Campers Best Friend: The Best Camping Multitools for 2022

We’re featuring the 33-function variant of the swiss army knife because I feel like it’s still the most compact and universally loved tool by hardcore outdoorsmen, casual hikers, and campers alike. I first got a swiss army knife at the age of 8 and since then I’ve had many other more well-equipped camping multitool but I always bring along the swiss army knife for its compact design, rugged high-quality construction, and genuinely useful toolset. These pocket multi-tools are a jack-of-all-trades option that won’t break your wallet.

This wouldn’t be a complete list of camping multitool without the inclusion of at least one Leatherman offering. Leatherman has quite the reputation for making very useful and durable multitools and the Leatherman OHT (One Handed Tool?) fuses the convenience of a multi-tool with the features of a much more complex toolset. The best part of the OHT is it deploys swiftly out the front, much faster than unfolding a similar size multitool.  The OHT is made of high quality material that will hold up in today’s demanding world of camping and at a much more affordable price than even some less well-equipped options out there.

Pocket tools are about function, but they can look pretty stylish too. The function of the Gerber Curve multi-tool comes from locking implements including screw drivers, a blade, and a file. Did I mention it can open beers too and be clipped to just about anything with the built-in carabiner clip? And the style? That comes from Gerber’s more creative side. This is basically a lightweight option that can handle a lot of simple camping tasks (most importantly opening beer bottles) but also has other simple tools you might need to fix up some of your camping equipment.

This one looks a little odd but what it lacks in style it more than makes up for in pure function. Launce Barber and Tom Stokes designed the patented* Guppie as part of our innovative I.D. Works line of tools. While some think it’s cute, it really is a hard-working carabiner tool with dozens of everyday uses.

The adjustable wrench jaw opens to 1/2″ so you can use it for all kinds of light repair and assembly jobs. Thanks to the carabiner gate, the Guppie is easy to carry on a belt loop, D-ring, pack or rope. (But it is not a weight-bearing carabiner.)

The high-carbon stainless steel blade with a Razor-Sharp edge can be opened and closed with one hand using the blade slot. The removable bit carrier is also a high-intensity LED light. It has two strong magnets to hold it securely to the Guppie’s left side. The stainless steel clip will hold the Guppie in your pocket or on gear, which gives a lot of versatility.

The Guppie makes a great little money clip, too, for those who like to keep a thin wallet. One more trick: The Guppie carabiner detent will open bottle caps and metal jar lids.

This is one that I really like for setting up camp with only one tool. The RoverTac might sacrifice a little bit on the quality side but it’s very well equipped and can keep you from having to bring a separate hatchet, hammer, saw, and other specialized tools that you’d normally use to setup camp. The RoverTac camping multitool contains 14 different tools including Hammer, Axe, Pliers, Knife Blade, Saw, Assorted Hex Wrenches, Phillips screwdriver, Bottle Opener, File, Fish Descaler, and more with a durable sheath.