Coleman Camper's Tool

The Coleman Camper's Tool could be thought of as the poor man's Leatherman tool, but I really don't think that the comparison is all that valid. The Camper's Tool offers a lot in a package that won't cost you all that much money. The Leatherman on the other hand offers even more, but you will pay for those benefits.

For me, the Camper's Tool generally does not make it into my backpack on trips. Instead I keep it with my gear at home and do use it from time to time when I am putting together gear for a trip. My problem with the Camper's Tool is that it is bulky and heavy. The tool weighs just under eight ounces and it is big enough that it will weigh you down.

On the plus side, you will have just about every tool you will need with you when you have the Camper's Tool. There are regular pliers and needle nose pliers, two knives, a can opener, wire cutter, screwdrivers, and a file to name just a few. There's a heavy duty plastic handleand the entire tool folds up into a "brick" when you are not using it. This can be slipped into the carrying case that comes with it.

My Camper's Tool does not going on camping trips very often, unless we are camping with our car or we are on a canoe trip where weight is not such a big deal. In those cases, the big tool does come in handy because it can care of most problems you will have around camp. When I'm not camping, I use Camper's Tool at home as something to keep with and fix my camping gear.

In the end...

I wouldn't tell anyone that a Coleman Camper's Tool is as good as or better than a similar Leatherman tool, but for what it is, the Camper's Tool is something that is handy to have around. Yes, it is a bit heavy and it does not operate as smoothly as more expensive tools like it, but for about $10 or so, I do not think this is a bad choice for someone who is looking for a multi-purpose tool.