My old Leatherman broke during a camping trip in the Cascades, and I had to use a cheap gas station multi-tool for the rest of the week. It was a total nightmare.

3 comments

3 Comments

Honestly that "cheap gas station multi-tool" line hits home. I read a whole forum thread once where a guy's pliers snapped trying to fix a tent pole, left him in a real bind. Those bargain bin tools feel okay in your hand but the steel is just garbage. It's crazy how you don't realize how much you rely on a good tool until it's gone and you're stuck with junk. Tbh that's the kind of thing that makes me double check my gear before any trip now. Just not worth the risk when you're out in the middle of nowhere.

the_wesley1mo ago

My buddy's cheap screwdriver stripped out in a rainstorm.

graygonzalez1mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst feeling. But honestly, sometimes the steel in those cheap tools is okay, it's the heat treatment that's totally wrong. They get the hardness all messed up, so the metal is either too soft to hold an edge or way too brittle and just snaps. It's a manufacturing shortcut that ruins an otherwise decent piece of metal. You're totally right about checking your gear, though, because finding out the hard way is the absolute worst.