My opinion on multitools as an outdoor/survival tool

There are some tools on some leatherman/swisstools that are worth having on top of the pliers, but really, not many if you have and SAK. These days I have a pair of pliers everywhere I go, and it's no longer only my LM crunch. But the crunch still wins as the only decent folding vise-grip style pliers I have found.

Depending on need a good quality small pair of channel locks or linesman pliers seem to handle most tasks.
 
Either my Swisstool or My Leatherman Core are with me always in the woods.Part of my modern Nessmuk trio.(multi,fixed blade and tomahawk).
 
I'm another dissenter. I have an original Leatherman I bought in the 80s and I could probably count the number of times I used it outside on one hand. It sits in the house now.
 
I must say I really love multi-tools over SAKs. IMO the SAK. I've got a SAK classic on my key chain that gets plenty of use but small use.

I always carry my LM Juice when I'm out and about and really love the ergos of it. Like Jake said, you will get some hot spots if you are using it for an extended period of time but I feel if you are using it for an extended period of time you are either A) in a survival situation and it won't really matter or B) You are using the wrong tool and should have brought a tool box with you.
 
I've had this multitool for about 10 yrs now.

http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-Multi-Plier-600-blunt-nose-7500.htm

I don't have any personal pictures of it but that's the model I have. I like the fact that the handles don't cut into my hand and that the tools lock in place when open. This thing used to ride on my belt (until I broke the sheath) now it stays in my pocket and I use it at least once a day for something, to me you just can't beat a good multitool for everyday usefullness.

David
 
you don't hear much about Gerber when we talk about multitools but I love my Gerber as well. I really love the idea that I can slide the pliers out one handed. The one disadvantage I've found with that Gerber is that the frame flexes more when you torque on the pliers compared to that of LM pliers.
 
To be fair, I think my last post came off anti-MT in favor of a SAK. In thinking about it, I don't really use my SAK very much. The knife is almost never used. What I do like on the SAK and can be had on the wave, is the saw. I use the saw of my trailmaster often for notching my hearth on the bowdrill. You can do it with a knife, but it is faster and safer with a saw. I also use the can opener on the odd time we need to open a can up in the wild. For example - sometimes I bring in a can of kippers - with the rip off lid and the rip ring pulls off without the top. The can opener works good. So basically, my SAK lives most of its life in a little pocket in my bag. I EDC'd one for a while but it has since been displaced by a little fixed blade.

For sticking a little MT in your PSK or buried in a 'good stuff' pocket, the SAK is more compact than most MT out there. Still, if I really rifle through my pack, I'm pretty sure I can dig up my juice in there ;)
 
This is an interesting question.
I think that having a variety of tools in one compact package is generally handy. The pliers are useful. They make quick work of cutting snare-type wire and can be used to retrieve things from the fire.

In general when carrying my leatherman juice XE6 I am comforted to know that I have almost every common tool, even if it isn't the best possible example of each.

Is a MT better than a SAK+pliers though, that I'll have to think about. Obviously the more tools you stuff in there the worse ergonomics get...I think if you get one of the larger SAKs you might wipe out any gains over just having a MT.

A One hand Trekker and a pare of needle nose...hmm might be lighter and have much better ergos for using the blade and saw than my Leatherman. But i'd lose the scissors, file and serrated blade.
 
I agree these multitools are very useful but I don't have any including SAK.
Maybe because I'm not a big fan of all-in-one packaging approach.
I prefer single purpose tools.

The only exception is ice-ax, which is a compilation of cane, adz and pick.
 
I carry a Wave and a Squirt P4 almost everywhere. I have Swiss Army knives and rarely carry them or use them. I need to sell some stuff off. :)
 
I had a Gerber multitool for years that I kept in the truck or backpack but never carried on my person like my folding knifes (I'm not big on putting a sheath on my belt). A few months ago I was given a Leatherman skeletool cx as a groomsman gift and was skeptical but now it's replaced my folder as my daily carry piece. The function and ergonomics of the blade is similar to a folding knife and way better than all other multitools IMO. Plus it clips in the pocket instead of requiring a sheath. When you need a pair of pliers, nothing else will substitute. Now I've always got them.
 
I've never owned one but I'd love to have one of the leathermans.

I'd want one with a small screwdriver for glasses, a diamond file to repair chips in the hatchet or knife head, a wood file for bushcrafty type stuff and of course the pliers for removing hot stuff from the fire.:thumbup:
 
I bought my first multitool in 1993 - a Gerber Multiplier. It was an ok tool, as long as you somehow managed to not pinch the crap out of your hand when using the pliers. in 1995, i was gifted a classic Leatherman PST. This tool replaced the Gerber, and accompanied me on all my outdoor adventures until I got a 1st gen Wave in 1998. The wave was a great tool, but it was still relegated to camping/outdoor duties. My trusty SAK Tinker or Hiker remained my constant daily companions.

Somewhere around 2002-2003, I acquired a Charge XTi that came with a pocket clip. This spelled the demised for the daily carrying of an SAK. Since then, I have always had a Leatherman tool on my person whenever I have left the house.

I had the pleasure of working for a Leatherman dealer for a few years, and was lucky to try out a variety of their models. The Charge XTi and the 2nd gen Wave have been my most carried. The Surge is nice, but it is on the large and heavy side, maiking it cumbersome for pocket carry (for me, anyways). The Crunch is great for the Vise-Grip-type feature, but I think its utility is hampered by the other implements it has; or doesn't have. The Juice series, is nice because they are small, but their size is also a drawback IMO. The major blades/implemets and the pliers are smallish and limiting. However, the Juice scissors and corkscrew with assist feature work well. I feel the various Juice flavors are best suited for a mini kit, or some other occasional use application. For the last year or so, I've been commuting with a Skeletool. It has proven to be an excellent EDC piece, with its knife blade, pliers, and multi-bit screwdriver all seeing about equal use.

The only other multitool I have in my stable is an original SwissTool. It is nice, but it has been overshadowed by the newer, slicker Leatherman tools. I believe the SwissTool rides in the glove compartment of my wife's car these days.

I have never been bothered by the ergonomics of the multitool pliers. They have all worked well enough for me. The original PST wasn't the most comfortable pliers to use, but when Leatherman began rounding their handles, it was as if a giant sigh of relief was emitted by hands everywhere.



Finally, remember what it is: it is a multi tool. It will perform a variety of tasks, but it most likely won't out-perform a purpose-built tool. It may not cut or carve as well as a good knife, it may not , uh... plier as well as a real pliers, It may not open cans as well as a turn-key can opener, it may not be as comfy or easy to use as an actual screwdriver, you won't be sawing down many trees with the saw, and the scissors may leave you with carpal tunnel syndrome after cutting out an article from the newspaper. But, you can do all this stuff with one tool (except maybe for the cutting down a tree part). The pocket multitool is like the WSK of pocket knives - Some may see it as gimmicky and unnecessary, other may see it as entirely useful.
 
I'll agree with the dissenters...

I've had a leatherman skeletool for a little less than a year, and I really like it, but don't find myself using it a lot. I don't like the grip while using the pliers, and the screwdriver is awkward to use.

I still carry it and use it, but it's fallen short more times than it's saved the day. SAK Power :)
 
The one thing I forgot to mention (someone in one of these two threads reminded me), that I really enjoy on the Wave, is having the blades and saws on the outside of the tool and having them easily opened one handed, that's a really nice feature. One of these days, I'm going to have to pick up one of the more fancier Leathermans to try out, see if I like it better than the Vic Spirit. :thumbup:

I commute with a Skeletool CX as well. I love the light weight of this Leatherman, and I like having the back-up blade and screwdrivers (to my EDC Farmer and Folder in my pockets) in addition to the pliers and wire cutters. My only complaint is that it feels a little flimsy and weak compared to my other multi-tools, but I understand that's the trade-off for a lighter Multitool...and I'm sure it's still plenty strong enough for most things I'd encounter on one of my normal week days.
 
A year ago, my son's friend pedal fell off when mountain biking. We were several miles into the woods and we had to walk back out on trails not designed for walking. I was completely miserable that day.

So I went out and bought a multi-tool. However it is fairly heavy and have not used it on the trails since I bought it. Although it came pretty handy at home I was thinking of taking it out of my camelbak last weekend to save weight. Later on that day my son takes a nasty fall down a hill twisting the bike up. The multitool was able to fix it up and ride back out. Even if I never use it again I will never go Mountain biking without it again, or any outdoor activity for that matter.

P.S. Just bought a skeletool to save weight
 
Bicycling is why I chose the crunch originally- I always carry the few allens I need in a seat bag with my spare tubes. I do wish it had a really beefy file instead of yetanotherscrewdriver, but it's a really good tool for getting some torque on.
 
When camping, I have a SAK in my pocket and a lightweight pliers in my backpack. I rarely need my pliers, I think my style of camping doesn't require that tool very much.
 
Can anyone here please measure the length of the cutting edge on the VIC One Hand Trekker?

I doudt it would be a problem with a SAK, but technically my state has a limit of <4 inches for carry in most circumstances.
 
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