Review of the Atlas-46 Yorktown Tool Roll

The one emergency nearly all of us will face at one time or another is a roadside vehicle breakdown or mishap. Unfortunately, many truck camper owners are woefully unprepared for such emergencies and have only a vehicle jack and a lug wrench to change a flat tire and perhaps a set of jumper cables. These are important items, to be sure, but comprise only a tiny fraction of the items that should be in every vehicle’s emergency roadside kit. A key component of a good emergency roadside kit, is a quality set of hand tools. We’ve always carried a small bag of tools with us on our adventures, but invariably we came across several jobs without the right tool to complete it. This is frustrating, to say the least. In an effort to solve this problem once and for all, we decided to buy a tool roll that would allow us to not only carry more tools on our trips, but keep them better organized and easier to find. By far, the best tool roll we came across in our search is the Yorktown Tool Roll by Atlas 46.

Based out of Fenton, Missouri, Atlas 46 has been in business since 1974, when the founder, John Carver, and his mother, Lorene, began operations out of the basement of his mother’s home. At first, the company produced nylon gear for motorcycle racing, but later changed its focus toward tactical products and personal work-wear goods. Atlas 46’s current catalog is quite extensive with the company offering everything from carry bags, backpacks and tool rolls, to tool vests, tool belts, and clothing. Atlas 46’s mission is simple: provide the highest quality goods possible. To this end, every Atlas 46 product is subject to the strictest quality control standards then backs that quality with an impressive warranty. Better yet, all Atlas 46 products are made in the USA, a rarity in today’s tactical and work-wear marketplaces when company’s usually go for cheaper, foreign-made products to save a few bucks.

What was the inspiration for the Yorktown Tool Roll? It’s a pretty cool story. An Atlas 46 employee attended a local Jeep club meeting with several Atlas 46 items in-hand, including an XL Tool Roll Pouch, a Wrench Roll Pouch, and a few other items that the Jeep community would be able to use. After a debate and discussion about what they liked and didn’t like about each item, one member had the idea of putting pockets on one side of the tool roll and wrench slots on the other. Like so many great inventions and products over the years, the inspiration came by merging two products into one. As far as how well the Yorktown Tool Roll sells, it’s currently Atlas 46’s best-selling item with over 6,000 units sold.

The Atlas 46 Yorktown Tool Roll is a quality product. While many, foreign-made tool rolls are made of cheap fabrics that eventually wear out and rip, the Yorktown tool roll is made of Cordura, a special nylon fabric known for its durability and capability to resist scuffs. Not only that, but Atlas-46 goes the extra mile by doubling and tripling the stitching to make the bag even more durable and stronger. Even the zippers are high-quality with easy-to-grab pull strings. Measuring 19 inches long and 16 inches wide, the front side consists of four, zippered front pockets, each measuring 16 inches by 2.5 inches by 3 inches, while the back side is lined with 11 wrench slots and seven multipurpose tool slots. These slots can accommodate wrenches of various sizes with the smallest slot measuring 5.5 inches by 1.375 inches and the largest, 8.875 inches by 2.375 inches. We especially like the Quick Roll System, which allows the pouch to be easily cinched up and condensed for better mobility and storage.

The Yorktown Tool Roll can hold a surprising number tools, double the number we had in our old tool bag. We loaded the front pockets with an assortment of screw drivers, socket wrenches, sockets, pliers, wire cutters, Allen wrenches, vice grips, and other items useful in an emergency. These pouches are even long enough to hold a standard socket rail, though barely. Most of the wrench slots on the back are large enough to hold more than one wrench, which was a pleasant surprise. While we love the quality and ease in locating the right tool when you need it, we do have a minor complaint about the tool roll. The wrench slots, in some cases, are too shallow, another inch or two in length would’ve been perfect for some of the larger wrenches that we use (for now, we keep a few of these wrenches stored in one of the front pouches). Fortunately, Atlas 46 makes a larger version called the Yorktown Mechanics Roll that accommodates these larger and longer wrenches.

The Atlas 46 Yorktown Tool Roll can be purchased in several colors to accommodate varying tastes and looks, including black, coyote (tan), multicam, neon orange, and Chartreuse (neon green). We ordered two: multicam for the truck, orange for the Jeep. We love the look and colors of our tool rolls, but if you’re the type who regularly gets oily and dirty working on your vehicle, then you’ll probably want to order black to avoid soiling the roll. The Yorktown Tool Roll retails for $110, a bit on the spendy side, but when you consider the quality and features of this American-made product, the price is well worth it. Like I always say, you get what you pay for and when you buy a Yorktown Tool Roll, you’re buying the best tool roll in the market.

The Verdict

Overall, we’re thrilled with the Yorktown Tool Roll’s quality and features. Most of the tool rolls you find in town are cheap, clumsy to use, and hold only a limited number of tools, but not this one. The Atlas-46’s Yorktown Tool Roll cinches and rolls up easily, stores well, and takes up less than half the space of our old tool bag. In fact, the Yorktown Tool Roll’s quality far exceeded our expectations and we’re a pretty tough crowd to please when it comes to bags and pouches. If the tool set in your truck is a cluttered mess you should consider getting organized an Atlas-46 Yorktown Tool Roll. You won’t regret it and it makes a great gift for a birthday or Christmas. What would we rate the Atlas-46 Yorktown Tool Roll? On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, we enthusiastically give it a rating of 5 stars.