- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 2,373
Myal asked a serious question on the "I trust these knives" thread about the wilderness value of a multi-tool. I thought the topic deserved a place of its own rather than buried on page 13 of a contentious thread...
In terms of bushcraft uses the multi-tool is pretty limited. When considering their value for wilderness survival I think they have great value.
Many wilderness survival scenarios take place around vehicles that are no longer in condition to move, cars, planes, snow mobiles, ATV's, boats, etc. Likewise critical pieces of equipment such as radios, stoves, and other items break or need repair at times. All of these technological wonders that could break and leave us in precarious conditions respond well to the tools found on your average multi-tool.
The first order of business is to get whatever broke up and running again. I have fixed my car many times on the roadside with my Leatherman WAVE.
The following is taken from the website of Simon and Lisa Thomas of "2 Ride the World". They stayed with us here in Belo for a few days as they were passing through. For tools they had a cheap Chinese hatchet and their Leatherman Charges. I gave them a 14 inch machete.
They got up to the Amazon and Simon fell off a bridge, breaking his neck and damaging the bike. Read the story and then think what tool you would want in a Real Life Survival Situation...
http://www.2ridetheworld.com/diary_brazil_11th_chapter.htm
"It was 5:30 when we started shifting our baggage the 100m from the Raymundos home along the mud-clay path made slippery by the mornings dew and up to the elevated track to where the bikes were now waiting patiently for us. Some time later and with the bikes loaded and our riding kit on we exchanged hugs and kisses. We were finally ready to get back on the road and take on the rest of the Amazon.
The R1100GS engine roared to life with a single press of the small green start button. As I smiled a final goodbye to our new friends whod done so much to offer us shelter, I dropped the bike into first, the engine spluttered and stalled.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heavier plumes of white smoke were making their way skyward. I rushed to turn off the ignition. It was too late the damage had been done. Lisas face was totally aghast. I was at an all-time low. I simply wanted to dig a deep hole, crawl in and come out when the bike fairy had dropped by (Alf if your reading this, boy I would have given my right nut to have had you here), fixed the problem and we could leave but that wasnt going to happen was it!
It was time to start again! Inspecting the bike I could see the blistered and burnt insulating tape, which now led from under the left side of the air box all the way forward. My new wiring installed yesterday had simply carried the bikes current along a new path. I was now certain that I was dealing with multiple shorts and not just the one damaged wire. Depressingly I knew what had to be done. I was going to have to lift the entire rear end of the bike, rear sub frame, the lot, in order to get access to the length of the entire loom and then cut the lot open to repair the damage. Shit do I have enough wire? Shit do I have enough insulating tape? The large roll of new Duck Tape Id been given by Mack in Belo Horizonte was going to come in handy.
By mid-day I was battling with the pain in my neck and back and fumbling jobs with my left hand. The sensation in my hand and fingers had still not returned. Nonetheless, Id managed to pull off the seat, detach the suspension at the top, separate all the wiring to the lights, brakes etc, detach the pannier frames, release the frame bolts and now had the rear sub-frame elevated and held with one of the webbing straps we normally use for packing, attached to the handlebars.
I needed to rest, I was feeling faint. Besides trying to work in the heat of mid-day was almost impossible. With the oppressive heat (theres that word again) Lisa and I were in desperate need of water. Wed not felt like this since Mali in Africas West coast.
Starting again at 1pm I worked unitll 7pm straight through. Id been wielding my Leatherman Charge continously cutting back the tacky insulating material of the entire length of the bikes main wiring loom, the loom that BMW say ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TOUCH UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. With the entire wiring loom exposed I was feeling worse by the minute. It was a complete mess. Exposed copper threads and welded burnt plastic making it almost impossible to identify the wires by their respsective colours. By early evening It had rained heavily twice as I worked under our black umbrella and old blue tarp and Id cut dozens of small rectangular pices of duck tape. By 7:00pm I could do no more. Id pulled out the two main burnt wires from the entire length of meshed loom, replaced them with new wire and seperated, repaired and consequently reinsulated 34 separate shorts and finally lowered the rear sub frame and re-attached every thing I could. I was left over with one small bolt and two thin washers. I hope theyre not important I thought to myself.
Lisa had been with me the entire time, helping where she could. We both knew that if this didnt work that was it! There was nothing else to be done. If the bike didnt start wed have to begin the long and expensive process of getting back to Manaus and then Sao Paulo. In that case it could well mean the end of our jouney, totally. The cost would be crippling. With that in mind youll appreciate how monumentally anxious we were as we inserted the key into the igniton, took a deep breath and turned it. The instrument cluster lit brightly, OK, thats a positive start. Now for the engine. The small green starter button depressed easily and the big girl barked into life. I could have cried. We know needed to leave the engine running for a while in order to re-charge the battery and look for the tell-tale white plastic smoke that would mean doom and gloom. Ten minutes later and all looked clear. It was now pitch black. We werent going to pat ourselves on the back just yet. Wed already done that once and fallen foul of the crap fairy this morning. Ill ride her for a while tomorrow before relaxing."
Mac
In terms of bushcraft uses the multi-tool is pretty limited. When considering their value for wilderness survival I think they have great value.
Many wilderness survival scenarios take place around vehicles that are no longer in condition to move, cars, planes, snow mobiles, ATV's, boats, etc. Likewise critical pieces of equipment such as radios, stoves, and other items break or need repair at times. All of these technological wonders that could break and leave us in precarious conditions respond well to the tools found on your average multi-tool.
The first order of business is to get whatever broke up and running again. I have fixed my car many times on the roadside with my Leatherman WAVE.
The following is taken from the website of Simon and Lisa Thomas of "2 Ride the World". They stayed with us here in Belo for a few days as they were passing through. For tools they had a cheap Chinese hatchet and their Leatherman Charges. I gave them a 14 inch machete.
They got up to the Amazon and Simon fell off a bridge, breaking his neck and damaging the bike. Read the story and then think what tool you would want in a Real Life Survival Situation...
http://www.2ridetheworld.com/diary_brazil_11th_chapter.htm
"It was 5:30 when we started shifting our baggage the 100m from the Raymundos home along the mud-clay path made slippery by the mornings dew and up to the elevated track to where the bikes were now waiting patiently for us. Some time later and with the bikes loaded and our riding kit on we exchanged hugs and kisses. We were finally ready to get back on the road and take on the rest of the Amazon.
The R1100GS engine roared to life with a single press of the small green start button. As I smiled a final goodbye to our new friends whod done so much to offer us shelter, I dropped the bike into first, the engine spluttered and stalled.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heavier plumes of white smoke were making their way skyward. I rushed to turn off the ignition. It was too late the damage had been done. Lisas face was totally aghast. I was at an all-time low. I simply wanted to dig a deep hole, crawl in and come out when the bike fairy had dropped by (Alf if your reading this, boy I would have given my right nut to have had you here), fixed the problem and we could leave but that wasnt going to happen was it!
It was time to start again! Inspecting the bike I could see the blistered and burnt insulating tape, which now led from under the left side of the air box all the way forward. My new wiring installed yesterday had simply carried the bikes current along a new path. I was now certain that I was dealing with multiple shorts and not just the one damaged wire. Depressingly I knew what had to be done. I was going to have to lift the entire rear end of the bike, rear sub frame, the lot, in order to get access to the length of the entire loom and then cut the lot open to repair the damage. Shit do I have enough wire? Shit do I have enough insulating tape? The large roll of new Duck Tape Id been given by Mack in Belo Horizonte was going to come in handy.
By mid-day I was battling with the pain in my neck and back and fumbling jobs with my left hand. The sensation in my hand and fingers had still not returned. Nonetheless, Id managed to pull off the seat, detach the suspension at the top, separate all the wiring to the lights, brakes etc, detach the pannier frames, release the frame bolts and now had the rear sub-frame elevated and held with one of the webbing straps we normally use for packing, attached to the handlebars.
I needed to rest, I was feeling faint. Besides trying to work in the heat of mid-day was almost impossible. With the oppressive heat (theres that word again) Lisa and I were in desperate need of water. Wed not felt like this since Mali in Africas West coast.
Starting again at 1pm I worked unitll 7pm straight through. Id been wielding my Leatherman Charge continously cutting back the tacky insulating material of the entire length of the bikes main wiring loom, the loom that BMW say ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TOUCH UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. With the entire wiring loom exposed I was feeling worse by the minute. It was a complete mess. Exposed copper threads and welded burnt plastic making it almost impossible to identify the wires by their respsective colours. By early evening It had rained heavily twice as I worked under our black umbrella and old blue tarp and Id cut dozens of small rectangular pices of duck tape. By 7:00pm I could do no more. Id pulled out the two main burnt wires from the entire length of meshed loom, replaced them with new wire and seperated, repaired and consequently reinsulated 34 separate shorts and finally lowered the rear sub frame and re-attached every thing I could. I was left over with one small bolt and two thin washers. I hope theyre not important I thought to myself.
Lisa had been with me the entire time, helping where she could. We both knew that if this didnt work that was it! There was nothing else to be done. If the bike didnt start wed have to begin the long and expensive process of getting back to Manaus and then Sao Paulo. In that case it could well mean the end of our jouney, totally. The cost would be crippling. With that in mind youll appreciate how monumentally anxious we were as we inserted the key into the igniton, took a deep breath and turned it. The instrument cluster lit brightly, OK, thats a positive start. Now for the engine. The small green starter button depressed easily and the big girl barked into life. I could have cried. We know needed to leave the engine running for a while in order to re-charge the battery and look for the tell-tale white plastic smoke that would mean doom and gloom. Ten minutes later and all looked clear. It was now pitch black. We werent going to pat ourselves on the back just yet. Wed already done that once and fallen foul of the crap fairy this morning. Ill ride her for a while tomorrow before relaxing."
Mac
