Wilderness Multi-tool Shootout

There is some very cool lightweight stuff being made nowadays.

My personal opinion is that there are some things you can skimp on, weight-wise, and some things you can't. IMHO, one thing that you absolutely can't skimp on are the basic tools necessary for modifying your environment.

For example, my hatchet, field knife, and multitool all together weight about 2.5 pounds.

Say your lightweight load is 30 pounds (practically nothing). How can you NOT carry at least an extra 2.5lb on top of that, when that mere 2.5lb of gear are absolutely the very last pieces of gear you would ditch in a survival situation, and the first pieces you would grab under such circumstance?
 
I have to admit that I have come full-circle back to lighter-weight slippies + dedicated pliers over multitools. For woods use, I generally now go with a:

(1) Vic Farmer (Alox) (sometimes another slipy, but this one is usually carried).
(2) Rapala ProGuide fishing pliers + locking forcepts set. In the past, I've sometimes grabbed just a 4LN vice grip and/or a hemostat (or just the hemostat if I want to go really UL).
(3) a quality 4-5" fixed blade (currently a BRKT Boone).
(4) an Axe (GB Small Forest Axe)
....or a saw + machette (Wyoming saw + Ontario 18" GI (or maybe, someday a BRKT Golok) - depending on terrain & season.

I used to belt-carry an original LM Wave in place of the slippy + pliers, but now it is in the BOB since I have come to prefer a smaller tool in a pocket and a regular pliers/forcepts on my belt for when I actually need one/them.

YMMV / To each his own.
 
I got kind of excited recently to see that Leatherman came out with a new model: the skeletool. 5 ounces. But it doesn't have a saw or a file, so for wilderness usage it seems limited.

It seems like no one has built the ultimate wilderness multitool yet. All I want is the pliers, saw, blade, diamond file and a scissors in a skeletool frame (which gets you a carabiner/bottle opener too). Well, maybe someday.

In the meantime, I really like my leatherman charge TTi, and I'll happily carry the extra ounces over a juice when out woods walking.
 
bulgron said:
I got kind of excited recently to see that Leatherman came out with a new model: the skeletool. 5 ounces. But it doesn't have a saw or a file, so for wilderness usage it seems limited.

It seems like no one has built the ultimate wilderness multitool yet. All I want is the pliers, saw, blade, diamond file and a scissors in a skeletool frame (which gets you a carabiner/bottle opener too). Well, maybe someday.

In the meantime, I really like my leatherman charge TTi, and I'll happily carry the extra ounces over a juice when out woods walking.
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This is exactly what I was going to post. A skeletool with a freakin saw. I'm in the exact same boat and your ultimate wilderness tool sound great to me. I have a leatherman blast and its ok, but the weight is not ideal. I just got a smokin deal on a SAK champion plus and that will probably replace my leatherman, but it doesn't have locking tools.:grumpy:

Will we ever win?
 
Grappler1911 said:
I just got a Surge.
It's a beast.
Perfect for a General Contractor project manager.
Save on runs to truck for the real tools.
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+5 or whatever it's up too! :D
Personally, I want my LM to have it all this one is awesome! I always wear it horizontally on my belt pretty much wherever I go. :thumbup:
 
The SOG Powerlock is too big and heavy, I have that and the Blast and the Blast is a blast to carry. It is very good and has everything you listed except the tweezers so I took set from a Vic Classic. I would love to have a Kick though.
 
i have FAR too many times when i need two tools to ever be satisfied with one. the skeletool sounds like a good companion to a lockblade vic, which will HAVE the saw, and a better one, at that.

never seen a multitool file that made me even remotely happy.

dread the day you need a phillips and a pliers and only have a single MT.
 
Yeah, a Skeletool (pliers/carabiner/bottle opener) with a plain 145cm/s30v blade and a: saw, Vic-style can opener (w/ small flat driver on tip), scissors, large flat screwdriver, and an awl (if all could fit in place of the univeral bit driver) would be a nice tool indeed.
 
koyote said:
never seen a multitool file that made me even remotely happy.
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There's only two reasons why I want a file on a multitool that is intended for wilderness use:

1. Touching up the edge of your main blade
2. Getting a decent pile of magnesium off of a magnesium fire starter such as Doan makes.

I can work around 1 by carrying a small sharpening rod dedicated for the purpose, and as for 2 I stopped carrying magnesium fire starters once I learned about ferro rods.

So to me, the file is only of secondary interest. And, at that, it doesn't have to be a great file. Still, I like my LMs and SAKs to have one, just in case.

koyote said:
dread the day you need a phillips and a pliers and only have a single MT.
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Considering that I'm having trouble imaging the need for a screwdriver of any kind once I walk away from the trail head, this is not a big concern for me.

Around town, MT's are about convenience. There have been many times when I needed a screw driver for something quick, and I was simply too lazy to go to the toolbox to get one. But the LM is always handy, so I don't need to stop being lazy. :D
 
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