I have always carried a Gerber multi-tool in my pack just in case i needed it. I was looking for advice from others that maybe have stopped packing them due to there weight? Did you find you did not need them, were they replaced with a lighter option. Any help would be appreciated.

What tools on the multi tool have you specifically ever used?

Most people usually only use a blade or scissors and a razer packed in cardboard or a mini swarmy knife takes care of those needs.

I too used to carry a multitool and realized I never used the pliers or anything else. Even in an emergency situation just a good blade will get you pretty far in crafting anything you need.

"What tools on the multi tool have you specifically ever used?"

Agree. Look at it and see what you don't need. Probably just a knife blade and maybe scissors. I find that the scissors in a Victronix Classic work better than a multi-tool, the knife blade is handy and the rest aren't needed. So now I generally take a razor blade or a Derma-Safe folding knife.

Depends on when and where you're going...

On fairly established trails... a "mini" multitool consisting of small blade and scissors is all I need (or carry).

Look around your gear. What could you possibly use a screwdriver for? At least for me, none of my gear has screws. What about the pliers? I can't think of a need for them. Maybe you have one. My stove has no moving parts, neither does my bottle of aqua mira.

I can understand one being useful with a more traditional load'; yes, your whisperlight might need pliers or a screw driver. I always have one with me when I am building trail: the file is nice for tuning up a pulaski.

But when I am in "UL" mode, I can't find a use for one. I do concede that when you need a knife, you need a knife. Thus I do take a dermasafe, but I haven't used it yet. It stays in my pack until I need it.

Obviously they are heavy...but I find that the pliers come in handy sometimes - dealing with barbed wire or any type of fence you need to mangle (which in my parts of the world is used for cattle fencing)

I also use it as pot lifter...
i also reckon you might need pliers if you have to create alot of force say to squeeze or break something you are trying to fix and sometimes have used them to untie difficult knots in heavyish triptease type rope.

Screw drivers to me are a must if you have mechanical stuff that can come undone (GPS cover/ watch cover0 or if you needed to improvise something

i usually also carry very small mini screw driver set (philips and flat)

I have used the plier on my leatherman wave for taking a pot out of the fire. I use the large blade to get wood shaving to start a fire. I think I have also used the saw on it to cut off some down branches. I usually like my mini swiss army to cut, clean and file my nails on those long trips. That's about it. I like having my wave as an emergency tool but I probably should leave it home ...

Reading Michael's post... I detect a slippery road of "better have it and not need it then to need it and not have it"....

If you need those, why not just carry a mini Visegrip? You can turn screws with it, just not all the way in. I don't bring it backpacking, but it is my favorite little tool.
I could make a long list of all the ways it can be used.

http://www.swisstechtools.com/proddetail.aspx?pid=5 BAM.

PS. I posted a thread about this little guy.

Edited by reacttocontact on 02/23/2012 13:24:24 MST.

@ben - you could be right.

As i have said to some people here and elsewhere - hiking in your backyard or in a very well mapped out situation (not just cartographically but from an informational perspective like say the AT) its easier to not bring stuff.

Most of my hiking (alas) is not in my country and in many cases i am not really sure what i am facing (in many senses) so i indeed take that extra little thing.

Having said that - there are some items that could be considered a luxury and you can deal with their absence in a "brute force" manner - especially in milder weather (be more careful, walk faster, walk slower, sleep less comfortably, eat less tasty food etc)
Pliers and screwdrivers (and a knife) preform functions that no matter how fit/smart or shrewd you are you cannot do with your bare hands. yes you maybe could fabricate a cutting device from the correct type of rock...but not a mini screw driver of the leverage of pliers

of course you may carry them all your life and not use them

Mike:

The "slippery road" above is something that most all of us struggle with -- or at least we second guess ourselves from time to time.

Just so hard sometimes to draw the line between "possibly needless fear" and "possibly over cautious".

I was given a mini multi-tool under the cabelas brand. It has pliers(rare for the minis), knife blade, screw driver, and mini light. I pretty much never take it and haven't weighed it but I would geuss that is about 20% of the weight of my Leatherman super tool which is nice. The only time (at least in the last twelve years or so) I would consider taking it on an overnight are as part of a ski repair kit, as part of my dogs first aide kit for removing porcpine quills, or maybe if I was using crampons. Though I have done all those types of trips without it and been fine so unless I was on a long trip where the likelihood of equipment failure or dog stupidity are higher it would end up staying home. It usually lives with my small mountain bike repair kit just in case.

they make a very sweet knife with a serrated blade ( a good thing), a scissors, pliers, and both screwdrivers, that come in at 4.1oz
i have one of these and it is a treat. big enough to clean a real fish. pliers to pull nose hairs. screwdrivers to open ammo cans and whatever else i decide to open/repair/modify. amazon had it for about 30 bucks. it was not easy to find this exact perfect model.

as far as "not needing" tools" ... whatever.
if one has the skill, but neglects to have the tools, that seems like a waste of a resource.
so : one shows up at a problem, unless one has tools, they are still bringing their needs and wants, but no "solutions" to the table.

i have at times carried a small digital voltmeter, because being able to fix things means being able to deliver value. and if you are thirsty/hungry/cold, and somebody (who has beer/food/fire) has something broke, it's nice to be able to return the favor.

ohh, what can tools fix ??

an electric lawnmower in montana
a wind generator in BC
a truck radio microphone wound a new spring for it too) in alberta
a hydraulic excavator
a pickup truck in pietown NM (cdt)
a boat motor transom power trim in the NWT
a trailer fender )bent bad) in the Yukon
a ford econovan distributor in Canada
a vw vanagon on the dempster
etc.

save the world. it's only 4.1oz

cheers,
peter v.

We needed to fix the clip on a snow shovel last weekend, a stick was handier in the situation .

Peter, no one is arguing that tools aren't useful. Just that on a recreational hike they are not needed generally. I know when I hike pretty much the only machines I'll come across are whatever I bring in my pack (minimal) and maybe a rusted out hulk of a car in the desert. Beyond that it's just my car at the trailhead (where I keep a small mechanic's set).

When I'm on a hike I'm not looking to be part of some community and to provide economic value in exchange for my existence. Actually I backpack pretty much for the complete opposite motivation.

Now if I was doing something involving motors or complex mechanics, like boating or skiing, then yeah a small multi-tool is pretty much a necessity for when mechanical failures happen (which they eventually do). However, this is a backpacking site so those activities are not generally included in our discourse. The OP was asking how necessary they are and if leaving it behind has ever been a major detriment to others.

Thanks guys for the advice/help. Most of you comfirmed my thoughts that i was taking it for the unsuspected/unlikley just is case. I have been on the slippery slope of "better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it" and am slowley getting off that slope. I am not there yet but making progress. Over the last year i have gotten my big 3/4 from 23.5 lbs to 9.5 lbs. Not quite ultralight but getting better. Thanks again for the advice.

If it isnt that heavy it doesnt matter too much whether you take it or not ... Youll likely want to take a knife anyways

I've used pliers to get a grip on a stuck zipper with a broken pull - doesn't happen often but it has happened. Sometimes you just need to get a good grip on something - it doesn't need to be metal. A screwdriver has been useful for tightening the flick locks on my trekking poles. The Leatherman Squirt PS4 has everything I need for 2 oz.
http://www.leatherman.com/product/Squirt_PS4

On two occasions I have lent my multi-tool to others to repair a faulty sleeping bag zipper. (pliers) Also used the pliers to grip a heavy duty needle to repair a strap on my pack, and to sew the sole of my shoe back on. (spectra tent line as thread). The small awl to drill holes , small screwdriver for sunglasses repair, small knife to whittle tent pole tips. So for me, the 2 oz. is useful.