Vehicle Everyday Carry – Jeep Tool Kit

I have been lagging on a write-up for one of my vehicle everyday carry (aka VEDC) items that I put together nearly two years ago. That item is the tool kit that I keep in my Jeep Wrangler.

The tool kit consists of a bunch of assorted tools that will be handy while out in the field, on the trail, at the range, on the road, or wherever I may find myself away from the garage to attempt a vehicle repair or some other random fix.

It is all encapsulated in a Blue Ridge Overland Gear (BROG) Tool Pouch Roll. The BROG Tool Pouch Roll consists of 4x12x2” hook-back Velcro pouches that attach the primary 31×12″ platform.

The tool pouch can be rolled up and secured via quick-release buckles

Now in the BROG Toll Pouch Roll, I have a variety of different tools in each pouch.

Note that I didn’t stick the most expensive name brand tools you can find in this kit. I picked tools primarily based on price, but keeping in mind at least some level of quality where the tool isn’t absolute garbage. The tools need to be functional for occasional use. Price plays a big role in that this kit stays in the vehicle all the time and didn’t want theft or loss to cause a huge issue in replacing/restoring tools.

One pouch contains 3/8″ drive 12-point shallow imperial (standard) and metric sockets. I have them sorted on aluminum socket organizers found on Amazon. The sockets are the Kobalt brand sockets you get from Lowe’s home improvements stores.

The second pouch contains 1/2″ drive 6-point deep impact metric sockets from 10mm to 24mm. These sockets are made by TackLife which you can find on Amazon and are Made in China as far as I know. I picked them up because they were really inexpensive, and they seemed to be low risk. I’ve actually used them at home in the garage and they seem fine. The kit that I bought came with three extensions which I also keep in this tool roll (in another pouch) and are all chrome vanadium.

You can see in the above photo I have Tekton 35mm and 36mm impact sockets. I have these in the event I have to work on a front axle shaft. Note that Tekton actually has a decent reputation for their tools and from what I have gathered from Internet research, a good portion of their products are made in Taiwan. A lot of the hand tools coming out of Taiwan factories appear to have better quality control.

The third pouch contains ractchets and drivers. I have a 1/2″ drive Craftsman (new production foreign made, not vintage USA made), a 3/8″ drive SK ratchet, and a 1/4″ drive Craftsman ratchet. Note that the SK 3/8″ Drive ratchet with 90 teeth is a low profile head and is actually a pricey tool compared to all the other items in my kit.

I wanted a good 3/8″ drive ratchet for this tool kit since it could see the most use in a vehicle repair scenario. I also have a 1/4″ bit driver even though I’m not carrying any bits in this kit (I actually need to stick some in here relevant to the Jeep, e.g. Torx bits). There are also locking pliers and two slotted screwdrivers and two Phillips head screwdrivers.

The last pouch contains a set of Kobalt brand metric wrenches and some Crescent brand adjustable wrenches.

I thought about ratcheting wrenches, but I like standard box ends because they are lower profile than ratcheting in the event I need to get into a tighter space.

Not in a pouch, but still carried in the tool roll is a 1/2″ Kobalt brand breaker bar that just sits between the two middle pouches (see earlier photo).

Note that I do also carry a dead blow rubber mallet and a Tekton 1/2″ drive torque wrench next to the tool roll in the vehicle. The mallet is a very handy tool for breaking things loose.

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That pretty much comprises my existing VEDC Jeep tool kit. I need to add the 1/4″ bits that I feel are useful for the vehicle (primarily Torx bits) and I think I will add at least one more set of (larger) locking pliers. I may also swap out the breaker bar for something more beefy. I picked up the Kobalt 1/2″ drive breaker bar for a low price from Lowe’s, but it doesn’t compare to the vintage Made in the USA Craftsman breaker bars that I use in the home garage.

Lastly, I do have the 1/2″ drive and 3/8″ drive Astro Pneumatic low profile nano impact sockets in metric. I’m debating on putting the 3/8″ drive set into my kit. They won’t add that much extra weight or take that much additional space and they could be handy if trying to work in a tight spot.