I need some "range bag" type suggestions to better organize my stuff.

In my current vehicle (Tahoe), I have a large drawer in the back that contains all kinds of holsters, has a bunch of magazines (about 100), cleaning equipment, odds and ends parts, some odds and ends ammo, staplers, staples, glue, posters and targets.

I'm starting to look at ditching the Tahoe as it has a quarter million miles on it and it is about to need some pretty serious work done to it. The new vehicle is going to be smaller, and likely with fold down style third row seats. So, a drawer is a no go.

I'm wanting some ideas on a simpler way to organize my stuff. I'm thinking about a bag with basic stuff in it, and then some form of pistol specific stuff. So a bag with staplers, glue, pasters, timers, batteries, eyes, ears, etc and some means of transporting the stuff for the individual gun. Like a smaller bag containing (for instance) SIG P226- 6 magazines, small parts and screws, holsters, etc, to add in to the larger bag.

Any ideas on how I can efficiently organize my stuff? I know, first world problems........

Look at sectional tool bags.

A lot of them are similar, big center section and small pockets around the sides. Often too thick a material. These are not very good candidates.

But I have seen a few that have much better "sectioning" and would likely work.

Good this is they are hard to overfill, unless you just crammed them with loaded magazines.

Let me see if I can find the latter.



Here is a hard-mouth bag with well sectioned compartments. Drawback is it is open.
http://www.rockler.com/rockler-joinery-tool-bag

I am always tempted to get the GPS backpack organizer bag for pistols. I ended up with a 5.11 typical range bag on sale at 5.11 store. Would meet your pistol bag requirements without question.

I see most competitive shooters at our little matches using wagons or kid strollers for gear transport, other than pistols.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I am always tempted to get the GPS backpack organizer bag for pistols.

I haven't bought any of their bigger stuff, but I did buy a bunch of both their pistol magazine totes and their AR magazine totes and put all my magazines in them.

They're cheap, but they work.

Here are the pistol ones. It's basically just a stiff card with a handle that has 10 magazine pouches on it. You can cram two single stack mags into each pouch if you want to.

https://www.amazon.com/G-Outdo...tdoors+magazine+tote

I have a GPS range backpack style bag and it is great for schlepping guns n stuff on a range. If the plan is to work out of the back of the vehicle then maybe not a good value. I pack the cleaning stuff and odds and ends in Tupperware type organization type boxes. That works pretty well and lots of sizes

Take a look at Husky rolling tool chest and associated modules at Home Depot. The modules stack on top of the rolling chest. You can get internal organizers for them, but whether they would work well for mags I don’t know. They can carry a ton of ammo.

It's really easy to start packing redundant replicas of same supporting gear. And the wad of stuff to carry to the next session always increases.

What has worked best *for ME* is this basic arrangement:

1) each pistol/magazines/ammo has it's own pouch; regardless of caliber/type of gun;

2) general 'tools/cleaning/liquids/range rods' etc pouch;

3) targets/staple tools/muffs & puffs (don't leave home without 'em)

4) at times the old wooden Packmayer bulls eye carry-all case should I want to take a bunch of say, 22LR pistols, with all their gear.

Real issue is the weight becomes inconvenient. There's your sign. I bought a collapsible folding wheeled hand truck from Amazon for $24, works great up to about 150# or 3"+ gravel.

If I lose focus any of those bags begins to swell & become awkward. So much supportive gear is the same except for such as size of cleaning brushes. Mostly the stuff better done at home is left home.

I don't do rifles much but the basic concept works the same. If I've taken it twice to range without using it, how bad do I need it there the next time? Cut my load wad down considerable right there.

One set of gear that helped, was the foam insert cutout from Amazon that fits in ammo can. Space for gun & magazines, already cut into dense foam. There's most of what I need right there.

I've generally divided my gear into four bags:

Bag 1) Midway Competition Range Bag that I stock with any handguns, holsters, magazines, and ammo that I need for a range day, as well as hearing protection, eye protection, belts, staplers, etc. The bag can hold a ridiculous amount of gear.
Bag 2) Backpack with gear and ammo for rifle shooting.
Bag 3) Tool bag with basic gunsmithing tools and cleaning supplies. I keep all liquids in Ziploc bags in case of spills.
Bag 4) The "everything else" bag of miscellaneous holsters, scope rings, extra magazines, etc. This bag generally stays home, not least of all because it is continually expanding and has now taken over several boxes as well.

I grab bags 1, 2, and/or 3 depending on what I'm shooting that day (1 and 3 for handguns only, 2 and 3 for rifle only, all of them if shooting both). With this system, I never have to worry about packing for each trip or having the right gear with me. Just restock the ammo and go. If I decide to take more guns than I can fit in bag 1, I have a smaller range bag that I can load with the extras.

I have a rather large bag, the Maxpedition MPB, that I use as my range bag. It has a number of different sections to it. https://www.maxpedition.com/pr...pb-multi-purpose-bag

The large main center portion contains my generic range gear: Eye pro, ear pro, stapler, duct tape, hat, gloves, batteries, lube, basic cleaning gear, etc. This always stays with the bag, so I always have that basic gear handy.

The two slightly smaller side compartments are each used to hold gun-specific equipment for whatever I'm shooting that day. This could be magazine, boxes of ammo, spare parts, tools, holsters, etc. I swap the stuff in these two compartments out as needed to fit specifically what I'm using that day.

If I'm shooting in large volume, I bring along additional ammo or loaded mags in metal ammo cans, as that's already how I have them all stored at home, and it's easy to just grab whichever cans I need.

I'll add that I switched to using the GPS Magazine Totes when I got up to 60 or 70 pistol mags of 10+ different types.

Keeping all the mags mixed up dumped in a canvas sack stopped working well after 30 or 40. Too hard to find the right mags. After a couple of range trips where I got to the range with the wrongs mags and only had the single mag in each pistol, I figured I needed to do something else.

I also have an Eagle range bag that stores eye and ear pro, basic cleaning stuff, targets, tools and batteries, mag loaders, etc., and that I also stuff the pistols into.

It's fantastic. I bought it after an old cheap one fell apart. No such worries with the Eagle.

I have an Eagle bag that I've had for 25+ years. It's not a small bag at about 20 x 15 x 12. It always has my eyes and ears, stapler and staples, masking tape, target pasters, targets, oil, FAK including some trauma stuff, pens, chamber flags, etc. For pistol shooting it's big enough to also hold one or two pistols and their magazines. Ammo goes in a separate ammo can.

For rifle days, the list gets a lot bigger. One large plastic tool box holds my spotting scope and stand, some tools, ammo and more chamber flags. Another large plastic box has all my cleaning stuff in it. A 5 gallon bucket full of sandbags and a small-ish day pack with a portable front rest and rear bag round out the normal load. If I'm doing serious load testing I'll add a chronograph and tripod. Oh, and of course the rifle case for each rifle and its scope, and at least one of them also has a cleaning rod in it (2 rods if I'm shooting both .22/6.5mm and .30 rifles).

Makes me long for the good old days when I was a kid, when all I needed was my .22 and a few 50-rd boxes of ammo.

Go to Home Depot and get a 5 gallon plastic pail and just put everything in it.

I've had good luck using a large compartmentalized EMT Bag that i secured when doing helicopter transport... here's one example: https://www.grainger.com/produ...Customer_Also_Viewed

In addition a rolling tool chest such as SJTILL related can prove very forgiving for the aging back.

Jerry, hope all is well and can't wait to hear about your new transportation...you deserve a cool car or truck.

~*~INSTANT KARMA~*~

I have a Snap on tool bag that is yours for the asking. It's red and black, has padded handles, 6 exterior pockets (3 on each side), 3 interior pockets (1 each on the "wide" side and 1 on the "long" side), a heavy duty zipper, and a rubber padded bottom. It would be perfect for a couple of pistols, magazines and associated stuff. The only negative is it does have the Snap On logo. I say that because although it doesn't scream "GUN" Snap On tools are expensive and that may make it not as discreet as you would prefer.

Here's a link to the "power tool tote" on Snap On's website... Snap On "Range Bag" link

It's your if you would like it. Email me a shipping address to Rotndad~AT~Gmail.com. Please use tool bag karma in the subject line so I will recognize it.

I assume you want something to secure actual firearms, that will take the place of that drawer (again assuming it's a locking drawer similar to the, IMO, overpriced TruckVault offerings).

If so, I'd recommend bolting one of these into the cargo area:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RI...est-32R-OS/300748555

I've used this option a couple times with work vehicles, I just spray painted them with flat black paint so they aren't noticeable in the tinted cargo area. Much more secure than the vault options, and much less expensive.

If you need to shoot and instruct outside in bad weather, then here's option for a range bag I like:
https://www.basspro.com/shop/e...ps-extreme-boat-bags

Definitely weather resistant, and the brightly colored interior makes it easier to find all the dark gear. Had I seen that option before I bought my last bag, that's what I would have purchased.

For smaller containers to organize everything inside the bag I like "packing cubes" like:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014...d=2JA6JW41E984D&th=1
or
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075...lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

Also, I use some zippered tool pouches, like:
https://www.amazon.com/ANPHSIN...rds=canvas+tool+bags
and
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kl...-Pack-5140/100647867

However, I don't care if the stuff I use for storage is gun specific, as long as it gets the job done. So if you prefer your stuff to be gun specific, and in traditional "tacticool" colors, then those suggestions won't do you much good.