What multitool is right for me?

[aguerra]

Hello everyone, I am new to the site. I've been looking into multitools as I am planning a big trip around the country and I will probably be camping almost the entire trip and doing basic outdoors activities during most of the trip. I have no idea what kind of multitool to get but the brand Leatherman seems to be top notch according to some research I've done. I would like a tool with all the basic things that can be used for survival, like a knife and saw, pliers, and things of that nature, and of course I'll have a much bigger knife so that's not a primary function to the multitool. Any recommendations on a tool that will hold up isn't too big or heavy, as every pound adds up on this type of trip. I pretty much need some multitool that will work as a survival tool. Thanks!

I forgot to add my budget, around $125 at most but if there is something out there that costs more and is absolutely worth it then I guess I can save up a little more.

[AimlessWanderer]

Welcome to the forum 

First of all, the bad news. You won't know what right for you until you get it in your hands and start using it. The good news is that you're in the right place to get the best possible guidance and support in your quest 

I'll start with the saw. How much do you expect to use it? If it's occasionally and you don't expect to do much woodcraft or fire building - just having the capability there if you get caught out, then a good multitool saw will serve you well. If you expect it to be a primary tool - get a Bahco Laplander. That will outperform anything a multitool can offer, be massively quicker and more efficient, and not add much weight to your kit.

Will your main knife be readily accessible or pack carried? If you need a knife quick or you have one arm tangled can you get at it? This will influence whether you need one hand opening of the knife blade on the multitool. Don't just got for it if you think it's nice, but consider if it might be needed.

If you're doing any chopping of wood then a file might be useful for dressing any dings out of your knife/axe. A diamond file (Leatherman Wave) will work well on harder materials, but be less aggressive and slower than one on a Victorinox Spirit for example.

Large hands, small hands? A Wenger Ranger 90 would be very cumbersome in small hands, and the otherwise excellent saw, large knife blade, pliers and file would be awkward to use, and the pliers wouldn't be up to cutting barbed wire for example, but great for pulling thorns, snare building, and running repairs to kit. Larger hands might find a Juice CS4 a bit small and fiddly

How likely are you to need screwdrivers on your travels? Be aware that many tools are riddled with them which will add unnecessary weight. A mini driver if you wear specs could be a godsend though, even if you don't expect to need it. Scissors are useful too for opening food packets, working with first aid dressings, and general trimming tasks that could be done with a knife but less quickly, easily and safely.

I am a huge fan of the Victorinox Spirit X. It's got everything you could possibly need in a pocket carryable package, with the best standard of manufacture of any of the makers. I'm also a big HATER of the Leatherman Juice CS4 .... but that might actually be a very good tool for you dependent of levels of use (assuming you get your hands on a good one - I have failed on that TWICE)

You've given us a good starter into what you're looking for, but a better idea of what, where, who with, and what your using might help us to help you. To quote Johnny 5 ..... "need input!" 

[aguerra]

Thanks for the quick reply! I'll be a bit more detailed now, I will be doing a cross-country that will mostly be hitchhiking and backpacking. I plan on camping out in the woods and quite possibly fishing and hunting for food. I will be doing this trip with just one other person, my cousin. I will have a fixed blade knife in my pack and I'll have another, smaller, folding knife on me at all times. A saw will be very helpful as it will probably be used at least like every other day. Screw drivers can probably come in handy but I still can't think of when I'd use one. A file would be very nice to have too as it can be used to sharpen knives. I can see things like scissors and tweezers being very convenient to have as well. Other things that can probably come in handy are a chisel, a bottle opener, and even a magnifying glass if there's one that comes with it. Oh and my hands are pretty average I guess, I'm like 5'10" and 150 lbs, so I guess whatever a normal hand is for a person around that size is, haha

[Etherealicer]

Ok, I have done that in the USA and here is my 2ct*. Though I did a lot of hitchhiking / couch-surfing

Grooming: If you plan to hitchhike, make sure you are as clean as possible. = Nail-File (+ Comb)
Knife: There is no need for a large knife, but for one that is comfy in your hand and is easy to maintain. = Pocket Folder + Sharpener
First-Aid: Tweezers (pointy)
Fishing: I don't fish, but I have been given to understand, that you might want = hard-wire cutter + pliers

My Suggestion: Folder, Spirit (one with Scissors), Tweezers, Extra Saw (I carried a wire-saw, as it is compact and worked well for me). Drop the large knife (among other things it, its no good for hitchhiking).

The more you hike, the less you want to carry. Despite that this is MT.O I suggest you contemplate whether you really need that many tools. Maybe you could replace the Spirit with a Vic Classic or Vic SwissLite (That probably depends whether you decide to fish or not).

*I am a minimalist.

[AimlessWanderer]

OK, here's a few suggestions:

Victorinox Spirit with scissors (a personal favourite), or Leatherman Wave if you prefer. The Wave gives you OHO knives and a diamond file, the Spirit offers an awl, chisel, prytool, better build and better tool density. There are lighter tools, but these two will give better preparedness and versatility. Even though I despise it, I still suggest you look at the Juice CS4 as an alternative too. You might get other recommendations for something like a Rebar, but then you'd need to pair it with a Swiss Army Knife with scissors IMHO (more cost/more to carry). I would certainly stick with Victorinox or Leatherman tools in this instance. Gerber don't have great saw options, and SOG has great pliers, but it starts going downhill when you look at what's in the handles.

Bahco Laplander or Opinel 120 saw (I'd hate to rely on a multitool saw if I needed one that frequently)

Magnifier: Fresnel Lens very effective, and costs nothing in weight and space

Tweezers: Uncle Bills Silver Grippers

[styx]

I'll just add to what others said with a few of my own ideas and experiences.

The general rule of thumb is that Victorinox, Wenger, Leatherman and SOG all make quite dependable tools so there is not that much need to worry about exact brand names. There probably are other good brands but I won't mention something as dependable if I haven't tried it or seen very good proof.

Since you want to go light and said that you would be doing some fishing, you will need something that has pliers. At this point you should forget the big tools like the Leartherman Supertool 300, Victorinox Swisstool and generally weight counts. What will you use for fishing? A hobo set will work and only thing you'll wish to have is an awl, while a normal rod and reel will put an emphasis on the screwdrivers, especially the flathead screwdriver. So check what gear you'll use to have the tools fit.

The diamond file on Leatherman tools is found on the Wave/Charge series that also boasts the one hand opening blades so that might make a one hand opening pocket knife redundant. If you don't need a diamond file, then you might be better off going the more traditional route.

Your multitool saws will do a lot of the small work with relative ease. It's hard to anticipate the need for wood beyond cooking and you don't need a huge amount for that. Think about where you might be spending the night out. How wet, damp, cold could it get and could the weather turn on you.
If you decide to take something extra then all I can say is practice with your wire saw. They are light but some people can go trough a foot locker sized box in a day. If you get a good one then pack a bit of extra soap for it. It will cool it down and clean it up a bit.
If a wire saw isn't working out for you then think about taking some kind of a folding saw or perhaps even one of those folding chainsaw things like the UST Sabercut.

As for the fixed blade, well I'd say take a smaller one. Legal reasons and it won't freak people out as much as a large blade if they see it by any chance. Also take some kind of a sharpening device. The diamond file on Leatherman tools will act as a medium coarse finish and for some that isn't acceptable.

Think about which tools you want to have as a dedicated stand alone item and if you really want redundancy. For instance if you take dedicated scissors then you might do yourself a lot of favors by looking at the Leatherman Rebar.

Etherealicer is a minimalist and while I lean to that side, I can't call myself one. So while I'll say some things that conflict him, he does give more than sound advice.

[pfrsantos]

Also, it's not the same if your going out into the tundra or the mountains or a tropical rain forest or a desert...
 

[comis]

Welcome to the forum! 

Many has given different ideas, and here are mine:

1) Multitool, I think you might have seen the repetition, but I too recommend Victorinox Swisstool Spirit, mostly because it's great quality and built(easy access of all tools).  And this is a long term investment, which could last you more than this trip.

OR

2) Outdoor specific knife/tool, if a multitool is a little too clumsy to bring a long, a 111mm Victorinox Plain Edge One-hand-opening Trekker is an excellent choice for outdoor(esp a great backup to fixed blade/saw), it has locking blade/wood saw/can and bottle opener/small and large flathead(also good for light prying), phllips.

AND

3) Wood processing tool, if you are planning to process some limb to tight size wood, it might be more beneficial to look into the option of a folding saw or a hatchet(need skill).  For folding saw, do consider a 'silky saw' instead of the laplander(just do a quick search on youtube and see all the comparison video with real sawing, you will probably see most people prefer silky over Bacho)

Good luck! 

[ducttapetech]

Leatherman, sog, victorinox, wenger and gerber are all good choices. Really depends on what you like. I tend to lean towards Leathermans and Swiss Army Knivies.
Like the others said, you might want to get a folding wood saw since it sounds like you will be cutting a lot of wood. The woodsaw on the multitools are great if you need to cut something real quick or you get caught in the bush and it is your only saw. But if your going to cut stuff all the time, you will want a nice saw. It is way easier and faster to use. And you will be able to cut bigger stuff too.
Some good choices for multi would be, leatherman wave or Rebar, swiss spirit, a sog, and my favorite and most carried, the Leatherman Surge. (Little heavy for some, but it is a beast with everything)
Also, don't overlook the humble Swiss army knife(sak).
There are little lacking on pliers but the other tools are topshelf.


sent from my mobile

[nate j]

If you think you'll use the pliers or wire cutters, then another vote for the Victorinox Spirit.  Note that this was the choice of the 2009 Huston/Fish North Pole Expedition.  On one hand, it could be argued that this wasn't a 100% objective choice since Victorinox was a sponsor of the expedition, and it could correctly be observed that you aren't going to the North Pole.  On the other, however, I think it is safe to assume that those guys (1) would not have headed into that inhospitable region with gear they didn't have complete confidence in, (2) got their pick of any tool(s) they wanted from the Victorinox line-up, and (3) carefully considered the balance between tool capability and weight when making a selection.

If you don't see a real need for the pliers or wire cutters, something like a Victorinox Ranger, which boasts your desired saw, screwdrivers, file, scissors, tweezers, chisel, and bottle opener, among other tools, might be a good choice at just over half the weight of a Spirit.  This is particularly true if it is being considered as the smallest member of a Nessmuk trio-type arrangement.

[aguerra]

Thank you all for the replies! I am really taking into consideration the Victorinox Spirit since it seems to have everything I would need and more. At first I was very enthusiastic about a Leatherman Wave but the more I look at it, the more I think it may just be overkill. Since I plan this trip to be a month long at the least, I've really narrowed it down to things that would be essential, which would be a knife, file, scissors, pliers, and a saw. The terrain will vary as I will to circle the entire country and see most of the different terrains the USA has to offer.

[bmot]

I can only agree about recommending the Spirit, in your case, I'd say go for the standard 'butter blade' as you'll already take a folder with you .

[Etherealicer]

The terrain will vary as I will to circle the entire country and see most of the different terrains the USA has to offer.

Nice, looking forward to read your report 

P.S.: Maybe you can post your loadout, so we can confuse you with our inputs.

[Lynn LeFey]

For pliers, you may seriously consider a keychain size tool, unless you expect to be doing actual bolt turning. Something like a Leatherman Style PS or Squirt PS4 will likely do any task you need for camping duty, and will weigh you down less.

If you DO go for a keychain size tweezer, this allows a lot of other functions you want to be found in any number of Victorinox Swiss Army knives. Doing a tool combination like this can shave a few ounces in weight, if that's important.

I might also be one of the few who suggest this, but also consider carrying a keychain size tool, like just a Victorinox Classic, ALONG with whatever tool you select. The scissors, toothpick, file and tweezers of a classic make for a very useful set of tools, along with the blade. All that for almost no extra weight.

Personally, I carry two MTs every day, the SOG Crosscut, and the Victorinox Spirit X (the X version has a blade like a standard swiss army knife, instead of the 'butter blade'). I also agree that the Wave is an excellent tool. On the downside, there are a lot of better saws out there than the one on the Spirit. So that's something to consider if you intend the saw on your MT to be your one-and-only.

The scale of the pliers seems to me to be the big deciding factor in tool selection. If you think you can get by with smaller pliers, then you can save a few ounces in tool selection, and the keychain size Leatherman tools have pretty good pliers. If you don't expect to need wire cutting, you might be happy even with the pliers on the standard 91mm Swiss Army Knives.

Sorry if this isn't terribly helpful.

So... Umm... Yeah, just get a Vic Spirit and a Classic. There, a straight answer. 

[sawman]

For pliers, you may seriously consider a keychain size tool, unless you expect to be doing actual bolt turning. Something like a Leatherman Style PS or Squirt PS4 will likely do any task you need for camping duty, and will weigh you down less.

...

Lynn, how can you recommend a tool that is known to have issues with the scissors. I can vouch for the original Squirts but not the newer PS4's...

[Lynn LeFey]

Not even gonna bother responding to that.

[sawman]

Not even gonna bother responding to that.

Sorry for my response to your post Lynn. I just have a pet peeve about faulty LM stuff lately.

[nate j]

I think LM really goofed by sacrificing the excellent small flat screwdriver on the P4 for the mediocre scissors on the PS4.  That small flat screwdriver seems to perfectly fit the small Phillips screws that secure the battery compartments on lots of electronic toys and devices, and is even long and thin enough to tackle many recessed screws.

[aguerra]

Thanks! I think I will choose a smaller multitool because I am going to carry a knife with me and most likely a saw like the bahco. So I would really just need the little things most small multitools have because I guess after my knife and saw are covered, the only other things I'd need are some pliers for fishing, some tweezers, screw driver, and a file. I noticed a lot of the other options, though useful, won't be used to their full potential, as I don't see myself doing any real construction or mechanical type things.

Edit: And scissors would be very convenient too.

[CanadianLMfan]

Thanks! I think I will choose a smaller multitool because I am going to carry a knife with me and most likely a saw like the bahco. So I would really just need the little things most small multitools have because I guess after my knife and saw are covered, the only other things I'd need are some pliers for fishing, some tweezers, screw driver, and a file. I noticed a lot of the other options, though useful, won't be used to their full potential, as I don't see myself doing any real construction or mechanical type things.

Edit: And scissors would be very convenient too.

If you want a smaller useful multitool, you should go for a Juice XE6 or a CS4.

[enki_ck]

Thanks! I think I will choose a smaller multitool because I am going to carry a knife with me and most likely a saw like the bahco. So I would really just need the little things most small multitools have because I guess after my knife and saw are covered, the only other things I'd need are some pliers for fishing, some tweezers, screw driver, and a file. I noticed a lot of the other options, though useful, won't be used to their full potential, as I don't see myself doing any real construction or mechanical type things.

Edit: And scissors would be very convenient too.

Sounds to me like the Leatherman PST II. Discontinued but still available on ebay.

http://www.leatherman.com/product/PST_II

And some Uncle Bill's Sliver Grippers

[sawman]

Thanks! I think I will choose a smaller multitool because I am going to carry a knife with me and most likely a saw like the bahco. So I would really just need the little things most small multitools have because I guess after my knife and saw are covered, the only other things I'd need are some pliers for fishing, some tweezers, screw driver, and a file. I noticed a lot of the other options, though useful, won't be used to their full potential, as I don't see myself doing any real construction or mechanical type things.

Edit: And scissors would be very convenient too.

If you want a smaller useful multitool, you should go for a Juice XE6 or a CS4.

I have owned both (Xe6 & Cs4) and can vouch for these being great multitools. 

[jerseydevil]

Thanks! I think I will choose a smaller multitool because I am going to carry a knife with me and most likely a saw like the bahco. So I would really just need the little things most small multitools have because I guess after my knife and saw are covered, the only other things I'd need are some pliers for fishing, some tweezers, screw driver, and a file. I noticed a lot of the other options, though useful, won't be used to their full potential, as I don't see myself doing any real construction or mechanical type things.

Edit: And scissors would be very convenient too.

Sounds to me like the Leatherman PST II. Discontinued but still available on ebay.

http://www.leatherman.com/product/PST_II

And some Uncle Bill's Sliver Grippers

+1 on the PST II.  My favorite Leatherman. 

[CanadianLMfan]

Thanks! I think I will choose a smaller multitool because I am going to carry a knife with me and most likely a saw like the bahco. So I would really just need the little things most small multitools have because I guess after my knife and saw are covered, the only other things I'd need are some pliers for fishing, some tweezers, screw driver, and a file. I noticed a lot of the other options, though useful, won't be used to their full potential, as I don't see myself doing any real construction or mechanical type things.

Edit: And scissors would be very convenient too.

Sounds to me like the Leatherman PST II. Discontinued but still available on ebay.

http://www.leatherman.com/product/PST_II

And some Uncle Bill's Sliver Grippers

+1 on the PST II.  My favorite Leatherman. 

I'm disappointed by the fact that it has a serrated blade, though.

[jerseydevil]

I'm disappointed by the fact that it has a serrated blade, though.

A minor sticking point for me.  I always have another knife on me.  My multitool blades see very little use actually.  Tools, absolutely.  Blades?  Not really.

[CanadianLMfan]

I'm disappointed by the fact that it has a serrated blade, though.

A minor sticking point for me.  I always have another knife on me.  My multitool blades see very little use actually.  Tools, absolutely.  Blades?  Not really.

In my life, I don't really have a use for a knife except for opening packages and other stuff like that.

[thebullfrog]

In the OPs case however the serrated blade could be a plus. He's taking a dedicated folder/fixed blade with him, so the "backup" multi blade being serrated would add versatility instead of more redundancy than he already has. A serrated blade could be quite useful for food prep, cutting cord, etc at camp. As such, I say go with a standard Spirit. I normally recommend the X to anyone I can, but considering the OP's needs the butter blade could be exceptionally beneficial. I still vote for a Spirit over a Juice. It's not really all that much bigger/heavier and offers a lot more versatility (and build quality). If it could very well be relied on for survival I'd take a Vic over a "modern" LM any day, especially considering the extra tools like the chisel and one of the worlds best awls might be helpful at camp.