The Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool: I Wouldn't Go Camping Without It!

When I started out as a novice camper, this tool was not on the list of equipment to purchase. However, campers are almost always a very helpful bunch, eager to impart their wisdom on the newbies among them. On our first trip, one of our fellow campers instructed me to buy a Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool. Now, I can't figure out how you could go camping without it. 

In the packaging, the Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool looks like a simple pair of stainless-steel pliers. It is so much more! The Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool is a multi-functional tool. 

What is a multi-functional tool? A multi-functional tool contains many different tools in one instrument. In this case, that means that 14 tools are contained within its 4 inches and 5 ounces. 

Why is this tool so important for campers? 

When camping, there are situations which come up that you aren't always prepared for. Having this tool keeps me from having to bring an entire toolbox with me for emergencies. 

The Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool contains a set of pliers - both needlenose and regular. This is helpful in many ways while camping, from helping to get tent stakes out of the ground to helping straighten out equipment bent by wind. My first use for the tool was trying to un-stick the knobs on my new Coleman Stove. I then had to use it to turn the stove on and off after we managed to strip the knobs until Coleman sent us a replacement set of knobs. The pliers are easy to grip, although when trying to turn something hard the edges do seem to dig into the flesh a bit. The edges aren't sharp, but they aren't comfortable either. 

My next problem came when a windstorm blew up and I had to take the rainfly off of our tent. In order to have some sort of covering, we bought a tarp. I used the awl to punch holes in the tarp. It went through the canvas material fairly easily. Another time I used it, I ended up using our mallet to add some pressure, but once again the tool performed well. 

I had to tie the tarp to nearby trees and used the Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool to cut the lengths of rope. I tried using both the knife and the wire cutters and found that the wire cutters worked better for this particular function. I liked the wire cutters since I could be standing next to the tree and cut like scissors. With the knife, I felt as if I had to be slicing against another surface. Both of these tools are very sharp and sliced through the rope easily, although if the rope is fairly thick, the wire cutters won't work and you have to use the knife. I have also used the knife like a boxcutter since that trip and it has performed very well with no dulling of the blade. 

The Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool contains a extra-small screwdriver, a medium screwdriver, a large screwdriver, and a Phillips screwdriver. I find this to be very handy just about anywhere as I don't have to go off hunting for my toolbox or worry that someone has taken them from my toolbox and not put them back. The only problem I've found is that if I apply too much pressure to the tool, the screwdriver blade sometimes collapses, especially on the Phillips screwdriver and the extra-small screwdriver. This only happened one time when I was trying to put one of my children's toys together and I just used a regular screwdriver instead.

There is also a file and a ruler on the Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool. I haven't used the file before, but I went outside and tried it before writing this review. It files metal and wood very well, although again there seems to be a problem when applying too much pressure. The ruler measures up to 8 inches or 20 centimeters. 

The last function of the Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool is a bottle and can opener. At the end of a long day at the campsite, it's nice to be able to open a bottle of beer with ease. As a can opener, it isn't pretty like the can openers we are used to in our household, but it functions. For a backpacker, being able to carry so many tools in one small instrument is very handy. 

A big plus, especially when dealing with some of the tools that will collapse if you place too much pressure on them, is that the Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool features something called Posi-Stop. When a blade or tool is open, both handles can be closed over. This prevents the blade from closing all the way. It is still possible to pinch a finger - or even cut it - if they are down at the junction of the blade and the handle, but it makes it a lot harder to do. 

The Leatherman PST Pocket Survival Tool comes with a 25 year limited warranty. The tool should always be cleaned after a use and dried thoroughly. From time to time it will also have to be re-oiled in the pivoting areas with a light machine oil. My tool also came with a leather carrying case which fits on a belt or it can be placed on a lanyard by adding a no. 5 stainless steel split ring into the lanyard attachment - a ring on one of the hinges. 

One caution: this tool would not be appropriate to take anywhere there are high-security measures. You will not be able to take it on an airplane, into most stadiums and amusement parks, or anywhere else there are metal detectors. Please use common sense and just leave it behind, or pack it in your checked baggage on an airline.