Most Useful Tool

[Camoguy]

I was lamenting the passing of my little camping shovel I have had for years, in another part of the forum. So I got to thinking... what's the handiest and hardest to do without tool you carry with you? Personally, I really miss that little shovel. I did everything with it from digging up sassafrass roots to digging latrines. What's the one thing you miss if it's not there?

 

[WalkingMan]

I have to say it's my little Leatherman tool my parents bought for me many years ago. I've used that thing almost daily, on the road or just working. I have even used it to make a makeshift bark halter for a wayward horse I caught out on the road. It's priceless to me.

 

[oldsarge]

It's got to be my knife by far. If my shovel isn't there and had too I could use the knife in a pinch. I shudder to think of sticking my blade into the ground and digging with it. The leatherman tool is a close second..it's got a knife on it! But I do have a small folding shovel made by "Junglee" that also has a knife attachment. Gee...now I'm confused I don't know which one I'd miss more...screw it, they're all coming with me!

 

[CozInCowtown]

Pocketknife.

 

[ChadTower]

My SOG multitool. Does so many things you just can't do with your fingers. Prevents injuries because you're not trying to do stupid things with your fingers. And it has a knife on it that does enough that I'd rather have the multitool than the knife if I had to choose.

 

[dinosaur]

Well, I see everyone has chosen a cutting tool of sorts. Since the stone age, the most valuable tools have been the ones that cut. Back then they were used to farm and to shape other stones from flint to bluestone (harder than granite). The bronze age brought gold and silver jewelry and; Cutting Tools.

Fast forward to today and we have power tools that cut and shape. But when we want to get back to nature, we take a cutting tool. In five thousand years our technology has advanced greatly. But man is still the same. A shovel, an axe, a knife, it depends on your preference.

If I were set loose in the wilderness and only allowed one tool, I wouldn't even consider a gun. I'd take a knife because I could do everything with it including making other weapons for defense and hunting.

 

[Michael]

My Victorinox Fieldmaster. It is perhaps the most useful item I own.

 

[Lamebeaver]

Victorinox Recruit - everything I need, nothing I don't.

 

[carmen]

Leatherman is a great tool and we have at least three in the house now since some of us (and I mean "him") randomly misplace them. I carry a knife in my purse when I am out or alone for long travels but that is only because the Leatherman I used to carry in my car magically disappeared.

 

[RedJasper]

My jelly jar; I use it for all my drinking. I use a small bottle cover on it.

 

[IndianaHiker]

Toss up here. My hydration bladder or my headlamp. Cant say as I really use a blade that much when backpacking.

 

[campclose]

Wow, some great answers here. I was going to say my compass! But that would be a lie. Mine would be my multi-knife. It even has nail clippers on it. I really don't use many tools when I'm hiking!

 

[Navigator]

I'm thinking like RedJasper, I would most miss my cook pot, without it I would be stuck eating snack food and Clif bars. (not that I don't love snack food and Clif bars!) About the only time I use my knife on most backpacking trips is to open a freeze dried meal or slice some fruit or vegetable, something I could work around.

 

[IndianaHiker]

I am like you navigator out of the last 50 times I have been out can count the times I have used a pocket knife for anything other than opening a freeze dried dinner on one hand with fingers left over. No my Bic cigarette lighter is handy to light my stove. Mountain House are to crunchy and not very tasty with cold water.

 

[briansnat]

I have a Leatherman multi tool that I use for a lot of things. The model I have even has a small fork and butter knife. It's too small of a fork to eat dinner with but it's perfect for eating canned sardines and smoked oysters and the butter knife is great for spreading peanut butter, cheese or tuna salad on crackers. Those are the sort of things I have for lunch on the trail.

Next to that I'd say my headlamp. I find it essential in camp.

 

[Grandpa]

I'll go with the bic lighter. Second is the metal cup. But if I could only have one, It would be the metal cup.

I used my multi-tool for the first time in two years on my last trip. The pliers worked great to flip the foil wrapped fish over. I really can't remember when I last used either of the two knives I carry out of habit.

 

[kunzr88]

I don't think I could ever leave home without my multi-tool.