Here's What To Do With Those Extra Milwaukee Packout Bins

There's a lot to be said about the Milwaukee Packout storage system and the near-endless ways you can customize it for your home garage, office workshop, or outdoor job site. Although there are plenty of alternative tool box options out there, Milwaukee loyalists swear by the quality of the individual components of the system, as well as how seamlessly the whole fits into their lifestyle. In the past, we've even mentioned how people prefer it over the cheaper DeWalt's ToughSystem due to its significantly larger array of features, which include specific things that some people may be looking for, like beverage cups or charging stations.

With plenty of top-rated Packout kits that you can swap from your walls to your rolling stack, owners of the Packout system are spoiled not just for choice but also for the extra bins that may come with them. In general, Milwaukee Packout Bins are versatile storage options even outside the Packout storage system. While, like many other parts of the system, they're not rated to be waterproof, the bins are still functional in other ways that make up for it. Made to hang on wall plates, the Milwaukee bins also have interior dividers that can be slotted in to make even more compartmentalization. So, if you happen to find yourself with a mountain of extra Milwaukee Packout bins from a recent project or two, here are some interesting ways they can take on a second life inside and outside of your workshop.

One of the great things about the Milwaukee Packout system is how you can mix and match its various features, even if they weren't really made for that precise combination. Although it's not famous for its apparel, Milwaukee does sell a line of bags that are designed to accompany you to heavy-duty work environments. While admittedly, the Milwaukee backpacks have garnered mixed reviews from owners (mainly due to their zipper quality), you can make a few changes that can make it more convenient to use. For example, if you don't really use bulky power tools and find that the Packout Backpack's 48 pockets are not enough for your hand tools, you can augment them with your extra Packout bins.

On the other hand, while the 15" Milwaukee Packout Duffel Bag's wide open interior compartment is useful for being able to load different bulky power tools, it's not exactly the best option for people whose job demands a cocktail of hand tools or small parts instead. For this reason, you can slot in a handful of Milwaukee Packout Bins inside to add some structure in the middle and make it easier to locate what you need without shuffling things around in the bag. And of course, this trick doesn't just work for Milwaukee bags. In theory, you can add the Packout bins to any bag wide enough to hold them that could stand to have things separated, like your everyday tote bag.

Most people will associate Milwaukee and their Packout solution with heavy-duty construction projects or job sites. However, Milwaukee fans come from across the spectrum of people, with many who own Milwaukee tools for landscaping activities. And if you're one of those people who are lucky enough to have a good power drill for work, as well as a hedge trimmer to take care of your bushes in your free time, you might be interested to know that your extra Packout bins can also play a role in your garden.

For people who find a lot of meaning in cultivating their home's garden, extra Milwaukee Packout Bins can mean twice the amount of plants. Whether it's to cultivate seedlings for flowers, growing your supermarket-bought basil or garlic, or a pot for your succulents, your extra bins can be used to grow different kinds of plants. Not only can it save you a few dollars from buying plastic pots from Home Depot, but since it's made to be durable, it'll likely be able to last longer than the bargain pots on the shelves. Afterward, you can also use the bins in your greenhouse or shed to organize your small gardening tools, such as tiny trowels, shovels, rakes, and spray bottles, when you're not using them. Alternatively, you can also load them into your tote bag, so your stuff isn't all over the place inside the bag when you're doing your light gardening activities.

Designed to easily slot into your Packout System, your Packout bins can also be turned into a parts bin organizer and storage pretty easily. If you're wondering how to get started, YouTuber creator ed theoldtechguy created a nice tutorial on making a bin container with two large Packout Bins, eight small Packout Bins, and the Milwaukee Packout Crate. However, you don't really need to follow this combination exactly and mix and match whatever extra bins you have available. As a rule of thumb, you can fit the equivalent of 12 small Packout Bins in one crate. But take note, there are no official lid options for the crate, so you'll need to customize one yourself if you want to be extra about it. Apart from being a bin organizer, the Milwaukee Packout Crate joins our list for useful storage options for a reason. After all, it can manage up to 50 lbs of weight, which is more than enough to hold an arsenal of power tools.

Previously, we shared some of our favorite Milwaukee Packout mods, including one wherein the system was used to make a work table. If you're the kind of person who needs more help with organizing on your work table, you can use your extra Packout bins to create a rack on the side for easy parts access. You can even consider adding more Packout attachment options to enhance your work table experience, like the 3-hook attachment or battery attachment.

If you want to make a good impression at your new job site, bringing snacks might be an easy solution. Thankfully,  your Milwaukee Packout bins can also work as take out bins. With your Packout bins, you can even slot in a divider or two if you want to put a space between your Skittles or your Oreos. But take note, Milwaukee doesn't officially market or list its bins as food-safe or share any FDA or USDA-approval.Typically, food-safe containers have symbols that mark it as food-safe, microwave-safe or freezer-safe which are printed on the plastic directly. For this reason, while the Milwaukee Packout bins are designed to experience impact, it may be risky to use it for your spaghetti. Instead, you can opt for pre-wrapped snacks like candy or put them in separate ziplock containers before loading them into your Packout bins.

On the other hand, Milwaukee also makes lunch boxes and coolers that are definitely made to touch food. In fact, it even has Packout-compatible options that you can take to work, like the Packout Jobsite Cooler, the Packout Hard Cooler, and the XL Packout Hard Cooler. Once you have your snacks, you can also think about getting thermos cups for your soup, water, coffee, or wine. These days, Milwaukee makes different drink or liquid containers that slot in the system easily, like the Packout Bottles with Chug Lid, 12 oz. Insulated Bottle with Sip Lid, 30 oz. Tumblr, and 18 oz. Insulated Mug with Sip Lid.

Keeping your home organized can feel like a never ending task, and in many ways, it is. If you're one of those people who live in large homes with an endless amount of stuff, your Milwaukee Packout Bins can help turn your random clutter into functional groups of objects. If you own a Milwaukee Packout system, it's likely that you're one of those people who spend a lot of time in their garage. When it comes to organizing your garage, you'll need to do a lot of things like conducting inventory and creating dedicated workspaces. However, the last and most visually impactful step is always to store similar items together, which you can do with your Packout bins.

As for organizing your home office desk, the Packout Bins can be a great way to make your desk cart feel less chaotic. In addition, some common ways that people have used their low profile Packout bins is to organize their Ikea Alexa drawer. For hobbyists, you can use it to keep everything from your dice collection, Lego pieces, or model parts. It can even be a nice companion for your game nights and hold everything from board game pieces or cards you're already done using. On the other hand, they can also keep the mess in your children's rooms under control. For example, you can use it as a place to store small toys, like Barbie accessories or Hot Wheel cars.