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Reviews > Knives > Multi-tools > Victorinox Spirit-X Multitool > Test Report by Ray Estrella
INITIAL REPORT - September 27, 2011
TESTER INFORMATION
I've been backpacking for over 30 years, all over California, Minnesota, and many western states. I hike year-round in all weather, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. I make a point of using lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. Doubting I can ever be truly ultralight, I try to be as light as I can yet still be comfortable. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring/chilling. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot evening meals. If not hiking solo I am usually with my brother-in-law Dave or my twin children. The Product
Manufacturer: Victorinox Swiss Army Brands Inc. Product Description
The Victorinox Swiss Army SwissTool Spirit X multi-tool (hereafter called the Spirit X or the tool) is a very beefy tool. While it looks to be constructed almost entirely of stainless steel a magnet readily sticks to it so it must just be very nicely polished carbon steel. The handles have the Victorinox name shield logo stamped into them on each side. Otherwise they are bare and very smooth. Packed inside the handles of the Spirit are a whopping 27 tools which are all on display in the picture below. They consist of the following, numerical and identified (by me) on the picture courtesy of Victorinox. 1.Needle nose pliers (See below) 2.Screwdriver (2 mm) 3.Screwdriver (3 mm) 4.Wire cutter(for wire up to a hardness of 40 hrc) 5.Bottle opener 6.Screwdriver (6 mm) 7.Crate opener 8.Straight Edge Blade 9.Scissors 10.Metal file 11.Metal saw 12.Wood saw 13.Reamer 14.Phillips screwdriver 15,16.Chisel/scraper 17.Isolation length cutter 18.Wire bender 19.Wire stripper 20,21.Wire scraper/round cutter 22.Can opener 23.Multi-purpose hook 24.Coupling for corkscrew (not seen) 25.Hard wire cutter (See below) 26.Lanyard hole (not seen, same as couplind for corkscrew) Every tool will lock in place once it is taken out of the handle. It is released by sliding the knurled grips (27) at the top of the handles downward. The pliers snap into place firmly and are pretty much full size at 6.3 in (16 cm) long when in play. The Spirit X comes with a nice leather sheath. I am not much of a sheath guy but who knows? Maybe I will strap it on to strut my stuff in the back country. Then again maybe not. Want to know for sure? Well then come back in two months to read the Field Report of the Spirit X's first 60 days of real world use, at which time I shall discuss the individual tools I was able to actually use. Quick & Dirty, Nitty Gritty The Spirit X has done everything I expect a multi-tool to do to date. It has proven useful in the field and in hotel rooms after backpacking. My only complaint so far is that the highly polished finish is hard to grip when wearing gloves. Please read on to see how it has worked for me. Field Conditions
I have used the Spirit X on eight backpacking and camping trips over the past three months. First I took it to Washington and Oregon for a three-day backpacking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail. This up-and-down trip saw temps average 40 F (4 C) with rain on two days, and even sleet on one cold windy Washington ridge. The picture above was taken on the rainy bank of the Columbia River, opening the celebratory post-hike ale. The bottle opener works quite well, thank you. The rest of the backpacking took place on or around the North Country Trail (NCT) in Chippewa National Forest and Paul Bunyan State Forest. Camping trips were in those forests too plus trips to Buffalo River State Park and primitive canoe sites on the Red River of the North. The low temperatures ranged from 45 to -1 F (7 to -18 C). Many of the trips saw rain; one trip had a night of sleet, and there was a little bit of snow on one. Observations
Even though I normally don't carry a big multi-tool for 3-season hiking, the past few months saw the Spirit X accompany me on 18 days of hiking and camping. Another use for the pliers necessitated by the wood burning system is as a lid lifter. The pot I have to use has a handle that lays flat and it gets quite hot. The pliers make it painless to take off. Lastly they have been quite helpful for pulling stakes from the ground after they have frozen in overnight. I thought that the multi-purpose hook (#23) would work well for this but the reamer (# 13) gets in the way. If I have any complaints about the Spirit X it would only be the highly polished finish is very hard to grip when wearing fleece gloves or (more often) knit glove liners. They want to slip right out of my hand. Taking the gloves off when it is near 0 F (-18 C) is not an option as any moisture on my hand will result in skin frozen to the Spirit's handle. A rougher surface on the flat of the handles would be nice. That's it so far. We finally got some measurable snow so maybe I will be out with the kind of gear that sees me needing a multi-tool more during the Long Term phase of the test. Please come back in a couple months to see how the Spirit X does. I will leave with a shot of it lifting a lid on the shore of Waboose Lake on the NCT. Field Conditions
During this phase of testing I was only able to get out twice. The first was an overnighter at a primitive canoeist's campsite on the Red River of the North near Hendrum, Minnesota. It was cold and very windy with a storm on its way. Temps ranged from 15 down to -5 F (-9 to -21 C). Observations
The winter has continued to be a very strange one. We have still received only a fraction of our normal snowfall. The trip to Bronson State Park saw me able to use my gear sled for the first time and there still was not enough to need snowshoes or use skis. So the only real use I got out of the multitude of tools on the Spirit X was using the knife to cut the top down on my freeze-dried meals to make them easier to eat from. I kept the Spirit X in the tool pocket of my gear sled and forgot to take it out to warm in my pocket before getting the knife blade out. As I can't open the knife with gloves on it made for a shockingly cold few seconds as the knife was probably around 5 F (-15 C) when I used it. The next day I kept it in my fleece jacket's inner chest pocket. Read more reviews of Victorinox gear Read more gear reviews by Ray Estrella Reviews > Knives > Multi-tools > Victorinox Spirit-X Multitool > Test Report by Ray Estrella |