SELECTING THE RIGHT MULTI-TOOL
The iconic Swiss Army knife was designed during the late 1880s when the Swiss Army decided to equip its soldiers with a multi-tool knife specifically for opening canned food and maintaining their service rifle which required a screwdriver for assembly.
The multi-tool I keep in my emergency kit is a folding pocket knife equipped with a specific set of features. It’s the most essential and practical item I have among my emergency gear. Personally I am a big fan of these mini toolboxes and I always have one handy for emergency situations as well as outdoor activities, camping, hikes, trips.
There are many multi-tools on the market and their functions are unlimited. It can be quite confusing when you want to make the best choice for your emergency kit. Here are my recommendations to select the one that will fit you the best.
Tools
The first criteria is the choice of tools, usually between 10 and 20 different functions for most multi-tools. Any more than that will compromise the weight and the ease of use. Here are the must-have tools you will need in an emergency situation:
Knife blade - essential for small cutting tasks. Some multi-tools include a one-hand knife opening function. Straight edge knives are the most common but serrated knives (best for cutting through soft and textured materials like belts, ropes and fabric) can also be found on many multi-tools.
Pliers - one of the most useful tools, they come in various shapes and sizes and can be used for loosening or tightening bolts, cutting wire, holding a piece of work or something hot, removing nails, twisting and bending wires and gripping rods or pipes. The uses are almost endless.
Scissors - yes, they might be small on a multi-tool, but they are so handy for all of the small things that you can’t cut properly with a knife blade.
Screwdriver - most multi-tools come with a flat-head screwdriver and many have a Phillips screwdriver as well. Both are important to have for assembly, disassembly and repair. The flathead can also be used for scraping.
Can opener - If you have canned food in your emergency kits, you definitely need this one.
Awl - for drilling or poking holes - on wood, on a belt, on disposable water bottle caps to make a squeezable sprinkler.
Bottle Opener - to remove the metal caps from bottles, it can also be used to lock or unlock some mechanisms.
Saw - you won’t use it as much as a knife, a pliers or a screwdriver but a mini saw is good to have for small crafts.
Durability
The multi-tool is one of the essential items of your emergency kit and in certain situations you might need to put a lot of force on this piece of gear when using it. Therefore durability is a very important factor to consider. Each one of its tools needs to be totally reliable.
Portability
Size and weight make multi-tools portable and this is where their real value is. They need to be easy to carry in your kit and comfortable on your belt or in your pocket.
Good grip
It is very important to have a good hand grip so you can use all the functions with efficiency and safety (a good test: try using your multi-tool with wet hands and with gloves).
Locking system
In some situations you might, especially with the screwdriver or the knife blade, a built-in locking mechanism is essential for safety.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE MULTI-TOOLS TO CONSIDER
LEATHERMAN, Signal
Camping Multitool with Fire Starter, Hammer and Emergency Whistle, Blue/Red with Nylon Sheath.
LEATHERMAN, Charge Plus TTi Titanium
Multitool with Scissors and Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters, Stainless Steel, pocket clip and quick-release lanyard ring.
Gerber MP800 Legend Multi-Plier
With Berry-Compliant Sheath Wire cutter, knife, scissors, can opener, hacksaw, 1 Phillips and 3 standard screwdrivers (small, medium, large), Tungsten carbide-steel blades, stainless steel, nickel-coated die-cast aluminum handle.
Mini Gerber Dime Multi-Tool
10 components includes: spring loaded needle nose Pliers, wire cutter, fine edge knife, retail Package opener, spring loaded scissors, cross driver, flat driver, file, Tweezers, and bottle opener.
Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman Pocket Knife
Compact, agile and ready to face any adventure head-on. The range of Swiss Army Knives have been established since 1897 and continue to be an icon of utility and smart design.
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