Long Term Report

Victorinox SwissTool
Spirit
Long Term Report
October 10, 2005

Swiss Tool Spirit with features extended

Personal Information:
Leesa Joiner
leesaj@gmail.com
Southwestern Maine
44 years old
Female
5' 7" (1.7 m)
150 lb (68 kg)

Background:
    My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one-day hikes to two-week trips. My hiking experience began with my father when I was about six years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. While enjoying the outdoors with friends and family, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and camping, primarily in northern New England.
    Although I am not a lightweight backpacker, I am continually trying to 'lighten up' and primarily use a hammock for sleeping.

Product Information:
Product: Swisstool Spirit
Manufacturer: Victorinox
Manufacturer's URL: http://www.victorinox.ch
Year of manufacture: 2005
MSRP: $75.00 (USD)
Listed weight: 7.23 oz (205 g)
Weight as delivered:
Multitool: 7.3 oz (208 g)
Leather pouch: 1.6 oz (45 g)

Test Information:
    My original plan consisted of carrying the Swiss Tool Spirit on all my outdoor adventures - sometimes these adventures involve hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice fishing. Other times these adventures involve fixing some piece of equipment that fails at the worse possible moment - a bike spoke, a loose binding or a piece of orthodontia that breaks on Christmas morning!   As it turns out, I carry the tool wherever I go.
    I have used it on various hiking trips to cut food for meal preparation. It works much better on cutting hard, solid foods than it does on some meats or bread. I was able to easily cut carrots, potatoes and partially frozen meat. It was difficult to cut up thawed meats, because they 'gave' too much under the pressure of the knife.
    Some of the tools features get used more often than others - the Phillips and straight edge screwdrivers, pliers and small scissors get used a few times a week. The other features are used on an as needed basis. The pliers are easy to use and grip their target firmly. I really like the scissors - they are sharp and cut smoothly for such a tiny pair. I've used them to cut paper, bandages, packing tape and elastic cord. They performed well in all instances. The screwdrivers have maintained their edges and are used very frequently. It is amazing how many times I've been out somewhere and someone says "Does anyone have a screwdriver?" I am always happy to offer to use mine. I don't let it out of my sight though.
    Overall, I have been extremely pleased with the Swiss Tool Spirit. It has been a well used, and very usable tool. It is amazing that it looks like new, with very little change to the surfaces of any of the tool's parts. The cover has helped to keep the tool from being scratched and scuffed. There have been no issues with its use, and I find that it is the first tool I reach for.

Test Conditions:
During the summer, the temperatures have risen to the 90's (32 C) (at least a few times), with cooler nights. Most of my outdoor adventures include hiking, backpacking and camping at elevations below 4000 ft (1200 m). As my children get older and more able to carry their own gear, we are attempting higher climbs. The terrain runs the gamut from improved to rocky and root filled trails to bushwacking. Some trips involve backpacking into campsites and at other times I set up camp and hike out from there.

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Reviews > Knives > Multi-tools > Victorinox SwissTool Spirit > Leesa Joiner > Long Term Report

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