Small Utility Bag for Personal Kit

[J.Tredgett]

Just looking around for a small utility bag to put all my personal kit in to move from locker to truck. 

Any recommendations on what you're using? 

[Rory-495]

I've seen guys use anything from a snugpak response pak, football boot bag, tool bag or a sleeping bag bag. My own use Is the helmet bag that my helmet came with

[Carl]

Theres a similar topic here. Football boot bags appear to be a favourite.

I do like these type of threads as more and more products become available. 

[LFB92]

Same as Rory I just use the helmet bag I was issued. When that’s knackered will likely just buy a cheap drawstring bag

[Jono]

We get issued 2 football boot bag types, we keep clean kit in one and put dirty kit  etc in the other, seems to do the trick 

[OscarTango]

Any old sports bag with Velcro handles will do. I don't bother with my wholetime kit but my on call stuff I basically put my helmet bag, spare sock's/ t shirts etc in the sports bag. We have the Bristol stuff so my tunic and rescue jacket I lay together and put it on top of the bag and velcro the handles together to keep them there. 

That way all I do need to do when I've been stuck in traffic is pick up my boots and leggings rolled together and the sports bag. Much quicker and less faffing with multiple items. 

[Steve]

I used to have a football boot bag, for things like my own set of keys, pliers, screwdriver, chinagraph, spare lighter & emergency fags 🤣 and other bits when I was on the front of the truck, that followed me into the car in 2003 and stayed in the boot until 2018 as I still knew exactly where to find it in an increasingly overloaded boot as I took on more Operational tags such as ILO, Fire Safety etc. 

[AJ81]

They keep chucking more bits at us. I had a boot bag but the half mask is too big!

Saw a guy with a really cool one for about £30. It just wouldn't show up on amazon for me (he searched on his phone and showed me, not sure what happened). A bit pricey but it was compact and looked very nice

[Mike]

I use a claymore style bag made by a military-esque tailor. Lots of space for spare forms, my half mask and filter, plus radio batteries / notepad and water bottle. Slots onto the front of the dashboard nicely.

[Rory-495]

Ooooh a bit of me that is ^^ I do find a lot of people have been filling their bags with far too much irrelevant stuff. Especially when you consider it sits on the appliance while you're on the fire ground. If you need something it should be on you

[Messyshaw]

Where does all this DIY / bring your own kit stuff end & how does this impact H&S?

I have watched this thread with interest as during my time, a few of us carried bits of kit. Mine included a penknife,a piece of lock slipping plastic , and a booklet of procedural aide memoires 

Now I read this thread of luggage being carried full of kit. Don't get me wrong, I understand the commitment shown, but how safe is it.

Water bottles, batteries and other equipment stored in an unsecured claymore back on the dashboard? Really? 

When employer supplied kit will go thru processes to determine its quality and safety, who is monitoring the equipment FFs bring on board? 

I am not critising anyone and tbh I took similar risks carrying an unauthorised penknife in my tunic inside pocket - next to my heart!- but you see my point.  Where does it end? 

[Becile]

Messy, got to agree to some point, most services including mine  if they require you to have a bit of personal equipment supply the holder or bag for it (personal issue halfmask for example ) everything else is on the truck and should be secured where it has been ok'd.

Everything else is a nice to have,  not a need to have.

The example of a spare battery in a personal bag for the radio if its on a truck, seems strange to me as they are generally standard tested/ charged frequently -  if its used that much at an incident go get another radio  or a spare battery from a dedicated location.(I'm not criticising this by the way, as a fds nilo I am often remote for long periods of time  so have a spare battery for resilience but it is  stowed in my vehicle)

Even pens/spanners and other items  carried in tunics/leggings have their own risk in certain environments.

Don't get me wrong I've been there, but there should be a move away from any old bag with bits and bobs in it, In my opinion.

[Luminoki]

Am i the only one that uses his bootbag for “personal” items such as snacks, drinks and toiletries for prolonged jobs/standbys. In fact the only service issued things kept in there are my driving log book and beanie hat. Everything that i may need on the fireground is kept in my kit

[TrainHardFightEasy]

I carry a chinograph, 10mm spanner & a Leatherman. 

[Jet]

I doubt there's many FF's out there that don't carry at least one bit of personally bought kit. Penknife/leatherman being the old time favourites.

I've never seen or heard of anyone carrying around anything inappropriate or dangerous. Think a bit of common sense and trust is all that's needed with regard to this issue and I can't see things 'getting out of hand'. 

Regarding stowage of said items/bags, well we already have so much brigade-issue equipment that doesn't have a 'home' and is haphazardly stowed that I don't think an argument could be brought forward in that case. Otherwise half the gear on the trucks would have to go as well!

[Becile]

Hi Jet 

Thats interesting as we don't have that issue, everything is stowed in given locations..nothing haphazard! 

[Dyson]

Becile, did you really just say that carrying a pen in our tunic is risky ? 🙈😂 We are firefighters and adults  we should be trusted to carry what we need to do the job,  including a pen 😊

 

[Becile]

Dyson, Yes and No..what I  actually said was "in certain circumstances"

Example...if you are in BA in a hazardous environment inside tunic pocket loaded with pens etc and fall over there's real potential for stab injury(and yes maybe I'm a little more of an opinion than others, as I've had to investigate where this has actually happened and said FF required some serious medical attention!).

If on an AFA etc probably no problem... context.

As for trust ....absolutely .

I've got my full issue of crayons 🖍 

[Br9mp81]

Only thing i carry is a chinagraph in helmet bag, as we all know as soon as you've ticked the list and shut the pump bay the little rascels leg it into thin air

[Highlander]

going against some others i've generated a little collection of useful items.

Pen, Chinagraph,couple of stones (if you know, you know), notebook, leatherman, 10mm spanner, short lengths of line and recently got into picking locks, so have a set of pick's......

[Noddy]

Despite having been in the job for 24 years, I can’t imagine why you carry 2 stones? 

[Ben]

Chuckies for chimney fires!

[Luminoki]

Dont want to flood the wrong house, theres a few handy tricks for dealing with chimney fires

[Noddy]

I guess having only been to 3 chimney fires in 24 years is why I didn’t know but I still don’t get why you carry them with you in a kit bag? Can’t you just pick one up off the ground before you go up onto the roof? 

[BurtMacklin]

The stones will need to have a standard test record. It’s down right dangerous to suggest any old stone off the floor can be used.