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Well, according to Leatherman, Mac did use a leatherman. They seem quite proud of that fact.

-FL

"Without the Swiss Army Knife, we would've been hopeless," Lederman said. "That was our primary tool."

After which he developed the now famous Lederman tool.

One of the more important items you can have as a backpacker is a swiss army knife or a leatherman. These are virtually impossible to carry on board a plane these days.

I agree multi-tools are useful, but you don't necessarily need an actual knife (or if you do, you could get a cheap POS single-function pocket knife at your destination). Therefore, you could get something like this, which should theoretically be allowed in carry-on luggage.

Okay, so a good tool isn't nearly as sexy as a GPS. But, if your GPS breaks, what are you going to fix it with? As a result, my personal favorite gadget is the Leatherman Wave. However, I've been told that it's foolish (and possibly illegal) to roam around France without a corkscrew. If that's the case, you may want to consider one of the Juice models that include that particular widget.

Okay, so a good tool isn't nearly as sexy as a GPS. But, if your GPS breaks, what are you going to fix it with? As a result, my personal favorite gadget is the Leatherman Wave. However, I've been told that it's foolish (and possibly illegal) to roam around France without a corkscrew. If that's the case, you may want to consider one of the Juice models that include that particular widget.

My first recommendation is to only carry small and where possibile, hybrid gear.

Secondly purge your bag weekly.

Thirdly, a small bag with a well padded single shoulder strap seems to put less pressure on joints, nerves, etc. The older you get the more you will appreciate this. It is counter-intuitive but backpacks easily cause me more discomfort, even with a good belt.

I am currently carrying an Eagle Creek Travel Gear shoulder bag. In it I carry:
Sony Clie UX40 in an aluminum case
crap Cell phone (if work didn't pay for this it would be a Treo 650)
Bandana (almost as good as a towel)
2 pens
business cards
Mini flash light
usb ROM stick
mini tape measure
Leatherman Squirt mini-multi-tool
spare stylus
A small Moleskin notebook
earplugs
Sony noise reducing earbuds(passive)
Motorola HS820 BT headset (crap)
2.5 lb convertible Fujitsu Lappy w/extended battery(I fuckin dig this thing!)
Caselogic neoprene DVD Player Case for the laptop.

On the laptop there is easily 500 ebooks including textbooks for school, reference books for work and fiction for downtime. The whole enchilada weighs only 5.5 lbs!

And as soon as I figure out how to get Outlook to wake my laptop out of standby I'll ebay the PDA.

My sister carries a "healthy back bag" from LL Bean that is even more comfortable. I'll try that next.

Take care of your body before it turns on you!

BillyBob

A good, sturdy pocket knife. Not a Swiss Army jobber. A single blade, like are sold to hunters. Metal, not ceramic.

I have a couple of good sturdy knives, but I am never ever without a Leatherman. I'd recommend the Surge. It's the same size as a good pocketknife (and has a good blade), but includes pliers, bolt grips, wirecutters, file, can opener and an assortment of screwdrivers. Not as good for skinning a deer or winning a knife fight, but perfect if you plan to skip past the stone age and into the industrial age.

A good, sturdy pocket knife. Not a Swiss Army jobber. A single blade, like are sold to hunters. Metal, not ceramic.

I have a couple of good sturdy knives, but I am never ever without a Leatherman. I'd recommend the Surge. It's the same size as a good pocketknife (and has a good blade), but includes pliers, bolt grips, wirecutters, file, can opener and an assortment of screwdrivers. Not as good for skinning a deer or winning a knife fight, but perfect if you plan to skip past the stone age and into the industrial age.

You'll want a sturdy set of work boots. Perhaps even steel toed shoes.

Absolutely - if you don't have any, check with local EMS/Police services to find out what they wear. You're looking for something safe, lightweight, good ankle support, and waterproof.

Bring one of these for yourself, and recommend that each group member brings their own.
Bring one of these.
These are great too, you'll want dry feet.

Some sort of protective glove. Leather/Kevlar etc are all good. Bring a box of nitrile gloves too.

A headlamp is a great thing (this one has a dual-bulb system).

All this stuff is for you.
If you're looking for stuff to bring for other people down there... bring money. Go there, find out what's needed, drive away, buy the stuff they need, and bring it back to them.

Also for you, bring some beer.

Good luck.

Flashlight: A small LED Light. This one fits in the palm of your hand and comes with 5 extra batteries.

Multitool: One of these should do nicely.

Leatherman's ChargeXTi includes many of the OP's wants. There's also a bit kit available that adds a bunch of additional screwdriver bits, including more Torx drivers.

I spent a long time looking at all the options that were available (looking especially hard at the Gerber and Swisstool), and ended up with the ChargeXTi. It does what I need it to do, and is great for quick fixes where I don't want to bother getting my real tools.

That said, real tools are a must -- removing or installing more than a half-dozen screws with the Leatherman gets annoying pretty quickly, not to mention its bulk being a issue with any screws that are accessed via a tunnel or with bits of bracing in the way.

Leatherman's ChargeXTi includes many of the OP's wants. There's also a bit kit available that adds a bunch of additional screwdriver bits, including more Torx drivers.

I spent a long time looking at all the options that were available (looking especially hard at the Gerber and Swisstool), and ended up with the ChargeXTi. It does what I need it to do, and is great for quick fixes where I don't want to bother getting my real tools.

That said, real tools are a must -- removing or installing more than a half-dozen screws with the Leatherman gets annoying pretty quickly, not to mention its bulk being a issue with any screws that are accessed via a tunnel or with bits of bracing in the way.

The Mini-Tool is the ultimate Leatherman:

http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/retired-t ools/mini-tool/default.asp

Very compact when completely closed, yet you get a full sized pair of needlenose pliers when open. The size of the needlenose is perfect for most electronic applications.

I've been raiding various local independent tackle stores, bait houses, and gun shops and buying all that the have in stock.

So far I've got a dozen pair of Mini-Tools.

Now when you combine the Mini-Tool with a VICTORINOX WorkChamp you've got a lot of 'firepower' in just a couple of tools. I don't leave home without them.

I bought one of these, too (actually I got the XTi). It's nice -- it fits in my hand, has all the tools I need and a bunch I don't (a saw?), and also has a rescue blade for cutting seat belts and similar things (works great for opening plastic bags).

I looked at the Gerbers and the SwissTool, and handled a whole bunch of different Leatherman tools first. In the end, this one had the most things that seemed useful.

I haven't had any problems with my gerbers, but then again, everyone uses them a little bit differently.

My first 'multitool' was the original Gerber Multitool, annodized black. You can't get it anymore, as the non-locking blades were a problem. [I don't have it, because someone borrowed it, and I never got it back -- but it held up well for many years, even through my time working on a solar car team in college.] It also had the problem that the Philips screwdriver in it was a #2, so it was useless for small screws.

My next was the SOG Power Pliers. Another nice set, but I did manage to damage the wire cutters (don't try to cut spring steel with 'em -- my own fault, really), and I had changed out some of the components, but I've never seen them offered anywhere other than AAFES, which I don't have access to anymore. I'd say this one held a blade worse than my Gerber. It also doesn't have locking blades, and is a little harder to open one handed. I really like the line cutter though, which I had put in as a replacement. Other issues is that the grip is uncomfortable when trying to use it as pliers. And, it has a #1 Phillips, which is useless on racks, but fine for computer internals. They've fixed my main gripes with the Power Lock [but not the lack of Phillips #2].

I replaced my original MultiPliers with the MultiPlier 600 -- it's not black (but they do make a black version), but it deals with the locking issues from my original. Other than that, there's not much difference.

I've used Leatherman, but I didn't see that it was vastly superior to what I already had. I do keep a Leatherman Micra on my keychain. I also have a Leatherman Squirt S4 that I was given as a gift, but it looks like crap when the enamled coating gets knicked up from your keys. (It is, however, easier on your hands, and has a Phillips #1 vs a #2).

One of my most used tools, though, isn't a knife/plier combo -- it's the Latshaw Pocket Wrench II. It's perfect for tightening down the bolks in a rack. (Especially as the rails for a Sun 220R/420R need you to tighten a nut right where the sides push in, and you can't get a normal wrench in there).

Anyway, whatever you do -- I'd suggest carrying two, preferably different types, with complimentary tool packages. Sure, sometimes you just need pliers or a screwdriver, but I find that I often need to hold a nut, while turning a screw, and so just having one would be mostly useless.

But of course -- I'm mostly just racking equipment, and installing cards and such -- the person who was an electrician, above, most likely needs different gear. [And there are also times when the full fledged item is better -- I keep a screwdriver set in my desk, because it's often faster than using a multitool]

I haven't had any problems with my gerbers, but then again, everyone uses them a little bit differently.

My first 'multitool' was the original Gerber Multitool, annodized black. You can't get it anymore, as the non-locking blades were a problem. [I don't have it, because someone borrowed it, and I never got it back -- but it held up well for many years, even through my time working on a solar car team in college.] It also had the problem that the Philips screwdriver in it was a #2, so it was useless for small screws.

My next was the SOG Power Pliers. Another nice set, but I did manage to damage the wire cutters (don't try to cut spring steel with 'em -- my own fault, really), and I had changed out some of the components, but I've never seen them offered anywhere other than AAFES, which I don't have access to anymore. I'd say this one held a blade worse than my Gerber. It also doesn't have locking blades, and is a little harder to open one handed. I really like the line cutter though, which I had put in as a replacement. Other issues is that the grip is uncomfortable when trying to use it as pliers. And, it has a #1 Phillips, which is useless on racks, but fine for computer internals. They've fixed my main gripes with the Power Lock [but not the lack of Phillips #2].

I replaced my original MultiPliers with the MultiPlier 600 -- it's not black (but they do make a black version), but it deals with the locking issues from my original. Other than that, there's not much difference.

I've used Leatherman, but I didn't see that it was vastly superior to what I already had. I do keep a Leatherman Micra on my keychain. I also have a Leatherman Squirt S4 that I was given as a gift, but it looks like crap when the enamled coating gets knicked up from your keys. (It is, however, easier on your hands, and has a Phillips #1 vs a #2).

One of my most used tools, though, isn't a knife/plier combo -- it's the Latshaw Pocket Wrench II. It's perfect for tightening down the bolks in a rack. (Especially as the rails for a Sun 220R/420R need you to tighten a nut right where the sides push in, and you can't get a normal wrench in there).

Anyway, whatever you do -- I'd suggest carrying two, preferably different types, with complimentary tool packages. Sure, sometimes you just need pliers or a screwdriver, but I find that I often need to hold a nut, while turning a screw, and so just having one would be mostly useless.

But of course -- I'm mostly just racking equipment, and installing cards and such -- the person who was an electrician, above, most likely needs different gear. [And there are also times when the full fledged item is better -- I keep a screwdriver set in my desk, because it's often faster than using a multitool]

GreyedOut is right about the blade. It's almost caught me a few times. Be careful.

GreyedOut is right about the blade. It's almost caught me a few times. Be careful.

I have a Leatherman Juice C2 that I picked up to replace a lost Swiss Army knife. I've had it for two years now and find myself carrying it around more than I had carried my knife.

pros:
* red color (I would lose it otherwise)
* the the assist makes the corkscrew easier to use that any I have used elsewhere
* high quality (same as any Leatherman or Gerber)
* good looks
* not too bulky or heavy (fits in a pocket)

cons:
* badly need a locking blade. The shape of the handle and blade make it especially not obvious which side it sharp. I have cut my thumb twice by putting my bracing my thumb on the sharp side and trying to cut with the dull side. I think this is a fatal flaw with the shape of the Juice line
* Mine does not have a lanyard attachment. Leatherman has fixed this in newer models.
* If I had to buy it again, I'd get something with scissors.

While it would be neat to be able to carry a full-sized leatherman everywhere I go, the leatherman squirt p4 is the way to go. You won't wear holes in your pocket, or need to get a bat utility belt after adding on a cell-phone belt clip. Plus, it does 80% of what you need a full-sized leatherman for. Finally, the knife is wicked sharp.

Of course, this is for office/suburban duty. If you are out in the wilderness or in a workshop, there are a host of more appropriate tools.

No matter what multitool you decide on, I'd reccomend also getting a Leatherman Micra tool. It's a mini-leatherman, works as a keychain. I'm the kind of person who hates having unneccesary crap in their pockets, but the Micra is useful enough that it's more than worth the 1 x 6.5 x 2 cm it takes up in my pocket. I have one of those handy keychain seperators, for times I need the micra for more than a few seconds, to get my bulk of my keys off. The lot of it collapses into a nice ball that takes up little space in my pocket, alongside my wallet. It has the majority of tools I need as a desktop maint/support guy at a library. The only time I have to go back to my desk to get my full toolkit is when I need my 8" long phillips bit to get somewhere annoying. Unlike my Swiss Army Knife (closest current model seems to be the Herc), the scizzors is still fully springy, even after sitting in my pocket for 3 years (4 now?) and getting a fair bit of use. You'd be surprised how often you need to clip a coupon out of a flier found at the grocery store, left in a cart, or need a pseudo-phillips screwdriver. I really love this lil guy.

Beyond that... I prefer a regular, original Leatherman. If I were to buy a new tool today, I may consider one of the other Leathermans, perhaps one geared toward tech stuff, be it a Leatherman or otherwise, but I'm in no need to replace this one.

I have a Leatherman Sideclip which is no longer made. The pliers did break on me once, but Leatherman replaced it under warrantee without incident if I remember right.

I would recommend getting a locking blade if possible. A blade that can move is very annoying.

I just got one of these for Christmas and boy is this thing handy. This is basicly the Leatherman Wave upgraded with several features. A special bit style screwdriver, Titanium alloy handle, 154CM blade metal, pocket clip, and locking mini tools.

I haven't looked back at my Gerber or Spyderco multi-tools since.

http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/charge-Ti /default.asp

Several years ago I used to have Schrade multi-function tool, but lost it at an RC flying field. That company seems to have been recently acquired. About a year ago I got a Leatherman Super Tool 200, which I prefer because of the more comfurtable handle design. The mechanism for unlocking blades is easy and effective. Incidentally, I've had a strong appreciation for multi-tools since boy scouts, and I find a sense of manly pride in using a good knife. Be sure you get a good sheath to show it off on your belt!

Several years ago I used to have Schrade multi-function tool, but lost it at an RC flying field. That company seems to have been recently acquired. About a year ago I got a Leatherman Super Tool 200, which I prefer because of the more comfurtable handle design. The mechanism for unlocking blades is easy and effective. Incidentally, I've had a strong appreciation for multi-tools since boy scouts, and I find a sense of manly pride in using a good knife. Be sure you get a good sheath to show it off on your belt!

The Leatherman Wave tool is very nice. Specs from the Leatherman web site
http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/wave-(200 4)/default.asp

Length: 4 in. / 10 cm closed -- 6.3 in / 16 cm open
Weight: 8.5 ounces / 264 grams
Materials: 100% stainless steel (Optimum grade hardness for each tool/blade)

There are two blades, one serrated and one plain. The blade length isn't described, so I measured my Wave. The length of each blade is approximately 3 inches. The sharpened portion of both blades is 2.5 inches.

I've had mine for a while, so far it had been a wonderful tool. Each tool/blade locks open, making it fairly safe to use. My Wave tool rides in the knife pocket of my Maxpedition Versipack
http://www.maxpedition.com/product/product_vp_fatb oy_s.htm

With a small department's worth of exceptions, the function of my employees is not to understand computers. Instead the computers are there solely to make balancing the books, producing reports, making presentations, gathering data and other revenue generating and/or support tasks simpler.

I also don't think I should have to send my grandmother to get a CS degree, so I can send her email or video of her greatgranddaughter.

Microsoft is bad in a number of ways and have done a number of bad things attempting to deliever on the goal, but the doesn't mean that making computers easier is wrong. The tool's purpose is to make the task easier.

It is possible to make a multifunction tool that doesn't add a lot of it's own complexity even for reasonably complex tools.

And yet the damn thing STILL hasn't got a bloody corkscrew. The only reason that I still use my old crappy swiss army knock-off is for the corkscrew. For everything else, I use the Wave

Seriously, with the latest craze for putting bit-drivers in multitools, how much work would it be to have some sort of corkscrew-bit? You would have to anchor it someway before removing the cork but c'mon! Can't be that difficult, can it?

Instead, there is this craze of fitting more and more useless crud into a multitool.

My opinion is this : If it won't be of use in ten years time or if it won't survive being dunked in soapy water or if it takes up so much space that a seperate unit would be more efficient then there is no point in putting it in the tool.

That means no memory cards, no LED lights and no bloody lighters

Otherwise, you end up with something like this monstrosity!

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

In USA are you allowed to keep the knife in your 'checked in' baggage?

It looks like the USB Knife is on the same pattern of the executive line, so that's just about a two-inch blade, but most Swiss Army knives have bigger blades; around three or four inches. My old favorite was the Tinker because it had a phillips head screwdriver. (Honestly, did anybody ever use that stupid corkscrew?) But I've since replaced it with a Leatherman because of the pliers. Unfortunately, it looks like the only part of the Leatherman line that has blades of two inches or less are the Squirt, Micra and Mini-tool.

YES! MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!

I've been putting off buying a Leatherman for some time now, waiting for a model with everything I want (released later in September, apparently), but the addition of a USB drive would be KEY, since the intended purpose of (me) using the Leatherman is to work on computers.

You wanna know what I think? Maybe not. Anyway, here's what I think...

I think a bunch of marketting types have been watching Star Trek twenty-four hours a day for several years now in an effort to get to know their most covetted target audience, the alpha geeks. They've come to the conclusion that we technical types fantasize about an all-knowing, all-powerful tricorder type of device which confers success, smartness, and admiration upon its owner.

And I think they're mostly right. Most of us want success, smartness, and admiration, and we'll happily pay for a device that'll bring it instantly. The perfect all-in-one gadget is the holy grail that geeks sought long before the invention of the transistor. It's the reason for the constant evolution of the Swiss Army knife, and the Leatherman. It's the reason that people keep building cars that fly, sort of. The gadget that beats all other gadgets is the nerd version of a no-hassle weight loss system, hair growing tonic, love potion #9, etc.

But ultimately, they're wrong. When we get over our dreams of world domination and ultimate hipness, most of us realize that what's really important is having the right tool for the job, not some feature-laden gadget that flies, sort of.

After all, true fans realize that even on Star Trek, the tricorder, camera, phaser, etc. are all different devices.

While it is true that the swiss multi-tool is better then the leatherman tool. It is important to note that leatherman makes other models of multi-tools. The most significant of which is the leatherman wave What I like most about it is that I can remove it from the belt holder, and open up either of the two primary blades with my thumb on a single hand without having to unfold it, in less then a second. Which is great for cutting $300 halyards on racing sailboats ;)

and has a second tool with it that is a screw/allen/torx driver.

Leatherman has this also, possibly first. I've had my tool adapter for just about five years now...

Here is the link.

I bought a Leatherman Wave a few years ago and still carry it with me daily. I don't know about their other models, but this one opens exactly as you describe, and has rounded edges so you can actually apply pressure without it digging into your hand. Basically, none of the complaints you mentioned are true for it.

It would seem you've never used a Leatherman before.

Unfortunately, they don't come with Knoppix CDs yet. But I have a Wave and have never been dissapointed.

You could always get him a Leatherman tool... though if he is over 16 and doesn't already have one, he may not be much of a geek.

Somthing that is sure to appeal to geeky/gadgety guys is a high power LED flashlight. (I have one of the FT-3C models, and I love it.)

Something a little less gadgety, but still appealing to the average geek: Get him a boomerang. Lots of fun, and a good excuse to drag him away from his computer for a while to get some excercise.

Agreed. There is lots of cool stuff there.

I would also suggest a Leatherman, if he doesn't already have one. Most models are in the $30-$70(US) range, and are very handy. I have actually given them to two of my past girlfriends (no jokes about the reasons for them being ex's, please). They both loved them.

I would venture to say that they would need a Leatherman Crunch and a few other unique Leathermans to get into the heart of the car... :^)

A LED flashlight that will knock their Christmas stockings off. MAME fans will want an arcade joystick. Or if they prefer their classic gaming fun on the go, a portable SNES/NES/2600. Some others have mentioned Leatherman tools. From Thinkgeek, an LED binary clock. How about an Archos media player? Probably not geeky, but something weird like this a magic tree. Or lastly, and perhaps not least, a very affordable Shortwave radio for $10.

Leatherman Juice Xe6 Chris Bozic

I really don't think he expected us to start giving each other high-fives and whooping. We were pretty bummed when he saw our reaction and told us he was kidding.

Man, I really wanted one, too.

What you were linking to is the Swisstool, not the Swiss Army Knife. Rather look at this page for reference. Ok, I have to admit that yours look more like a Leatherman Tool after all ;)

So think of a Swiss Army Knife on steroids.

Another nice thing is that the pliers on some models can be 'snapped out' with one hand. Very useful if you're hanging from a lighting rig in a theater with one.

You can read more about them at their website!

Get everyone a Leatherman Micra. It's fantastically useful and is very portable (2.5" long, 1.75oz).

It's got Scissors, Clip-Point Knife, Tweezers, Nail File / Cleaner, Flat Phillips Screwdriver,
Extra Small Screwdriver, Medium Screwdriver, Bottle Opener & Ruler (Inch / Metric)

Best of all thinkgeek are doing them for $20

(Yes, I've got one. I've also got a Leatherman Wave. They're a bit more expensive...)

Early on in college, I got diabetes, which I ended up treating with an H-Tron Plus insulin pump, from Disetronic. After trying a few different schemes for securing it to my person, I decided to park it on my belt.

Shortly thereafter I switched to a different blood glucose meter, which I discovered had a belt loop on its pouch. This made carrying it around much easier and more reliable. Sometime in here I found I needed my Leatherman more often than I happened to have it around. On the belt it goes.

The Palm and its belt case came shortly thereafter, rounding out the utility belt. It's served me well, but I'm not a student any more, and it's starting to get a bit awkward. (Yes, I probably ought to have realized this sooner.)

I'm hoping to consolidate, using a Visor and a FreeStyle Tracker for the meter (coolest device ever), but I'm also looking at a wireless telephone . . . maybe I should just give up and get a nice vest instead. Hmm.

Oh--yes, going through airport security is a royal pain.

It is a multipurpose tool. A pretty good starting place is here: http://www.leatherman.com/

I got one of these from the local flea market (it was marked as their first production run), originally priced at $45, but I got it for $35. It includes the standard multitool and a pretty good small driver with a few bits. Personally though, I swapped a lot of the bits out with my own collection to get exactly what I wanted.

The knife blades are literally razor-sharp (not always a good thing, mind you, but rare among most of these kinds of tools). The needle-nose meets perfectly, and has no "wiggle" that most cheap multitools have. The wire cutters can handle small wire pretty well, and can cut through thin insulation well (most don't because the blades don't meet together perfectly). It DOES have trouble with the threaded cord in most CAT5, but that's what the razor-edge blade is for =).

http://www.smithandwesson.com/toolchest.htm

I personally would have preferred a Victorinox SwissTool Plus or a Leatherman Wave and it's added toolkit. Then again, I got mine for half the price =).

Besides, can you imagine now many people gave me strange looks seeing me wearing this big black pouch with the Smith&Wesson logo on it?

Note: For the clueless, Smith&Wesson are traditionally known as GUN manufacturers!