Readers' Choice 2014: Leatherman Wave Multitool

[all-purpose multitool]
Fully loaded with 17 tools, this do-everything gizmo has been in my pocket for the past eight years. It fits in the palm of my hand and has saved my butt in countless scenarios from the dramatic (I once use it to cut my rope so I could escape a flash flood in Zion) to the banal (opening cans of beans during a Mexican feast in West Virginia’s Otter Creek Wilderness). The sturdy needle nose pliers are great for repairs or just lifting a hot pot off a stove. And cutting? The 2.9-inch serrated blade holds its edge extremely well and slices through just about anything (including my finger, once). $85; 8.5 oz.; leatherman.com
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