Backpacker Magazine – August 2012

Gear Review: Gerber Dime

A 10-piece multitool that weighs only 2.3 oz.

by: Shannon Davis

Tags:
• Gear
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• Knifes
|

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VERDICT
Pack only a blade, and you’re left wanting when it comes time to adjust a crampon or fix a sputtering stove. Pack a multitool, and you’re often left scowling at unused (and heavy!) Allen wrenches, leather punches, and can openers. Nice middle ground: the Dime, which weighs just 2.3 ounces and packs 10 tools. Eight of them came in handy on spring trips into the Colorado high country (didn’t use the wire-cutter or file, but those are integrated into other tools, so there was no weight penalty anyway). Top perk: You get both scissors and pliers. Most similar tools include only one or the other.

BEST FOR
Weight-conscious tinkerers

TESTER DATA
> Shannon Davis
> Duration Oct. to May
> Locales CO
> “This is my go-to tool for any trip where spreading peanut butter is not a priority—the blade is only 1.5 inches.”

THE SPECS
> Weight 2.3 oz.
> Price $20



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