Multi tool

JakeT

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 31, 2020
Messages
138
Looking for a good multi tool to keep in my bino harness. Been looking at leatherman because they have the bit kit.
I'm mostly just a treestand bowhunter and gun hunter. No overnight stuff but I like to be prepared and have the tools if I need them. Any recommendations?

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htlt_surfboards

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 27, 2020
Messages
151
Location
Ventura, CA
I have an Arc that I carry at work. Its by far my favorite multitool I've tried but it is expensive compared to pretty much everything else on the market. I had a P4 before that which I liked but lost and replaced with the arc and don't regret. I didn't like the tool set as much on the P4 and it doesn't use the bit kit so may not be of interest to you but is a cheaper alternative to the arc. I would find it really hard to go back to a regular leatherman without the free technology. Wave+ and surge are probably your other two options if you want one with the bit kit. The surge is a very heavy tool though.
 

jrob712

FNG
Joined
Jan 12, 2025
Messages
10
I second the P4 or ARC. I have the ARC and love it. The bit kit is nice and works great for bow adjustments
 
Joined
Dec 15, 2024
Messages
11
I also like the skeletool specifically the CX, it's all the tools I actually use often and nothing else. I do look at it more as a knife with some tools attached though, I don't use it for anything super heavy. I carried a sidekick for years before I lost it, I enjoyed it but don't think the price point is very good now for being such a budget tool.
 

Mosby

WKR
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
1,968
I carry a small Gerber Dime or a Leatherman Sidekick. Both are spring loaded, which I prefer. I like the weight and size of the Dime. It's more of an EDC size. I can tighten a small screw, cut some Leuko tape or open a bag of Mountain House. I carry the Sidekick mostly when I'm bird hunting with my dogs and need something bigger for a cactus spine or porky quill. More for them than me. My full size tool is a Leatherman Wave, that I normally keep in my truck. The older I get the less I carry.
 

coiloil37

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Messages
198
Location
Oz
I’ve carried a wave in my pocket at work for 23 years. There’s also one in the truck and one in the boat. It’s got everything I want and nothing I don’t.
 

kpk

WKR
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
787
Location
MN
I carry a skeletool but keep a wave in the truck or camp.
That arc looks slick but they're sure proud of it.
 

taskswap

WKR
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
565
You're going to get 25 opinions from 20 people. :) But I'll bite.

Personally I'm not a fan of multi-tools for bow work. I only need 2 hex wrenches for what I need to tweak on my Bear so I just carry those as my "bow tools" (I don't need a wrench for the bolts that hold the arms on - I never mess with those in the field.) So for a multi-tool I want something as light and functional as possible.

I'll be the contrarian here and offer the two options I swap between that might seem light duty, but if you DON'T need a hex driver or 2lbs of saw blades you'll never use, maybe given them a thought.

The first is the Gerber Dime. This is just big enough to replace a Leatherman for many in-field purposes. Small pair of pliers, scissors, wire cutter, wide/flat and pointed ("phillips") blades, plus a small knife blade, bottle opener, and a box cutter. AND it has the tweezers most multi-tools don't seem to include these days, and when I'm in tick country (which let's face it, is most country) I really like having those handy. Great for splinters, too. You'll never dress out a deer with this thing but I don't use my multi-tool for that. In combination with a good knife I find this perfect for EDC. The box cutter seems silly but I actually find it's the #1 thing I use (you can do more than just cut boxes - I strip electrical wire, cut cord...). At $20 (typically) and 2.3oz this one goes on almost every hunt and backpacking trip, as well as most EDC days.

When I want something that's "barely there", I do the Gerber Curve. This is basically one half of the Dime. It's a small knife blade, two (passable) screwdriver places, and a small awl, plus a bottle opener. The knife is tiny, but the locking mechanism is surprisingly solid so this is my "sacrificial" blade for random stuff like cutting cord in camp, or opening boxes at home without dulling my main knife. I still get a bottle opener, and at 0.8oz I feel like I need an excuse NOT to bring it, not the other way around.
 

Speaks

Lil-Rokslider
Classified Approved
Joined
Jul 27, 2024
Messages
143
Location
MN
I carry a small Gerber Dime or a Leatherman Sidekick. Both are spring loaded, which I prefer. I like the weight and size of the Dime. It's more of an EDC size. I can tighten a small screw, cut some Leuko tape or open a bag of Mountain House. I carry the Sidekick mostly when I'm bird hunting with my dogs and need something bigger for a cactus spine or porky quill. More for them than me. My full size tool is a Leatherman Wave, that I normally keep in my truck. The older I get the less I carry.
I really like the dime as well.
 
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