Multi-Tools

Designed for safety and simplicity, the trusty utility blade is popular tool for anyone with regular cutting tasks, but the latest from Gerber Gear features a few extra tricks up its sleeve, with a total of eight tools onboard.

If there are two things that gear nerds like, it's multi-tools and carabiners. We've thus seen a number of devices that combine the two, with the latest being the titanium-bodied Mul.Ti.Biner 2.0.

We’ve seen multitools of all shapes and sizes designed to fit in seamlessly with an everyday carry setup, but the latest from accessory maker Disc is one that would truly look at home on a keyring and packs more than 19 functions onboard.

Remember back when carabiners were designed solely for hanging one thing from another? Nope, us neither. Now, a new multi-purpose 'biner is claimed to help users get out of crashed vehicles.

Designed to balance versatility and excellent portability, Gerber's new Armbar Drive is claimed to offer the kind of utility you could expect of a full-sized multitool, while still easily sliding in and out of one's pocket.

In 2017, Tortoise Gear launched the Firefly, a fire steel fit to a Swiss Army toothpick slot. Now it's back to get some extra use out of the corkscrew. The FireAnt screws onto a Victorinox corkscrew to bring fire steel and tinder to your pocket.

Making tools for the everyday carry crowd forces designers to think small, and few come smaller than the Mawst from California's Advencher. The bullet-shaped micro-tool is tiny enough to be comfortably stuck on a keychain or worn around a neck.

Although cyclists sure do like multi-tools, they don't necessarily like having the things cluttering up their pockets or hydration packs. That's where Wolf Tooth's new EnCase System comes in, as it sits inside the bike's handlebars.

When most people think of multi-tools, they tend to picture little gadgets that can be stuffed in a pocket. The fact is, though, some tasks require larger implements, and Adventure Mate's new AM-V2 serves as five of the things.

From fresh faces offering interesting credit-card-sized options to experienced heads reimagining how their storied implements open and close, 2019 had a bit of everything for multitool enthusiasts. Here are the best of the bunch.

Last year we took a look at EverRatchet, a cleverly designed keychain multitool with a ratchet built in. Inventor Brian Filko has now returned to the crowdfunding scene with a new and improved version.

If there's one group of people who have a need for multi-tools, it's first responders. The Fire Escape carabiner is indeed made with them in mind, although it's also designed for use by civilians – such as campers wanting to start fires.