There’s outdoor kit that you can buy from lots of different brands without a clear winner on the performance or quality front. And then there are multitools, where one brand reigns supreme: Leatherman.
The Portland-based brand did, after all, invent the very first pliers-based multitool back in the 1970s. The story goes that founder Tim Leatherman started to dream up the idea of a portable pair of pliers that could do multiple jobs during a road trip across Europe in 1975 where he kept facing odd jobs from dodgy plumping to engine troubles.
It took another eight years for Leatherman’s first prototype to get approved, but since Cabela’s placed its first order for 500 Leatherman PSTs in 1983, the brand has never looked back.
These days, outdoor enthusiasts, myself included, wouldn’t consider heading out into the backcountry – or anywhere else for that matter – without a multitool. Don't believe me? Check out all of these great uses for a multitool. They weigh just a few ounces, fit in any pocket and are super handy for fixing zippers, hammering pegs, trimming straps, opening cans, removing pots, the list goes on and on.
Whether your adventures involve multi-day treks, days on belay or trail running shoes, it’s hardly a case of whether you need a Leatherman so much as which Leatherman you need. Today, Leatherman has dozens of models and styles ranging from under $50 to over $200, all still made in Portland, and it’s hard to know which one is best. So we reached out to the brand for some suggestions on the best Leatherman multitools for each of the adventures we love. Here’s what they said:
For hiking: Leatherman Bond
For those of you whose outdoor pursuits look like loading up your daypack for a few hours – or even a full day – on the trail, you most likely want a good all-rounder that’s light but can get most jobs done. Though with just 14 functions, the Leatherman Bond is more minimalist than many other models, it’s still got more uses than you’d probably ever need on a day hike, and can handle those basic tasks like trimming straps and bandages, removing splinters and opening packages.
If you’re just planning on a day hike, you may not be prepared for a night on the trail, but if things go wrong, with the Bond you have a small blade to make some kindling so long as you’ve carried a firestarter. My Bond lives in my daypack so it’s with me on every hike and at just four inches long it can easily fit in your pocket, too.
For backpacking: Leatherman Signal
If your hiking adventures often take place over several days, with nights spent in the wild, you might want a more comprehensively featured multitool that still won’t weigh you down, and for you, the brand suggests the Leatherman Signal.
The Signal packs all the features of the Bond like pliers and a bottle opener, but some really key tools for setting up camp and staying safe overnight, namely a firestarter, a hammer to help you anchor tent pegs, a one-handed blade and even an emergency whistle.
This tool is better equipped than the Bond for longer adventures with 19 functions but barely weighs an ounce more.
For car camping: Leatherman ARC
If camping for you involves an air mattress and a Yeti cooler, you probably want a deluxe Leatherman like the beefy Leatherman ARC. This top-of-the-range model is the very first multitool to use a MagnaCut steel blade which is stronger, more corrosion-resistant, sharper, and boasts all the premium features like large and small bit drivers for tinkering with all your toys at camp.
Best of all, most of the tools on the ARC can be released with one hand while you flip the burgers with the other. They’ll lock into place with a satisfying click and all your friends will be suitably impressed.
At $250 and weighing about the same as a can of soda, this is one of the brand’s weightiest tool, but the obvious choice for gear lovers who get to camp via 4WD.
For trail running: Leatherman Micra
If you prefer trail running shoes to hiking boots and hydration packs to day packs, every ounce matters and carrying a multitool might not even have occurred to you. But what if you get wet feet and have a blister emergency hours from anywhere in the backcountry?
Just for you champions of the ultralight, there’s the Leatherman Micra which weighs less than two ounces and is the size of a keychain. Despite its diminutive appearance, the Micra still packs scissors, a knife, tweezers and multiple screwdrivers, plus it can be attached to the outside of your running vest via a split ring loop.
For climbing: Leatherman Skeletool
Besides camping, no other activity on this list requires as much gear as rock climbing and the more gear you have, the more opportunities there are for things to go wrong. From trimming webbing and prying open stubborn carabiners to tightening bolts, you’ll find all sorts of uses for the awesome Leatherman Skeletool, which fittingly looks a little bit like a carabiner and the brand tells us is popular with both climbers and cyclists.
The Skeletool is lightweight at just five ounces and minimalist with just seven tools including a knife, pliers and wire cutters, but its design means you can clip it to your harness, and most importantly, you can operate it with one hand if you need it halfway through a pitch.
If the traditional pliers design of a Leatherman isn't what you're after, check out our recent review of the Tactica M.020, a this credit-card sized multitool that we think is the single most useful bit of camping kit you can fit in your pocket
