The Wave Plus, with its rugged yet compact design, has now become a mainstay in my outdoor adventures. Whether it’s setting up a camp, fixing a loose screw on my gear, or slicing through a catch of the day, this multi-tool has proven its mettle. It’s not just a multi-tool; it’s a reliable companion that every outdoor enthusiast should consider. Leatherman wins this one by a pretty big margin. The Crucial just doesn’t feel as put together as the Skeletool. The screwdrivers don’t work as well as the interchangeable bits on the Skeletool and both the pliers and knife are less useful. The final nail in the coffin was its odd shape. We found it to be much less comfortable to hold and use than the Leatherman Skeletool. The Leatherman Skeletool product picture The MP600 uses a slide out, one handed opening design for its pliers. All the other tools can only be opened once the pliers are deployed and the handles opened out. We’d go over the included tools, but it would take a while. Gerber currently offers more than 20 different versions of the MP600 customized for any type of work imaginable. For the past 6 years, I have carried around a number of different multitools and used them for every purpose under the sun. I personally carry around a Gerber Center Drive whenever I leave the house. It’s super useful, has a bunch of tools, and feels awesome in the hand. Cook Sets Shop Wood To Water’s range of camp cookware! Our camping cook sets are made with high-quality materials, including stainless steel, for a durable and lightweight solution. Read More

N2 - A field experiment was conducted on a real continuous steel Gerber-truss bridge with artificial damage applied. This article summarizes the results of the experiment for bridge damage detection utilizing traffic-induced vibrations. It investigates the sensitivities of a number of quantities to bridge damage including the identified modal parameters and their statistical patterns, Nair’s damage indicator and its statistical pattern and different sets of measurement points. The modal parameters are identified by autoregressive time-series models. The decision on bridge health condition is made and the sensitivity of variables is evaluated with the aid of the Mahalanobis–Taguchi system, a multivariate pattern recognition tool. Several observations are made as follows. For the modal parameters, although bridge damage detection can be achieved by performing Mahalanobis–Taguchi system on certain modal parameters of certain sets of measurement points, difficulties were faced in subjective selection of meaningful bridge modes and low sensitivity of the statistical pattern of the modal parameters to damage. For Nair’s damage indicator, bridge damage detection could be achieved by performing Mahalanobis–Taguchi system on Nair’s damage indicators of most sets of measurement points. As a damage indicator, Nair’s damage indicator was superior to the modal parameters. Three main advantages were observed: it does not require any subjective decision in calculating Nair’s damage indicator, thus potential human errors can be prevented and an automatic detection task can be achieved; its statistical pattern has high sensitivity to damage and, finally, it is flexible regarding the choice of sets of measurement points. Gerber clearly wanted to make the MP600 a tool anyone could use, but we feel they made some significant compromises to do so. The tools themselves have well, interesting, designs. There is also no version that comes standard with a removable bit driver. You have to buy aftermarket accessories for that. Don’t get us wrong though, the MP600 is a well made multi tool with a lot to like about it. Leatherman and Gerber both stand behind their products with solid warranties and reputable customer support. Leatherman offers a 25-year warranty on most of their tools, while Gerber provides a limited lifetime warranty. Both companies have responsive customer service teams that can assist with inquiries, repairs, or replacements. It’s recommended to familiarize yourself with the warranty terms and conditions for each brand to understand the coverage provided.Waterproof Camping Gear & Kit Repairs At Wood To Water, we consider keeping your kit dry and usable one of the most important things when out on the trail. We have a wide range of dry bags, waterproof map cases and waterproof material and waterproofing treatments like Nikwax, to keep your gear free from water and dirt. Read More Both tools are tiny, the Brewzer is just under 2.5 in and weighs less than an ounce, while the Shard is 2.75 in and .6 oz. When it comes to tools Gerber blows Leatherman out of the water. The Brewzer has just two functions, a bottle opener and mini pry bar. The Gerber Shard by comparison has seven different tools/functions including screwdrivers, a bottle opener, a wire stripper, and a pry bar. A. I’d say that the Truss holds its own in the multitool market well. There are certainly more robust options out there — including very specialized tools — and I can tell that Gerber was aiming for a price point that would keep it accessible. Still, I think the Truss performs above Gerber’s asking price. For an entry-level multitool, it’s a decent choice. Q. What the hell is a truss, anyway?

The Gerber Center-Drive includes 12different tools: spring-loaded needle nose pliers w/ x-channel rail system, standard pliers, rotatable carbide wire cutters, 3.25″ 420HC fine edge blade, magnetic 3.25″ center-axis bit driver, extra bit holder, ruler, bottle opener, pry bar/nail puller, awl, fine & coarse sided file, and a serrated blade.You can also get it with the optional bit set. As always, there’s room for improvement. If you plan on using this as more of a tactical tool than an EDC item, there are some things you’ll want to pay attention to. The handle is constructed from one single piece of steel, allowing for additional strength in a slimmer design

Out of all of the multitools on this list, none of them come close to this one in terms of getting the feel of having actual tools in your hands. The fact that the knife blade and bit driver are so long and sturdy makes this feel amazing when you go to use it. The build quality of the rest of the product is no slouch either. The Gerber Crucial uses a more classic design but does some weird things with its shape. There aren’t any straight lines to be found on the Crucial, something that makes getting a firm grip difficult. Gerber chose to put standard phillips and flathead screwdrivers on the Crucial, another mark against it. It’s half an inch shorter overall than the Skeletool but we honestly think Gerber really compromised its overall usefulness to achieve this. T1 - A field experiment on a steel Gerber-truss bridge for damage detection utilizing vehicle-induced vibrations Leatherman invented the multi tool as we know it today. As a company, they only produce multi tools. They have a laser focus on creating the best designs and manufacturing them using the best techniques. Pretty much across the board Leatherman products are better made than any other manufacturer’s at the same price point. We like the design of the OHT better, but overall think the Center Drive is more useful to the average person. If Leatherman released a multi tool with the OHT’s design but a more generalist set of tools we’d have to reevaluate.

On receiving the Wave Plus, the first thing that caught my eye was its compact design. It’s only a tad heavier than the Curl but significantly lighter than the Surge, making it the perfect companion for my belt as I trail through rugged terrains. The 8-ounce mark indeed hits the sweet spot between utility and carry-ability, echoing my sentiment for a tool that’s there when I need it without being a burden.As much as I love collecting specialized tools, there are times when a good multitool is right for the job. Maybe that time comes on an aircraft or walking patrol when lugging around a bunch of full-sized tools isn’t realistic. Maybe it’s when you’re suffering your ass off in the attic getting dominated by 50-year-old insulation. I used the Truss for all kinds of odd jobs around the house and garage, but never was it more of a life-saver than when I had to sort out faulty wiring in a ceiling light. Bracing my knees on joists above old plaster and holding up sheets of horrendously itchy insulation with one hand, I was glad to have screwdrivers, pliers, and wire cutters at my fingertips. The Truss was a huge help up there.