2 Years in Africa? What multi tool?

[Cupboard]

What is she doing out there?

There's a big difference between keeping kits running in the arse end of nowhere to sat on a chair in a nice air conditioned office.

Still, I don't think you need both a Wave and a OHO knife. I'd go for a Rebar or Spirit and a separate OHO knife, or the Wave by itself. The combination I've found works best for me at the moment is Rebar+knife.

[pietervn]

Hi WonderWolf,

I'm originally from South Africa, and spend quite a bit of time in Namibia. It is desert and sea with very little moisture in the air except for the coast.

On my first 2 trips on quads I had a Sideclip and Micra with me. I never needed any more than that.

The last trip was our honeymoon and I still took the Sideclip (one of my favorite tools), the Micra got upgraded to a Juice XE6. With these 2 I had everything I needed, from pliers to a cork screw  .

I think a Juice XE6 is a good tool for a lady, it is slightly smaller and has many tool opportunities. Yes the tools do not lock, but if aware of that, it can be managed. Unless you planning to surprise her, take her to choose a tool or tools for the trip. Maybe add a SAK Midnight Manager.

Wish her the best for the trip, Africa tends to get into your blood 

Pete

[Zed]

The xe6 is a good choice but still bulky and as wide as most full sized mt's plus no locking tools and short driver shanks,plus the wave has oho blade and bit adapter,purple is pretty though 

[Kampfer]

New Surge offers everything a MT could. No cork screw however.

[Philby]

If I were going I'd take my Vic Ranger, and a strong pliers based multitool.  Probably the wave with bit kit.  Ranger should cover most tasks, the Wave is there if you need pliers or extra bits.  I went on safari to Tanzania, only took a Swiss Champ, the tools I used/needed are on the Ranger. 

[CanadianLMfan]

Two options:

1. Rebar, Compact/Explorer/Climber, and a Squirt PS4

2. Spirit X, OHO Trekker, and Style PS

[PTRSAK]

Two years is a long time so some redundancy and backup would be a must.
"two is one and one is none." as they say.
Personally I would be inclined to make the "backups" also be a selection.  Example a Rebar and a Wave rather than two of either. or either replaced by a Spirit
Same with the SAKs. Perhaps a Climber and a Huntsman.
A Swiss Champ SOS kit might be handy too for her to keep in a bag, Convert the minimaglite to LED if the new ones aren't already.
And she will DEFINITELY need a midnight manager for her keyring

Throw in a handful of Spartans or Tourist/Sportsmans for gifting and she'll be all set... and be overweight on her baggage.

[Deere Man]

If I was going, I'd be taking my trusty ST300, but that's more weight then most women are willing to carry.  If she won't carry it, it's useless.  So my vote is for the Rebar or the Spirit.  Both are simple, capable, and light weight.  I'd stay away from the Wave just because of the bits that might get lost.  If she takes a Wave be sure to send a bit kit along too.  A pocket sized SAK with a good blade for food tasks and scissors is a must as well.  Compliment this with a small fixed blade or OH folder and you're good to go.

Additionally a small light she'll carry with her and a headlamp that uses the same batteries along with lots of extra batteries and a solar charger would be important. 

Packing spares is also a great suggestion.  Make sure to spread all this gear throughout her luggage so that someone with sticky fingers is less likely to get all of it.

Please do send along a sharpener or two and make sure she knows how to use it.

Make sure to check for any local laws or rules that the group she's going with has concerning sharps.  It'd suck to pack this stuff all the way there and get it taken away.

I'd be carrying a small pack with me at all times with a bunch of other stuff, but I'm no expert and that's another topic anyway.

Good luck!

[Lynn LeFey]

If I was going, I'd be taking my trusty ST300, but that's more weight then most women are willing to carry.

I started writing a comment on the suggestion of a Surge and abandoned it, but since the ST300 is on the list now, I'm going to say this. It has less to do with weight, on either a Surge or ST300. It has more to do with grip size. Both of those tools are too big for me, and I have solidly medium hands.

If she has particularly small hands, she might even be better served by a Juice than a Wave. Just something to keep in mind.

[JAfromMn]

I want to suggest a black oxide tool. It will draw a lot less attention if she uses it in public.

[RoboYeti]

You indicated that your friend is not familiar with multitools, survival techniques, and mechanical repair. She has probably never used a multitool before. My suggestion is to keep it simple and straightforward. Go with the Rebar or a Juice instead of the Wave, and skip fixed blades and dedicated folders.

I assume since you are asking in the Leatherman forum, you would prefer to recommend a Leatherman. My personal preference would be for an SAK, either the Fieldmaster or Hiker for a primary tool and a Vic Midnight Manager as a backup.

I don't know for certain, but based on Leatherman's high price in Europe, I'm guessing they are very expensive or unavailable in Africa. Victorinox is available almost everywhere and I believe it is usually the cheapest quality blade/tool available. This may make replacement easier and could also mean thieves may be slightly less inclined to try to steal her tools.

Let us know what you recommend and please share any tool stories she passes along over the next two years.

[Syph007]

Well my wife is not into tools or knives.. and if she was doing this I would send her with a spirit x, and/or a workchamp.

I would avoid a juice, they just arent as capable as other leathermans and really annoying to use if they get grit in the tools.  For a leatherman I want to say rebar.  My wife would want scissors though, so maybe a rebar and an Vic explorer would be a good pair.

[Gareth]

I do like the Wave, but I'd be concerned taking any MT that has removable/replaceable parts.  Now I've never dropped and lost my Phillips from my Wave, but how easy would it be to find in the Great Outdoors and how easy would it be to replace?   To a lesser extent I'd have to apply the same thought to any MT with replaceable cutters, such as the Rebar or some MP600's.

With that in mind I'd turn to the Spirit X as a good all-round, well equipped and extremely well made MT.  I'll also throw the Gerber MP400 and MP450 in for consideration, though neither has the same great tool selection as the Spirit.  I'd also take a Vic Climber or similar, no matter what MT it's going with.

Might be worth thinking about a Mora knife as well?  Cheap, sharp, easy to look after (in stainless) and easy to clean.

[wonderwolf]

You indicated that your friend is not familiar with multitools, survival techniques, and mechanical repair. She has probably never used a multitool before. My suggestion is to keep it simple and straightforward. Go with the Rebar or a Juice instead of the Wave, and skip fixed blades and dedicated folders.

I assume since you are asking in the Leatherman forum, you would prefer to recommend a Leatherman. My personal preference would be for an SAK, either the Fieldmaster or Hiker for a primary tool and a Vic Midnight Manager as a backup.

I don't know for certain, but based on Leatherman's high price in Europe, I'm guessing they are very expensive or unavailable in Africa. Victorinox is available almost everywhere and I believe it is usually the cheapest quality blade/tool available. This may make replacement easier and could also mean thieves may be slightly less inclined to try to steal her tools.

Let us know what you recommend and please share any tool stories she passes along over the next two years.

She mentioned getting a wave,  I'm going to meet up with her today and take my tool box of SAK's and leathermans  I have aquired over the years, Along with a sharpening stone. And some recommended reading. She will need to learn this stuff before she goes. After we order her stuff and it arrives I'll meet up with her again and show her how to Sharpen and keep everything clean

I did like the Alox recomendation, Sadly my guy I go through for knives can not get Victorinox through his supplier, Leatherman and wenger i can get at cost. I have about 30 or so Vics left over from my last TSA auction win so she has plenty of 2/3/4 layers to choose from. If she likes my farmer i'll let her buy the one I have off me and I'll just order another through amazon.

Not sure exactly what all she is doing, I'll learn more today and report back. I would prefer her to have a Spirit as well...we'll see what she thinks about that as a recommendation.  I'm not sure how much weight she can take but I'll also offer her Para cord at cost in any color she wants, She doesn't know she needs it yet but she will thank me.

Yes on the backpacks as well....I habitually carry a backpack everywhere I go. AT least a sweatshirt and a water bottle inside.   I like how this went from 2 knives to life-straws and the kitchen sink.   

[Kampfer]

A 7.62 AKMS, she can pick one up locally.

[Gareth]

Another that I would seriously consider would the the good old LM Blast.  Yes, it's got a removable mico screwdriver, but if I lost that I personally wouldn't cry.   A fuller tool selection than the Rebar and just as tough IMO.  Yes, it's now discontinued, but it wouldn't be too hard to find I would have thought.

[lister]

I would say victorinox spirit is all she needs if it wasn't for the weird pair of scissors it has...

[tosh]

I think almost any of the combo's suggested will work - in that situation  anything is better than nothing. However humanitarian work conjures up all sorts of scenarios.

So in addition to what's already been mentioned how about a wind up torch and a  Mora knife too.

The wenger ranger shears would excel IMO.

[Kampfer]

SAK is easier for new MT users.
LM products look very complex for newbies.

[NeitherExtreme]

I'll give my 2 cents...

I'd choose a Rebar and a Micra. They're a good compliment to each other, and chances are the Micra will actually get carried.

I agree about the small basic Smith-type sharpener.

And a good flashlight would be important. Also, a small/inexpensive one could be good. I'd take a Photon Freedom light with a handful of 2032 coin cell replacement batteries. (The standard batteries for the light are 2 2016's, but one 2032 fits perfectly, and though it is half as bright, provides more than twice the life.)

[Faiaoga]

As a Peace Corps science teacher in the Western Samoa village some time ago, I claim some expertise in improvising things in the Third World.  I will not mention a specific multitool, though I wish these had been commonly available when I went there in the 1970s.

Multitool and Swiss Army knife are essential.  Let me suggest that you look for one that has a good selection of screwdriver blades and a file.  A serrated blade can be useful for cutting plastic pipe  and other uses.

A selection of screwdriver bits is very useful.  Local hardware stores can probably provide screwdriver handles with replaceable bits - look for magnetized bits that will not fall out.

A small locking plier (ViseGrip) can be very useful as an improvised work bench.  I also recommend small pocket flashlights with the most commonly available dry cells.  I always s carry a Mini Maglite that uses AAA cells. Be sure you have extra bulbs. 

A good, sturdy fixed blade knife may be useful if you are allowed to bring it in to the country.  A stainless Mora might be a good choice.

Excellent for use in the village and very good gifts will be inexpensive stainless steel boy scout knives.  I gave a MIL-K military surplus pocketknife to a friend that was very much appreciated.  There are some inexpensive copies of these (knife blade, can opener, bottle cap lifter, awl) that seem good.

Even if you don't smoke, you should bring a cigarette lighter for starting fires.  Modern fire sparking rods are extremely useful if matches and lighters get wet.

[wonderwolf]

Whew.....well I have my work cut out for me.....we spent 2 hours going over every topic we have covered here....boots are now my big worry for her. I forgot she has spent some time in Africa a few years ago but doing more touristy type stuff. She is cautious and not very outgoing but she is eager to learn, how much will get absorbed before she leaves I'm not sure. She does not know if she will be in a urban area or in the bush. That part also scares me a little, although we're planning on it being the bush.

[wonderwolf]

As a Peace Corps science teacher in the Western Samoa village some time ago, I claim some expertise in improvising things in the Third World.  I will not mention a specific multitool, though I wish these had been commonly available when I went there in the 1970s.

Multitool and Swiss Army knife are essential.  Let me suggest that you look for one that has a good selection of screwdriver blades and a file.  A serrated blade can be useful for cutting plastic pipe  and other uses.

A selection of screwdriver bits is very useful.  Local hardware stores can probably provide screwdriver handles with replaceable bits - look for magnetized bits that will not fall out.

A small locking plier (ViseGrip) can be very useful as an improvised work bench.  I also recommend small pocket flashlights with the most commonly available dry cells.  I always s carry a Mini Maglite that uses AAA cells. Be sure you have extra bulbs. 

A good, sturdy fixed blade knife may be useful if you are allowed to bring it in to the country.  A stainless Mora might be a good choice.

Excellent for use in the village and very good gifts will be inexpensive stainless steel boy scout knives.  I gave a MIL-K military surplus pocketknife to a friend that was very much appreciated.  There are some inexpensive copies of these (knife blade, can opener, bottle cap lifter, awl) that seem good.

Even if you don't smoke, you should bring a cigarette lighter for starting fires.  Modern fire sparking rods are extremely useful if matches and lighters get wet.

Thanks for the insight, Some good info there....wish I knew more about their laws and what she can carry there.....We did talk about a fixed blade and I brought up mora knife to her, we talked about using edc tools for cooking and I've used a mora a bit I might give her one of mine if we find out they are legal. I don't want to send something with her that will get her in trouble though.

[captain spaulding]

Hmmm.... Not knowing if she will be in the bush or not kinda sucks. It would affect my selection on what to bring greatly. I guess just prepare for the worst case scenario. Better to have more and not need it than less and need something you don't have. Im sure you guys can find a happy median.

[colt 1911]

Spirit, super tinker and a mini champ


Swiss Army knives .

[wonderwolf]

I'm thinking I started this thread in the wrong niche now 

[radioactive_Man]

The knowledge of how to use a multi-tool is a lot more important then the tool itself in my opinion.  If you want her to be as prepared as possible then you should set up a little multi-tool bootcamp. Set up a series of situations and have her use the multi-tool on them. Cutting branches, prying open cans, cutting rope, loosening bolts, etc. Then show her how to maintain the tool, clean it off after every use, oil the joints, etc.

As for the tool itself, I would pick a Spirit. She won't have to worry about adjusting anything, and it will be more resistant to rust and grime. Throw a 91mm SAK and a 4" fixed blade and that's a pretty good start.

[captain spaulding]

The knowledge of how to use a multi-tool is a lot more important then the tool itself in my opinion.  If you want her to be as prepared as possible then you should set up a little multi-tool bootcamp. Set up a series of situations and have her use the multi-tool on them. Cutting branches, prying open cans, cutting rope, loosening bolts, etc. Then show her how to maintain the tool, clean it off after every use, oil the joints, etc.

As for the tool itself, I would pick a Spirit. She won't have to worry about adjusting anything, and it will be more resistant to rust and grime. Throw a 91mm SAK and a 4" fixed blade and that's a pretty good start.

Well said. 

[wonderwolf]

The knowledge of how to use a multi-tool is a lot more important then the tool itself in my opinion.  If you want her to be as prepared as possible then you should set up a little multi-tool bootcamp. Set up a series of situations and have her use the multi-tool on them. Cutting branches, prying open cans, cutting rope, loosening bolts, etc. Then show her how to maintain the tool, clean it off after every use, oil the joints, etc.

As for the tool itself, I would pick a Spirit. She won't have to worry about adjusting anything, and it will be more resistant to rust and grime. Throw a 91mm SAK and a 4" fixed blade and that's a pretty good start.

I think that is exactly what I'll do, thanks for the idea!

[Metropolicity]

You know what, a Wave and a Raptor would be a great combo. Also, a nice fixed blade OR a it utility knife with replaceable blades (and a whole pack of refills)


There is always a way, hack on!