You know those adorable mini-multitools you've seen dozens of lately? The ones that are brilliantly packaged into the tiniest possible forms but likely not all that useful for doing actual work? Well, the Adventure Mate V3 isn't one of them. In fact, it's the opposite. This unapologetically big, bruising instrument won't fit in your pocket or even a loaded backpack, but it will get actual work done when you need it to. Whereas the tiny blades on a traditional multitool might whittle a tree branch, the V3 will take down the whole tree, split it into firewood and dig the bonfire pit.
It was about 5 1/2 years ago when Adventure Mate slid right under the wire with a just-successful Kickstarter campaign for its V2 tool, which was originally planned for an April 2020 delivery launch. Not surprisingly, the 5-in-1 tool ultimately made it out a little late, as the usual crowd-funder stumbles and hiccups were thoroughly compounded by a global pandemic for which no one had planned. But Adventure Mate ultimately announced it had sent out all Kickstarter backer tools as of early January 2021 – not bad at all, considering.
With those difficulties squarely in its rear-view mirror, Adventure Mate is back with the all-new V3 version of its unique multitool. Just like previous iteration, the V3 takes the form of an axe that measures 16 inches (41 cm) tall from the knob (base of the handle) to the eye up top. The composite handle gets topped by a steel collar that accepts the various head configurations with help from a quick, sure slide-lock CAM lever.
Amateur lumberjacks will love popping the CAM open and pulling out the 6-in-long (15-cm) axe head only to find an 8-in (20-cm) carbon steel saw blade waiting on the other side. Flip it upside down, slide it into the collar, close the CAM lock, and you now have a saw that's ready to grind teeth through downed or live trees and branches. Adventure Mate even shows the axe head being used as a grip for two-handed sawing, though we'd really love to see a full sheath or edge guard over the blade, heavy gloves or not. The saw blade is designed to be readily swapped when it's time for a fresh one.
The slide lock on the CAM lever is a new addition to the V3, and the saw blade also grows from 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) on the V2 to 8 on the V3. Also new is an updated dual-mode shovel head. Using a new mount to secure to the handle, it can position from straight-shoveling mode to 90-degree entrenching mode with the pull of a bolt.
As it did with the V2, Adventure Mate rounds out the V3 with a hammer on the butt of the axe head, good for knocking in tent stakes and other hammering tasks, and a hook atop the eye designed to pull those tent stakes out, remove hot pots off the campfire and more. It won't be the lightest, most nimble bottle opener you'll ever handle, and you'll want to mind that axe blade, but that hook is also designed to flip a bottle cap should you lose your regular less-intimidating opener.
Adventure Mate uses a mixture of hardened tool steel, composite and aerospace-grade aluminum to create a powerful, rugged tool that weighs in under 5 lb (2.3 kg) inclusive of all the hard components (handle, axe/saw head and shovel head). Throw in the waterproof carry sack designed to neatly store all those components, and you're still carrying around just 5.9 lb (2.7 kg).
As fashionable as it has become to drive around with things like axes, shovels and jacks clinging to the side (or even hitch) of your vehicle on overpriced mounting hardware, there's something pretty convenient about being able to slide your axe, saw and shovel into a handheld case and stow it under a car seat or in a small corner of the pickup truck bed. It'll certainly save loads of space for other essential camping and road trip gear.
And you also won't have to worry about someone stealing your tools right off the exterior of your rig, possibly damaging your expensive rack and MOLLE hardware while doing so. If you miss the flashiness, though, you can always use that space for fuel cans, traction boards and other bright, bulky kit. Big bonus points for topping it all off with empty Pelican boxes that never move off the roof.
Adventure Mate has already bested its 102% V2 funding effort of 2020 with a cool 1,650% tally and counting on its V3 campaign with three weeks left to go. Pledgers will find the Adventure Mate V3 at levels of $199 and up, with delivery start planned for November 2025, assuming all goes well. Adventure Mate also backs the V3 up with a lifetime guarantee, saying: "Every V3 is backed by our no-questions-asked lifetime warranty. If you manage to break it, we will replace it. It is that simple."
Take a closer look at the V3 in Adventure Mate's pitch video below.
Source: Adventure Mate
