it lightweight and minimal. But I would like a pouch that I could potentially hold my light meter and maybe a roll of tape.

Thanks guys!

John David Miller · June 27, 2011

A toolbelt that an 1st. unit grip wears contains these items:

It starts with the belt. Some prefer a padded belt

http://www.filmtools...lt-1004-ar.html

others are oldschool and like leather

1 - 10 or 14 ounce Stiletto titanium hammer

http://www.northernt...57778_200357778

The hammer pouch should also have two slots to keep nails. Set grips carry just a small handful of Doublehead (duplex) #8 and doublehead #16 nails on them.

1 - 30' Tape measure

Some tape pouches have a place to hold a sharpie or chalk holder for marking.

1 - Small utility pouch

http://www.setwear.c...ightPouch5.html

You don't need anything bigger than this on set.

1 - 6" Klein crescent wrench

http://www.platt.com...aspx?zpid=31340

This will open up just as wide as a standard 8" made by crescent

1 - Knipex pliers

http://www.google.co...ed=0CGIQ8wIwAg#

Lite, open wide, excellent grip on both flat and round surfaces.

1 - 6in1 Screwdriver

The two size nut drivers are handy for hex head tek screws.

1 - Klein Side Cutters (Dykes)

These will a DH #16 like butter without damaging the tool. Gripchain...no problem.

1 - 9/16" Ratcheting Wrench

http://www.google.co...ed=0CDAQ8wIwAw#

This size is industry standard for camera bolts.

1 - Low Profile 3/16" Allen Drive (Speedwrench)

http://www.filmandvi...steqspwr3a.html

The low profile is good to get into tight spots on car rigs.

1 - Matte Knife

http://www.google.co...PNom2sAPl7tnYDQ

The quick release is nice.

1 - A cool pocket knife

Look at Benchmade or Spiderco for examples

1 - Roll, 2" Photo Black Paper Tape

1 - Roll, Electrical Tape

Great for mousing up chain vise grips. NEVER use your paper tape on speedrail.

1 - Pen, don't bug the BB for one to do paperwork.

1 - Sharpie, MarksALot, or Lumber Crayon

1 - Small notepad.

A few clothespins or binderclips and maybe a #1 handy clamp or two.

Some guys will carry gloves, but not many.

This is it. Anything more and you are carrying un-needed weight. Keep it lite, save your back. You are a grip...not a setcart.

A grip has no business carrying a lightmeter or a cubetap.

Steve London · June 28, 2011

John David, I really like your suggestions. Hate to ask but could you fix those links, none of them work?

John David Miller · July 2, 2011

I hope this works

Padded Belt

lightweight titanium hammer

Small Pouch

Wide Opening pliers

High Quality Side Cutters

Matte Knife w/ Quick Change

Versatile Screwdrive aka "El Manuel"

Wide Mouth 6" Adj Wrench

A headset...Dont be that guy

Joe Noki · July 5, 2011

What are people's preferred Utility Pouches? And their contents? I'm creating mine, so far for contents I have a stubby, a cube tap, a notepad, a multitool, and gloves. I'm trying to keep it lightweight and minimal. But I would like a pouch that I could potentially hold my light meter and maybe a roll of tape.

Thanks guys!

Hey Dillon,

Don't know about pouches man, but I can recommend on a great tape holder I just got. It is called the ToughGaff, and you can get it in B&H, Studio Depot, and some other stores I think...

here are their site: www.toughgaff.com

check it out... good luck!

Joe

michael best · July 19, 2011

A tool belt is a very personal thing. I have yet to meet two people with there belts set up the same way.

This is what I keep on mine for the most part. However I do add and remove things depending on the job and what the job needs.

A Lindcraft “gaffer” pouch – I like this one because the flap folds down when you open it so you have easy access to your tools but you can close it should you be working around cars, or climbing scaffolding.

I wear a Husky padded belt. From right to left with a too, pouch, tape loop with a ½ roll or less of photo black paper tape, and a very small roll of 1” white gaffers tape to label things. (a dog collar is what I use), a water bottle pouch (I found if I have a water bottle on me I drink it and if I don’t I don’t drink much water) A walkie holder, hammer loop, a leather pouch for a small steel workers c- wrench, and a tape measure holder.

Inside the pouch.

A 6” ultra wide mount C-wrench – This is big enough to fit a 7/8” cheese boro while light enough to not bother me after a long day.

4 in 1 screw driver - cheap one from ACE or Home Depot so when I lose it I won’t care. Probably the least used tool on my belt

Allen set- useful for fixing lose risers and rigging.

3/16 allen speed wrench – you can buy the modern one for make one from a ¼ socket wrench and 3/16 allen on it. 3/16 works on 99% of all speed rail fittings, so it gets used a lot.

Small LED flash light – a use a LED mini mag as its semi cheap, puts out a ton of light and holds up well.

Matte Knife

Small channel locks – like them small so they don’t weigh much but useful for grabbing stuff.

Diagonal cutters – for grip chain, or anything else you might need to cut.

9/16” speed wrench – 9/16’s is the head size of a 3/8” bolt which is the size allen screw you use for speed rail. It comes in handy for rigging.

Sharpie & pen, and something to write on for notes.

Pocket knife – does not have to be super good but its fun to have a good benchmade or emerson .

I wear gloves, as I like to wear them when handling wood and speedrail.

Other things on the belt:

A 10 oz hammer. – comes and goes depending on the job, but it’s super useful,

25’ fat max tape measure – fat max so you can extend it out to about 12’ before it flops down.

A dog bone – this is a 7/8 speed wrench on one side and a ¾” speed wrench on the other, very useful for cheese boros and the ¾” work great if you are working with pipe and base rigs.

Other items I have in a tool bag:

Full size channel locks

8” c-wrench – the 6” ultra wide mouth does 98% of all jobs but you will meet some Keys who want you to have an 8” c-wrench so its good to carry one.

Drift pin – useful when working with truss

Scissors- always come in handy

Metric allen set – I have found these useful more then I would have ever expected.

A socket set – most keys will have in there work box but on commercial and smaller jobs they can be a life saver.

A torpedo level

Needle nose pliers

A small file

Chalk line – useful for cutting lumber or long gel cuts.

And a few other odds and ends that I have found useful over the years.

If you are new to the industry and still working as both a grip and Electric you might want to have a volt meter and volt sniffer in your bag so when you juice you are ready.

A few guys I work with like to have there tools in lots of smaller pouches across there belt while other people, like one big pouch. It really comes down to personal preference. One good rule is to have it be conformable to wear and have the tools you need. But depending on what jobs you’re on you may have other tools that you may want, or find handy.

A few other things you will want to have are: a really good set of rain gear and rain boots. (don’t skimp buy good quality stuff as there is nothing worse then tearing it because its cheap or sweating up a storm inside because your body can’t breath.) Super comfy shoes, and a set of comfy work boots. A hat for sunny days sun glasses and a good warm jacket for cold days or night work. Also if I wear pants to set I have a pair of shorts with me and if I wear shorts I have pants standing by.

Hope this helps a bit.

What are people's preferred Utility Pouches? And their contents? I'm creating mine, so far for contents I have a stubby, a cube tap, a notepad, a multitool, and gloves. I'm trying to keep it lightweight and minimal. But I would like a pouch that I could potentially hold my light meter and maybe a roll of tape.

Thanks guys!

Tom Guiney · November 6, 2011

Less is more- matte knife, wrench (or leko multiwrench, ,mich lighter and fits many common things), gloves. light. Hammer?? I hear about this phenomenon, but you've got your toolbag for things like a hammer. OR screwgun. Or anyting else heavy. Wrench, knife, sharpie, gloves. Perhaps a continuity tester pen or voltage sniffer. A small belt. Your poor hips after so many long days, bloody bruises under the skin from too much time, don't do it. Your hands are what you need the most. Dont go hug one your belt. Listen to my years of mystery bruises on my hips before I learned to strip down.Your toolbag has all the non-immediate stuff.

I used to like the Raine line of EMT pouches. held just about everything I needed.

Tom Guiney

Gaffer, DP

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