Minimalist setup for a "travelling bike mechanic"? I have very little living/working space of my own and so, in order to keep my personal bike in working order, I need to be able to transport "bike mechanic stuff" (e.g. tools, screws, cables, inner tubes, etc.) in an efficient, safe way to places where I can work on my bike and have access to bigger things I can't own (e.g. repair/truing stands). Additionally, I need to be able to have these assorted things well-organized and easy to move without a lot of packing/unpacking: I've had stuff stolen† from me while using communal workspaces which were busy because I either had stuff spread out so far that it wasn't quite within my "personal bubble" of control or I had to leave my space looking for something and, when I came back, something important was missing. Finally, even without the threat of theft, I nearly always lose at least one washer/screw/annoyingly-small thing when working on my bike.

Since I assume I'm not the only person in the world who has this sort of situation, are there any sort of guidelines on ways to quickly and efficiently store/transport bike repair/maintenance gear on one's person (e.g. in a backpack)?-- I haven't got a car, so I need to be able to easily carry it myself.



† I write "stolen" rather than "accidentally taken from me" after I shouted: "Hey, did anyone take a thingamabob from this location a few minutes ago?" and no one answered: Even if you accidentally took something, if you don't fess up, you're no better than someone who took it deliberately without intending on returning it.
I'd be very tempted to make a tool roll. You'll need access to a sewing machine that can handle 2-3 layers of canvas, but even most home machines will do that if you're careful (and buy a canvas needle!) 

You see them mostly today with sets of ring spanners, made of cheap plastic. But in the older days people would generally make them out of canvas, often double layer with oilskin/oiled cotton on the inner layer (before chrome plating meant most tools don't rust very easily).



The extra material at the top of this pic lets you fold the "flap" down to stop tools falling out when it's packed up.

A reasonable sized roll will also let you lay out parts if you need somewhere less dirty than the floor. And it can be roughly rolled up with tools and parts loose inside it if you want to carry it a short distance, or just to make it less inviting to thieves.

Make the first one any old how, because there's a bit of a learning curve in what works for you.



As a secondary thing, I carve my name into tools with an engraver. Those are fairly widely available these days, or most key cutting places will have one. My decent/valuable tools I keep with me at all times, or just don't take to places where I'm worried about losing them.

I also still lose tools at events like this, almost always by lending them to someone who doesn't return them (often innocently, by giving a tool to someone else and saying "it's Mσᶎ's, give it to him when you're finished with it"... and after a few people have passed the tool on it's impossible to trace). I'm in a financial position where I can afford to hit bargain bins for cheap tools, because the ones that go missing are usually adjustable spanners, 15mm or 10mm ring spanners, and 5/6mm allen keys. All of which turn up in bargain bins for under $5. So every 4-10 trips to community events I spend $50 on new cheap tools. Often tools I wouldn't personally use if I had a choice :)



I'm thinking of buying 10 or more of the "S shaped" double ended 5mm/6mm allen keys because I expect I could get usable ones for about $2 each, and I'm willing to spend that to not have to worry about losing them. I expect that I could probably sell them rather than lending them at that price.