A good read - is the author by any chance a member here?

[82brutus]

This was a very entertaining read.  I included the first paragraph or so to wet your appetites and help you avoid going to it if you're already read it.

http://www.roguepaddler.com/multtool.htm

"Multi-Tool Envy

by Bryan Hansel

It’s that time of year again when the Mississippi thaws and sends giant chunks of ice spinning down to New Orleans for their eventual return to fluid. It’s also that time of year when paddlers tend to venture out to retail outlets and send large chunks of change to the bottom lines of cash-hungry business owners. This year, I’ve found myself longing for an unusually long list of items, and expect my top line to become intimately involved with my bottom line.

On a recent visit to a local retailer to help check items off of my "must-have" list, I found myself gawking over the wide selection of multi-tools...."

[Beerplumber]

I didn't like the ending. What doofus is running around the woods with a canoe and doesn't have a multi. I screamed at my screen "buy two dummy!". Definitely not a member here. 


Stay multi my friends

[Gareth]

This is actually a very good example of the fact that not everyone "needs" a multitool, but they sure as heck can make your life a lot easier.

[Dunc]

Loved reading that  Keep a look out in the trade forum " For Trade several Multitools for Tent pegs and gaffa tape " 

[Chako]

Well you know it is not me who wrote that. I don't have multi-tool envy. 

[AimlessWanderer]

Interesting read ... but one that leaves me a tiny bit confused. I spent many years with just a pocket knife. Never dreamed of carrying a multitool or a SAK. Even when I had pocket knives, I didn't always have one on me. I had no problem, if I needed a tool I found/borrowed/improvised something. The vast majority of my friends walk around each and everyday with no knife or tool, and get along just fine. Most of this for me was through - what I would now consider - not knowing any better. Now I have the pleasure of knowing how much easier life is with these small pocketable additions.

The guy writing that article seems to know that a tool would make things much easier, but wisely understands that it alone will not fix everything. Despite this he has chosen to make life harder for himself and seems proud of it. 

Definitely not one of us 

[turnsouth]

I used to feel sorry for the poor souls that crawl through life, limiting themselves in so many ways, almost to the point of self flagellation.

But then I realized that when the day comes, and all the food has dried up, we're going to need some type of cattle
 

(This is of course after we've consumed all the vegans and vegetarians... )

[Grant Lamontagne]

Interesting read.  You can tell from this paragraph that he definitely is not a member here:

The closest thing to a multi-tool that I own is a Swiss Army knife—the Classic model to be exact. It sports a small, extremely useless knife, a weak tweezers, a toothpick, and one of the best tiny scissors I’ve ever used. The scissors warrant the constant attachment to my trout fishing fanny pack. But this knife just doesn’t have the glamour of a multi-tool.

Two things come to mind- first and foremost that if he thinks a Classic is useless then the issue is with him, not with the Classic.  Second, if he's trying to be an outdoors guy with a Classic, he may as well try to go to Moab or the Rubicon with a Smart Car.     It's kind of the wrong scale for what he is doing.

Also this:

The Wave is known as the best multi-tool on the market.

By who?  Yes the Wave certainly has it's followers, but no more or less so than many other tools including the Charge, MP600, Spirit, Powerlock etc.  His research in this field probably didn't extend much further than the guy behind the counter and maybe Bionic Lobster.   

He does make a good point though- a multitool is only as good as it's owner, and all you buy when you get a multitool is a few options in a bad situation.  It's up to the user to make things happen, or not as the case may be, and the right user can (and will) use whatever he or she has with them to do what they need, whether they use a Wave, SAK, stick, rock or whatever else is handy.

Def

[82brutus]

I keep looking for an article from his friends about the guy always  traveling with them borrowing their tools and either losing them in the water or destroying them. 

He sounds like that guy...

Sent from my phone.