Having a toolbox tucked behind the pannier is brilliant because it not only gives you more space in the panniers, it keeps your tools all in one location and keeps the tools from tearing up other packed items.
The only downside is the tools rattle around and make a ton of racket. I have tried putting electrical and duct tape around the handles of the tools to store extra tape and reduce rattling but it does not actually reduce the rattling noise.
The next obvious step was to use cloth tool bags, however they wear out very quickly and hold moisture. The second problem I encountered is the toolbox has a distinct trapezoidal taper to it resulting in rectangle bags not fitting all that well. The third problem with the cloth bags is that if you find a big enough one to hold all the tools it wont fit into the opening of the toolbox.
I have used a lot of Magpul stuff, and always had positive experience with their polymer products. I noticed that they made a tough looking pouch in multiple sizes and colors. According to the website “the Magpul DAKA Pouch was designed to bring organization to the dusty, dirty, and muddy world we work and play in.”
- Polymer-infused textiles (with anti-slip texture)
- Welded seams
- YKK® water resistant zippers.
Magpul also states the pouches are “not meant to be submerged, these water-resistant pouches will keep your items dry in most wet environments”. You can read more about the product at the Magpul website https://magpul.com/apparel-gear/gear/daka.html
I wasn’t sure which size would actually work best based on the demission’s of the product so I ordered a Small and a Medium which was serendipitous because the combination worked out perfectly. The medium ones fits in the door taking up the most space allowing the small pouch to fit in about it along with the taper of the toolbox. The reason I went for yellow is so that I could put the tools on the pouches and easily see everything and hopefully not leave any tools on the side of the road. I have ridden thousands of miles with them before I posted this review and so far so good everything is working out well.
TheMotoLizard
