Best Multitool For Outdoors?

[pitdog]

Nice pic, dude! You don't happen to remember the name of that kind of lichen do you? We have it all over the place in my neck of the woods. Pretty stuff.

I think it's Reindeer Moss !

Here is some interesting stuff if it is:

Food Use

Lichens are not a pop-in-you-mouth or toss-in-a-salad edible. They must be leached in a clean stream overnight, or boiled in several changes of water, preferably with baking soda added each time, to remove the acids that can cause intestinal irritation. Lichens, after leaching or parboiling, can be added to soups and stews as a thickener, boiled with fruits into a jelly, dried as a flour extender or substitute, simmered as a vegetable with wild game or fish, or cooked into a pudding or custard. In Iceland and Scandinavia, lichens are commercially harvested for a lichen powder that forms the basis of soups and desserts.

Kobuk River Eskimos use reindeer lichen as survival food for both humans and dogs. Some Eskimos eat the partially digested lichen contents of the stomach of slain caribou. Inland Dena’ina Athabascans boil or soak Cladina until soften and then eat it plain or with berries, fish eggs, or oil.

Reindeer moss lacks a strong flavor; the leached, dried product has the taste of crustless white bread. In Survival Stew, the flavors of whatever meat and vegetables you’ve selected will be dominant.

 

[warrigal]

I voted Swiss tool earlier. But just as a comment
I have long said Tim Leatherman deserves a Nobel prize for the concept but the marketing team need six years in a Nth Korean gaol to slow down their enthusiasm for new models. Evolution is required but so many variations?
Carl

 

[MidwestDave]

I edc a Leatherman Surge. I like it for the woods because you can replace the saw blades easily with sabre saw blades. In the leather pouch I carry the Surge, half a dozen extra blades, a 3/8" firesteel and a AA Maglite.
I've cut many a walking stick with it.



Dave

 

[mcjhrobinson]

i carried a Sog powerlock for a while...liked it alot. gave it to a good friend...he raves about it!

i now carry a SAK OHT...its always on the belt. unless im sleeping then its under my pillow.

 

[sodak]

I used to use a leatherman, but snapped the pliers without too much trouble at all. I was shocked at how easily it broke. I'm looking into the Vic line now.

 

[Bear]

To me, an ideal SAK or multitool for outdoors has woodworking tools. So one of the Leatherman tools I have and use is the KF4 for its saw and awl tools. The file may be pressed into service to sharpen your knife.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

The Vic. tools not only have a saw and awl, but also a chisel!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I think it's Reindeer Moss !

Here is some interesting stuff if it is:

Food Use

Lichens are not a pop-in-you-mouth or toss-in-a-salad edible. They must be leached in a clean stream overnight, or boiled in several changes of water, preferably with baking soda added each time, to remove the acids that can cause intestinal irritation. Lichens, after leaching or parboiling, can be added to soups and stews as a thickener, boiled with fruits into a jelly, dried as a flour extender or substitute, simmered as a vegetable with wild game or fish, or cooked into a pudding or custard. In Iceland and Scandinavia, lichens are commercially harvested for a lichen powder that forms the basis of soups and desserts.

Kobuk River Eskimos use reindeer lichen as survival food for both humans and dogs. Some Eskimos eat the partially digested lichen contents of the stomach of slain caribou. Inland Dena’ina Athabascans boil or soak Cladina until soften and then eat it plain or with berries, fish eggs, or oil.

Reindeer moss lacks a strong flavor; the leached, dried product has the taste of crustless white bread. In Survival Stew, the flavors of whatever meat and vegetables you’ve selected will be dominant.

YES! Reindeer moss. I'd forgotten the name. I had no idea it could be eaten, albeit with a fair amount of preparation. Given how common it is on rocky outcrops here, (which often have water running off of them) there are the ingredients for a meal if I ever got stranded. I'll double/triple check the ID before I try it though! Cat tails are also in abundance here, so you mostly have to worry about the cold, not food. :thumbup:

 

[Mack]

I'm not a fan of Leatherman even though I live near them and when they break I can get them replaced immediatly. In my experience they break.
I use Sog powerlocks and have never had a problem with one other than having two stolen.
The saw on the Sog is one of my favorite features. Very good cutter.:thumbup:

 

[Helle]

Another vote for the SwissTool X, they're as solid as they come.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I'm not a fan of Leatherman even though I live near them and when they break I can get them replaced immediatly. In my experience they break.
I use Sog powerlocks and have never had a problem with one other than having two stolen.
The saw on the Sog is one of my favorite features. Very good cutter.:thumbup:

If I remember correctly, Jeff (of RAT Cutlery) is a fan of the SOG multitools. The ones I've blade with have been very high quality.

 

[Andster2]

I have just about every multi tool. I use them pretty hard. The best built and my personal favorite is the Victorinox swiss tool. I have the one with scissors and regular vic blade. They have one with both a serrated sheeps foot and regular vic blade, but no scissors, or scissors and serrated sheeps foot and no vic blade. Pick your poison. My second favorite is the Leatherman charge which has two blades, diamond file, and scissors. Third best imo is the SOG power assist.

 

[untamed]

SOG's stuff takes a beating. :thumbup:

 

[dougo83]

I have one of the original LM Supertools that I really like. They just came out with a new improved version I believe. It's the only multitool I have experience with though

+1 on the original. I have two of them, built like a tank...

 

[LMT66]

I voted Swiss tool earlier. But just as a comment
I have long said Tim Leatherman deserves a Nobel prize for the concept but the marketing team need six years in a Nth Korean gaol to slow down their enthusiasm for new models. Evolution is required but so many variations?
Carl

I wish they would make one with the tools folks like us ask for but then they only sell one model. Their marketing team knows exactly what they are doing. "We'll make them buy two models to satisfy one set of needs".

Some startup company is one design away from cornering the entire multi-tool market.

 

[LMT66]

Heres a handy comparison chart. http://www.multitoolguide.com/tools/

Excellent chart and thanks for sharing!

 

[Rotte]

I've used SOG and Leatherman. They all seem pretty good to me. Currently I'm carrying A Leatherman Charge Ti with a 154cm blade. So far, so good.

 

[dougo83]

I wish they would make one with the tools folks like us ask for but then they only sell one model. Their marketing team knows exactly what they are doing. "We'll make them buy two models to satisfy one set of needs".

Some startup company is one design away from cornering the entire multi-tool market.

Agreed. All I need is the pliers, a decent saw, a knife, an awl and mebbe scissors like the LM Charge. Everything else seems pretty useless in the woods.

 

[LMT66]

Agreed. All I need is the pliers, a decent saw, a knife, an awl and mebbe scissors like the LM Charge. Everything else seems pretty useless in the woods.

I need good pliers, good saw, good knife blade (one only), awl, good scissors, can opener and thin to medium file.
And all easily accessed from the outside.

 

[DWK2]

How about a multi where you buy the frame and whatever tools you need? Maybe have the option to configure it differently for different types of trips?

DancesWithKnives