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Victorinox SwissTool Spirit
Long Term Report
October 2, 2005
Tester Bio
Name: Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age: 30 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (1.78 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Email address: tjsmith1946@gmail.com
City, State, Country: Pensacola, Florida USA
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly car camping. I have
recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new gear to my “collection”
in an effort to get my gear list tailored more towards backpacking. Most of
my backpacking trips are short duration, not more than one or two nights.
My current pack weight is around 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) without food and water, depending
on if I'm solo camping or taking my son along. I am a dedicated hammock camper
and have tailored my personal gear to that aspect of camping.
Product Information
Year of Manufacture – 2005
Manufacturer URL – www.victorinox.com
Stated Weight – 7.23 oz (205 g)
Weight as Delivered – Tool 7.34 oz (208 g), Pouch 1.41 oz (40 g)
Size as Delivered – Tool 4.25 x 0.63 x 1.38 in (10.8 x 1.6 x 3.51 cm)
For further information, see my Initial
Report and Field
Report.
Testing and Impressions
Date: June 17-18, 2005
Location: Calloway Swamp, Munson, FL
Weather Conditions: Temperature range 94 F (34 C) to 79 F (26 C). Sunny throughout
the day, some light rain in the late evening. I did not experience any wind
stronger than a very slight breeze during this trip.
The Spirit was carried for this trip mounted on the hipbelt of my backpack for
the trip in to the campsite (approximately .75 miles (1.21 km)). While in camp,
the Spirit was carried in its pouch on a regular belt. I used the saw to cut
up some small limbs just to test the functionality. The limbs could actually
have been broken by hand had I needed to (less than 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter.)
I also used the scissors on the tool to assist with opening the packaging of
the freeze-dried meals I had brought with on this trip. However, this was not
necessary, just done to utilize the tool.
Date: September 4-5, 2005
Location: Jackson Red Ground Trail, Baker, Florida
Weather: Temperature 92 F (33 C) to 71 F (22 C), sunny, humidity 70%, wind was
less than 1 mph (1.6 km/h) during the trip.
I carried the Spirit in its case attached to the hipbelt of my backpack for
this trip. The only use the tool saw was opening a stubborn beverage package,
in which the scissors on the tool came in quite handy.
Date: September 17, 2005
Location: Jackson Red Ground Trail, Baker, FL
Weather: Temperature 82 F (28 C) to 94 F (34 C), sunny, humidity 30%.
This trip was a day hike on a local hiking trail that follows an old forestry
road. The Spirit was carried in its carry case on my belt for the duration of
the trip. The Spirit found a use on this trip as as I needed to slice the cheese
I was carrying for lunch. The knife of the Spirit handled this task with ease,
and cleanup was a breeze. I used a small alcohol wipe to clean the cheese grease
from the blade, and the tool was ready for storage.
Date: October 1-2, 2005
Location: Jackson Red Ground Trail and Wiregrass Trail, Blackwater State Forest,
Florida
Weather: Temperature ranged from a high of 89 F (31 C) to a low of 70 F (21
C), humidity ranged from 55% to 95%. Skies ranged from full sun to overcast.
During this trip, I again carried the Spirit in its holster strapped onto the
hipbelt of my backpack. The tool actually found more use on this trip than it
has on any one trip during my testing. While preparing to depart for the trail,
I realized I did not have the straps to secure my sleeping pad to my pack. I
pulled out the spool of lightweight line I carry with me when hiking, and the
scissors on the tool made quick work of cutting two pieces of string which I
then used to secure the pad. At the midpoint of the hike, I stopped for lunch.
The tool found its second use at this stop as a means to slice some summer sausage.
While preparing dinner, I found a third use for the tool on this trip and one
I hadn't thought of before. My pot handles got hot from the pot sitting off
center on my stove, and I didn't have my pot grabber handy. The pliers of the
tool were a great substitute for this purpose.
My Overall Opinion
I find the Spirit to be quite a versatile tool with a wide variety of uses.
However, I do not find very many of these uses applicable to my needs while
backpacking. The scissors on the tool do come in handy for stubborn food packages,
but a basic pocket knife accomplishes the same task for less weight. The Spirit
found little use on most of my trips in relation to the amount of time I spent
on the trail. The leather pouch has held up well, with no signs of failure of
the leather the pouch is made of, the belt loop on the back, or the hook-and-loop
fastener the case uses to secure the top flap. I would have preferred a nylon
pouch, which Victorinox does offer, due to the potential of rainfall in the
locations where I do most of my backpacking.
As for the function of the tool, it has handled as well as or better than I
had anticipated. The tool and all attachments still open and close with ease,
and no surface rust or deterioration has appeared. Any sand that has gotten
into the moving parts was easily rinsed with water, and a light application
of oil (as per Victorinox's instructions) appears to keep the tool functioning
properly. I don't really feel as though the Spirit has offered anything unique
beyond the other multi-tools I have used in the past although the Spirit has
held up to general use better than less expensive counterparts.
Pros
1. Variety of tools
2. Solid locking when tools are opened
3. Sturdy construction
Cons
1. Limited backpacking applications
2. Weight versus a basic pocket knife
My thanks to Victorinox and BackpackGearTest for allowing me the opportunity
to test this item.
Read more reviews of Victorinox gear
Read more gear reviews by Anthony Smith
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