6 Attachments For Your Milwaukee Packout's Side Rails

The modular Milwaukee Packout system is a great way to customize your tool storage to best fit your tasks and workflow. It includes several products made by the brand such as tool boxes, wall mounts, and a wide assortment of accessories ranging from cooling fans to Bluetooth radios. With so many ways to organize your Packout loadout, it can be useful for jobs at home or on site, or for any number of other situations — for example, there are several Milwaukee Packout tools and kits that will come in handy during an emergency.

An innovative feature Milwaukee worked into the design of its portable Packout stacks is the aluminum rails that go up and down the sides of your loadout. These sturdy rails can be used to attach even more accessories to enhance the utility and storage space of your stack. Even better, it gives you access to items without having to unstack Milwaukee Packout boxes, which can take up valuable time and be tricky if you've never done it before. Milwaukee recently announced multiple products that can mount to Packout side rails, such as a tool box holder and an M18 battery rack. However, these items aren't yet available for purchase.

Fortunately, there are already many different third-party accessories on the market that are compatible with Packout side rails. Here are six attachments for your Milwaukee Packout's side rails, based on various factors like price, utility, and customer feedback. More information on how these accessories were evaluated can be found at the end of this list.

Alpha Engineered is a company that manufactures, among other products, its own line of Milwaukee accessories — especially those compatible with the Milwaukee Packout system. You can even buy third party threaded side rails from the brand, called Alpha Rails, in various sizes. The Alpha Engineered Tool Rail Mount is one very useful attachment made by the company that is compatible with both Milwaukee's side rails and Alpha Rails. Even better, it comes in two different colors — black and silver — which match the two color options that Alpha Rails come as, so you can even color coordinate your Packout system if you'd like.

Of course, functionality should be more important than style when it comes to your tools — and, fortunately, the Alpha Engineered Tool Rail Mount isn't just useful because it comes in black. By attaching the accessory to your Packout's side rails, you'll easily create extra storage space with the ability to attach various tools, batteries, and even smaller Packout cases to the mount. It's fairly easy to install, though some Packout layouts may make doing so trickier than others, and it can be used on either side of your stack. Everything you need to set it up is included, and you won't need to screw any holes into your Packout kit to attach it. The tool rail mount is constructed from durable aluminum that will last long and won't bend with the weight of your tools.

On Amazon, the Alpha Engineered Tool Rail Mount has a solid 4.3 out of five average customer score, though that's only based on a few dozen ratings, with even less comprehensive reviews available — so it's hard to say if the product has any unforeseen downsides. Amazon sells the Alpha Engineered Tool Rail Mount for $49.99.

While some Packout attachments add functionality, such as fans or work lights, other Packout accessories are better for helping you to keep your workspace tidy. This includes the Bpopo Folding Side Storage Packout Mount, a third-party product that mounts to your stack's side rails and gives you an additional tray to use for storage that's roughly 15 x 8 inches. It can bear at least 40 kilograms of weight, so you can place toolboxes or power tools on it, or even use it as a work surface.

It comes in either aluminum or carbon steel, but either way, it's resistant to heat, moisture, scratches, and general corrosion, thanks to electroplating surface treatment. If you're worried about how a storage tray jutting out from the side of your Packout stack affects storage, you can take solace in the fact that it easily folds down. Plus, you won't need to remove it each time. The accessory is also versatile — you don't need to use it exclusively with your Packout stack, as it can also be easily attached to walls, Molle panels, and truck bed floors.

You should note that the overall customer score for the mount (3.6 out of five), doesn't exactly inspire a ton of confidence, though it's only based on a few dozen ratings as Bpopo isn't a well-known brand. For what it's worth, the majority of those reviews are five stars, though in the end you may need to just find out for yourself whether or not the accessory is worth it. More than one customer has mentioned that they needed to drill their own holes into their stack during installation because the holes came misaligned. The Bpopo Folding Side Storage Packout Mount is available from Amazon for $59.99.

The Alpha Engineered Extension Cord Holder Organizer does exactly what it says it does, allowing you to easily and cleanly keep an extension cord on hand wherever you take your Packout stack. This can be especially useful if you're working with corded Milwaukee power tools or other wired products, or if you need to charge batteries.

The Extension Cord holder comes in either black or silver and is compatible with any version of the Milwaukee Packout stack that incorporates side rails. It's essentially a pair of hooks that attach to either side of your stack, allowing you to wrap the cord around and around, preventing annoying knots or tangles. It's built from high-quality aluminum that won't bend or break like cheap plastic, and can hold extension cords of up to 100 feet long. The product has a solid 4.5 out of five overall customer score on Amazon, based on over 260 reviews.

Like the Milwaukee Packout system itself, many Packout attachments — including those for its side rails — are particularly useful because of their versatility. One drawback to the Alpha Engineered Extension Cord Holder Organizer is that its design is specifically geared toward wrapping a cord and doesn't have any dedicated use cases outside of this. However, if you're not working with a power cord, you can get creative and still find some use for the accessory, such as hanging hand tools that have looped straps and things of that nature. Obviously, the accessory is particularly useful for holding ropes, wires and similar items that you also want to keep from getting tangled during transportation and storage. The Alpha Engineered Extension Cord Holder Organizer retails on Amazon for $24.99.

If you're doing electrical or automotive work, or any other jobs that require several different screwdrivers, the Weihe Designs Handler Screwdriver Rack that attaches to your Packout will make things a lot easier by giving you quick and easy access to your tools.

The rack includes 27 individual holes of various sizes, so you can store all kinds of screwdrivers — as well as nut drivers, files, and picks — into a very compact space. It's printed from thermoplastic polyester that is durable and chemically resistant — so it's well-suited for the garage and other tough work environments. Plus, it's got a pleasing-to-the-eye black hue. One particularly useful aspect to the Screwdriver Rack is that you don't need to attach it to the side rails — it's also compatible with Packout top mounts and wall mounts, so you can fine tune your loadout depending on the job.

Unfortunately, the product doesn't directly attach to the Milwaukee Packout side rails. Instead, it attaches to the Side Handler Mount that's also made by Weihe Designs, which is what mounts to the side rails. You'll need to purchase the Side Handler Mount separately in order to use the Screwdriver Rack; however, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as you can also use the Side Handler Mount to attach a number of other accessories made by Weihe Designs to your Packout as well, such as hooks, cups, and trays. One other drawback to the Weihe Designs Handler Screwdriver Rack is that it's a fairly niche product, so there isn't a lot of customer feedback to gauge its quality. What few customer reviews there are, though, make the Packout accessories made by Weihe Designs seem very promising. The Weihe Designs Handler Screwdriver Rack is available for $13.99

Some Packout accessories are purposefully generic in order to give you many different ways to use it, while others are much more specific — such as the Alpha Engineered Level Moiunt Holder. Just because it's less versatile, though, doesn't mean it's less useful — if you're a carpenter or are constantly using your level, the ability to adhere it to the side of your Packout stack can be invaluable. Based on over 160 reviews from Amazon customers, it has a very positive 4.5 out of five overall user score.

Constructed from strong and durable aluminum, the Level Mount Holder slides onto your Packout side rail and can hold levels of all sizes, as well as squares, straight edges, and many tools that use belt clips, such as tape measures. It includes a main compartment that measures: 2.8 x 1.5 inches and a secondary, outside slot measuring 2.8 x 0.25 inches, so you can use a single mount to hold two items, such as a level and a precision triangle. It installs easily to most Packout systems and doesn't require drilling.

Unlike some other Packout side rail attachments, this product can't work on both sides — you need to buy either a left-oriented or right-oriented mount. Unless you want to pay for both, this limits you if you like to constantly tinker with and rearrange your Milwaukee Packout loadout, which is a bit of a bummer. Buying both left and right mounts wouldn't be the end of the world, though, since it's reasonably affordable. Plus, if you have enough tools that are compatible with the mounts — including those with belt clips — you could always use both the left and right accessories simultaneously. Amazon sells the Alpha Engineered Level Mount Holder for $29.99.

The Packout system is extremely customizable not just because of the modular way it was designed by Milwaukee, but because of the wide assortment of useful third-party add-ons for Milwaukee Packout that are available. Many of these add-ons are compatible or directly intended for Packout side rails, including the Bpopo Magnetic Bar Mount.

Unlike some other bars that attach to the side of your Packout, this storage accessory uses a magnet rather than having you hang or mount your hand tools. This increases versatility for any metal tools you may have that don't have loops, hooks, or fit molded mounts. Plus, with a magnetic bar, you can easily pull off and attach items like hammers, wrenches, and screwdrivers without even looking, allowing you to access and put away your most-used tools more quickly and without interrupting your workflow. The magnetic bar is powder-coated and rubberized, so you won't need to worry about it scratching your tools when you return them to the mount. The accessory is compatible with any Milwaukee Packout stack that sports side rails, and you won't need to drill any holes to attach it.

Bpopo's Magnetic Bar Mount has an encouraging 4.3 out of five overall customer score, but, unfortunately, this is only based on a handful of reviews as it's a niche product from a small company. It's hard to know just how reliable the accessory is or how strong the magnet is, but it's a great idea for a Packout side rail accessory and — if you've got the money for it — may very well be worth the investment. Thankfully, it's not very expensive and won't cost much to find out. The Bpopo Magnetic Bar Mount is available on Amazon for $34.99.

The recommended attachments for Milwaukee Packout side rails included in this list were selected based on a few different factors. One, of course, is functionality — each of these attachments enhance the utility of your Packout loadout and can increase your productivity. Even the more niche attachments, such as those designed to hold extension cords or levels, can be used in other ways with other items for greater versatility.

Another factor considered was customer feedback, as you can often gauge the quality and reliability of a product based on the reviews of others who've purchased and used it. Most of the tools in this list have high overall customer ratings on Amazon. However, some of these average scores are based on a very small amount of ratings, since these third-party accessories are relatively niche. With a smaller number of customers weighing in, the overall score is less reliable and needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Based on the product descriptions and other accessories made by these third-party brands, the recommended attachments are still fairly promising, though.

If you've got the budget for it, you can see for yourself even without a sound foundation of strong reviews, as all of the recommended accessories included on this list were also selected because they are modestly priced. Each item costs less than $60, allowing you to customize and enhance your Milwaukee Packout stack without breaking the bank.