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Best Camping Multitools 2026: 7 Tools That Actually Earn Their Pack Weight
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A multitool is the one piece of gear you hope you never need but are always glad you have. The time a tent pole snapped at dusk on a trip in the Cascades, a Leatherman Wave+ turned a trip-ending problem into a five-minute fix. When a stove screw loosens and your dinner is slowly sliding off the burner, pliers in your pocket save the evening.
The question is not whether to carry one. It is which one earns its weight. I have carried multitools from all three major brands — Leatherman, Gerber, Victorinox — and here is what I would actually recommend, broken down by how you camp.
What Actually Matters in a Camping Multitool
Most multitools are designed for electricians and homeowners, not campers. Here is what matters when you are choosing one for the outdoors:
Tool selection: Pliers, a knife blade, a saw, and screwdrivers cover 90 percent of what you need at camp. A can opener and bottle opener are nice. Tools you never use are dead weight in your pocket.
Weight: Over 10 ounces is heavy for backpacking. For car camping, who cares. Match the tool to your style.
One-handed opening: When you are holding a broken tent pole with one hand, you need to deploy a blade with the other. Look for tools where the blades open from the outside without unfolding the whole thing.
Locking tools: A blade that folds on your finger mid-cut is worse than no blade. Every tool should lock open and stay locked.
Warranty: Leatherman and Victorinox both offer 25-year warranties. Gerber offers limited lifetime. A company that stands behind their tool for decades is telling you something about build quality.
The Default Choice: Leatherman Wave+
The Leatherman Wave+ is the multitool most campers should buy, and I say that having carried one for years. It has 18 tools, including both plain and serrated knife blades that open one-handed from the outside. The pliers are spring-loaded with replaceable wire cutters. The bit driver takes standard Leatherman bits.
At 8.5 ounces it is not ultralight, but it lives in a hip belt pocket just fine. The Wave+ has been the industry standard for over 20 years because it does everything reasonably well. The scissors are more useful than you would expect — medical tape, cord, food packaging. The file works on metal and wood.
If I could only own one multitool, this would be it. The only reason to pick something else is if you have a specific need the Wave+ does not address.
- Tools: 18 (knife, serrated knife, pliers, wire cutters, scissors, file, saw, screwdrivers, can/bottle opener, bit driver)
- Weight: 8.5 oz
- Closed length: 4 inches
- Warranty: 25 years
For Backcountry Survival: Leatherman Signal
The Leatherman Signal is the one I reach for on backpacking trips. It is built for the outdoors specifically — it has a ferro rod for fire starting, a hammer for tent stakes, and an emergency whistle built in. None of those are on the Wave+.
At 7.5 ounces, it is an ounce lighter than the Wave+ and the outdoor tools justify their weight. The ferro rod is not a gimmick — it throws sparks reliably, and having it integrated means you always have a fire starter even if you forgot to pack a dedicated one. The hammer function is handy for tapping stakes into hard ground without bending them.
The trade-off: no scissors, no file, and the bit driver is less versatile than the Wave+. But for backpackers who want a survival-oriented tool, this is the better pick. Pair it with our fire starters guide for a complete camp fire setup.
- Tools: 19 (knife, saw, pliers, wire cutters, ferro rod, hammer, whistle, screwdrivers, can/bottle opener, awl)
- Weight: 7.5 oz
- Closed length: 4 inches
- Warranty: 25 years
Best Value From Leatherman: Rebar
The Leatherman Rebar is the Wave+ for people who do not want to spend Wave+ money. You get 17 tools — both knife blades, a saw, a file, a full set of screwdrivers, replaceable wire cutters — for significantly less. The pliers are oversized and reinforced, which gives you a better grip on bent tent poles and stubborn bolts.
What you lose: one-handed blade deployment (you have to unfold the tool to get to the blades) and the bit driver system. The blades being inside-mounted is slower but not a dealbreaker unless you are regularly opening a blade with one hand while holding gear with the other.
For the money, this is the best value in the Leatherman lineup. See more budget camping gear that is actually worth it.
- Tools: 17 (knife, serrated knife, pliers, wire cutters, saw, file, screwdrivers, can/bottle opener, awl, scissors)
- Weight: 6.7 oz
- Closed length: 3.9 inches
- Warranty: 25 years
Best Budget Pick Under 50 Dollars: Gerber Suspension NXT
The Gerber Suspension NXT costs less than half the price of a Wave+ and gives you 15 tools. Needle-nose pliers, fine-edge and serrated blades, a saw, wire strippers, a bottle opener, and a pocket clip. The tools are accessible from the outside without unfolding, which is rare at this price.
The honest trade-offs: the pliers are not spring-loaded, the wire cutters are not replaceable, and the steel is softer than Leatherman’s 420HC. The blades will dull faster with heavy use. At 8.6 ounces, it is slightly heavier than the Wave+.
For casual campers and car campers who want something reliable in the glovebox without spending triple digits, this is more than good enough. It is not a Leatherman, but it does not cost like one either.
- Tools: 15 (knife, serrated knife, pliers, wire strippers, saw, screwdrivers, bottle opener, scissors, file)
- Weight: 8.6 oz
- Closed length: 4 inches
- Warranty: Limited lifetime
Ultralight Backpacker Pick: Gerber Stake Out Spark
The Gerber Stake Out Spark is designed for backpackers who count ounces. At 3.6 ounces, it is the lightest full-size multitool on this list. The 10 tools include a blade, scissors, a tent stake puller, tweezers, a bottle opener, and a ferro rod.
The tent stake puller is the feature that makes this tool unique. If you have ever tried to yank a stubborn stake out of hard-packed ground with your fingers, you know why this matters. It is a small thing that saves your hands at the end of a trip.
The ferro rod is small but functional. The scissors are spring-loaded, which is nice for a tool this light. The blade deploys from the outside.
At this weight, there is no tool I would rather carry on an ultralight trip. You give up the full-size pliers and the comprehensive tool selection of a Wave+, but you also give up 5 ounces, and on a long hike that matters.
- Tools: 10 (knife, scissors, pliers, stake puller, tweezers, bottle opener, ferro rod, pry bar, flat driver, file)
- Weight: 3.6 oz
- Closed length: 3.6 inches
- Warranty: Limited lifetime
The Tank: Victorinox SwissTool
The Victorinox SwissTool is a different animal from the Leatherman and Gerber options. It is heavier at 9 ounces, and the tools are only accessible by unfolding the tool — no outside deployment. But the build quality is in a different league.
The stainless steel is harder than Leatherman’s, which means the blades hold an edge longer. The pliers are precise enough for fine work like removing a splinter or fixing eyeglasses. The fit and finish is what you would expect from Victorinox — everything opens and closes with a precise, satisfying click.
This is the tool for someone who values build quality and precision over weight savings. It will outlast most of the gear in your pack. If you are car camping or base camping and weight is not a factor, the SwissTool is hard to beat.
- Tools: 24 (knife, serrated blade, metal saw, wood saw, pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, can/bottle opener, chisel, reamer)
- Weight: 9 oz
- Closed length: 4.1 inches
- Warranty: Lifetime
Matching the Tool to Your Trip
Car camping: Weight does not matter. Get the tool with the most features. The Wave+ or the SwissTool handle everything from fixing a camp stove to opening cans to repairing a broken zipper.
Backpacking: Every ounce counts. The Gerber Stake Out Spark at 3.6 ounces gives you pliers, a knife, and camping-specific tools without the weight. The Signal at 7.5 ounces is the pick if you want a full-size tool with survival features.
Budget camping: The Gerber Suspension NXT gives you 15 tools for under 50 dollars. The Leatherman Rebar costs more but gives you better build quality and a 25-year warranty.
Keeping Your Multitool Working
A multitool that sits in a pack for months between trips will develop rust and stiffness. A few minutes of care keeps it working:
Clean after every trip. Wipe the tool down with a damp cloth to remove dirt and moisture. Pay attention to the joints where grit collects.
Oil the pivots. A drop of lightweight oil on each pivot point keeps the tools opening smoothly. Do this every few months.
Sharpen the blades. A dull blade is more dangerous than a sharp one because it requires more force. Use a small sharpening stone.
Check the locks. If a lock is not engaging fully, the tool is unsafe. Leatherman and Victorinox will repair or replace tools with lock failures under warranty.
The Short Version
The Leatherman Wave+ is the best multitool for most campers — it does everything well. The Signal is the backcountry survival pick. The Rebar is the best value. The Gerber Suspension NXT is the budget pick. The Stake Out Spark is the ultralight choice. The Victorinox SwissTool is the precision build pick.
Whatever you choose, put it in your pack. A multitool sitting in a drawer at home does not fix anything in the woods.
Last updated: August 2026 | By GearHound
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