Why does nobody talk about the way a good tool belt changes your whole day?

I was on a framing job in Tacoma last week and my old belt finally gave out, so I borrowed my buddy's setup with the suspenders. I didn't think it would matter, but my back didn't hurt at all after eight hours of hauling up rafters. What's the one piece of gear that made a huge difference you didn't expect?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanem373d ago

You mentioning the suspenders is a game changer. I used to think they were just for show until I tried a set, and now I feel like a fool for carrying all that weight on my hips for years. My lower back sends its thanks.

the_brian2d ago

My first year as an apprentice, the old-timers all had those leather bags. I switched to a modern rig with a polymer belt and never went back. The weight distribution is just more even for me, and I don't have to fight the leather getting stiff in the rain.

sethhernandez3d ago

My grandpa was a union carpenter in Spokane for forty years and swore by his old leather nail bag, nothing fancy. He saw me with a new plastic pouch system once and just shook his head, said the weight sits wrong. I finally got what he meant after a long day of siding, my hip was bruised from the hard corners. Sometimes the old way of doing things just works better, even if it looks simple.