Tools

Reviews - Tools

The Multi-tool of Digging Utensils:

When you think of a multi-function tool, you often envision one of those Leatherman type folders, with can openers, saws, and various bits and blades.  From the beginning of flint knapping, to modern tools, outdoorsman across time have been using their tools in as many ways as are necessary.  The Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel is one of those multi-function tools that breaks the mold.

Read more: Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel Review

Reviews - Tools

Last month I had the opportunity to review Solkoa's fire starting kits. This month I have the good fortune to test out  Solkoa's Grip-S which stands for Grip Survival. Solkoa is marketing the Grip-S as a multi-tool capable of utilizing a wide variety of saws, drill bits and other tools which sets it apart from other multi-tools.  Solkoa has shown a great deal of innovation with Grip-S and its nearly endless list of options.

Read more: Solkoa's Grip-S (Grip Survival) Review

Reviews - Tools

Although not typically associated with outdoors gear, a good pair of loppers can really come in handy from time to time for the Woods Monkey.  They’ll help clear a campsite, cut shooting lanes, open a spot to fish by a lake, and get offending underbrush out of the way.  Though a drawback of most loppers is the size, Gerber Blades has produced an ingenious solution.  Gerber’s Reveal is a compact and efficient lopper designed for the outdoors crowd.

Read more: Gerber Reveal Folding Loppers Review

Reviews - Tools

Have you ever watched someone do something foolish?  The first thing they do is to look around to see if anyone saw them in their moment of embarrassment.  All of us have done it at one time or another.  If you happen to be a deer hunter these moments seem to come a little more frequently when compared to “normal people.”  If you don’t believe it, just ask a hunter to recount a normal hunting season.  You will hear stories of hours of sitting perfectly still in the woods seeing nothing.  Then, at his first movement he learns that the deer was right behind him the entire time.  All the hunter sees is the white of the tail as the deer runs off.  Yes, the next movement is when the hunter looks around to see if anyone noticed his mistake.  Hunters have a hundred excuses for not bringing home the game.  I should know, I’ve used them all!  My favorite is telling how that tree branch jumped right out in front of my bullet as I fired.  I have used it a few times and will swear that I come across more suicidal trees than anyone could imagine.

Read more: Gerber Shot Maker Pruner Review

Reviews - Tools

When I first saw that Leatherman was making a folding multi-tool with pruners on it, my first response was “Ho-hum, that’s just another gimmick, and an answer to an unasked question”.  I really didn’t pay much attention to them until just before the 2009 SHOT show.  Not long before that, I noticed the Vista model, which is geared towards hunters and outdoorsmen.  I began to get a little more curious about the idea, and talked to some of my friends a bit about it.  Well, much to my surprise, a number of folks that I knew and respected used pruners while hunting already, and one even mentioned that he’d rather leave his knife at home before leaving the pruners behind!  With such strong recommendations in support of the pruner in my head, I swung by the Leatherman booth at SHOT to take a look at the Vista first-hand.  I have to say, that upon getting my grubby paws on one, and taking a look at the tool layout on it, I started seeing many possibilities that I initially hadn’t imagined.  I didn’t even make it out of the booth without requesting a review sample, and that sample arrived a couple of weeks later.  Over the past month or so I’ve been working with the Vista both around the home, and out in the field, and I’ve learned some interesting things about the utility of a pruner in the bush.

Read more: Leatherman Vista Pruners Review

Reviews - Tools

Sometimes you just got to move some earth. No, I’m not talking about with a bulldozer, but there are certainly times when you’re hiking and camping when you’re going to need to dig some holes. Whether it’s for a cat hole, a drainage trench around your tent, or a fire pit, odds are you’re going to need a shovel at some point during your outdoor excursions. The question is, what are you going to use? If you’re car camping, it doesn’t much matter. You probably have the space for a full-sized shovel, and the weight and bulk aren’t a big deal if all you’re doing is carrying it from the back of the truck to your campsite. If you have to hump a shovel in on your ruck though, it becomes a whole different story. Weight and bulk start to matter a lot at that point.  There are stories about ultra-light packers who cut half the handle off their toothbrush just to save on weight.  Now, we're not going to that extreme with the new Gerber Gorge, but it does have some specific advantages over other models that have been available in the past.

Read more: Gerber Gorge