Everyday Carry: 101 Uses for a Multitool

Life’s a journey, and on that journey, you’re going to encounter some speed bumps, or maybe even a screw loose (not you, of course, we’re talking about actual screws).

That’s where the trusty multitool swings into action, your pocket-sized superhero ready to save the day, one task at a time.

We know that as an everyday carry enthusiast, you’ve got your favorite multitool tucked away – it’s practically an extension of you!

But did you ever stop to wonder about all the fantastic uses for that versatile companion of yours?

Brace yourself, because we’re about to take you on a whirlwind tour of 101 ways to employ your multitool…from the mundane to the marvelous, the practical to the preposterous.

1. Opening Packages: With a small knife or scissors, you can slice through tape and cardboard with ease. This is especially useful for online shopping enthusiasts.
2. Tightening Screws: From loose chair legs to laptop compartments, the screwdriver on a multitool can address many minor repairs.
3. Cutting Rope or Cord: Whether you’re camping or bundling items together, a sharp knife can make quick work of ropes or cords.
4. Stripping Wires: Electricians or DIY enthusiasts can use the wire stripper to prepare wires for connections or extensions.
5. Opening Bottles: Multitools often have a bottle opener, perfect for enjoying a refreshing beverage on a picnic or a party.
6. Opening Cans: Some multitools include a can opener, great for camping trips or when you can’t find your regular kitchen tool.
7. Sawing Small Branches: With a small saw, you can clear paths or prepare firewood during hiking or camping trips.
8. Filing Nails: A file can help you maintain neat and clean fingernails or smooth out rough edges.
9. Cutting Fabric or Thread: A small scissor or knife can help mend clothing or other fabric-related issues on the go.
10. Tightening Nuts and Bolts: Multitools with wrenches or pliers can be used to tighten various nuts and bolts in your car, bicycle, furniture, and more.
11. Measuring Short Distances: If your multitool has a small ruler, it can come in handy when you need to measure something on the spot.
12. Punching Holes in Leather or Fabric: With an awl, you can create a hole in a belt or fabric without needing a separate tool.
13. Scraping Stickers or Labels: The knife or scraper can be used to remove stubborn stickers or labels without leaving residue.
14. Creating Pilot Holes: You can use an awl or small drill to create a pilot hole, making it easier to drive in screws or nails.
15. Cleaning Fish or Game: If you’re hunting or fishing, a knife can be used for gutting, scaling, or skinning.
16. Peeling Fruits or Vegetables: A small knife can peel an apple or potato when a peeler isn’t readily available.
17. Cutting Hair (In Emergencies): The scissors can be used to trim hair or even cut it off if it’s caught in something.
18. Removing Splinters: A pair of tweezers can help remove splinters or ticks safely.
19. Cracking Nuts: With a sturdy knife blade or plier, you can break the shells of nuts.
20. Prying Open Lids: A blunt knife or pry tool can be used to open paint cans or stubborn lids.
21. Gripping Hot Items: In a pinch, you can use pliers to grip hot items or containers.
22. Marking Wood: A sharp blade or awl can be used to scribe marks in wood for construction or crafting.
23. Cutting Zip Ties: The knife or scissors on a multitool can be used to cut zip ties quickly.
24. Making Fire Starter: The saw or knife can shave small pieces of wood for tinder.
25. Cleaning Shoes: A multitool can be used to remove mud or stones stuck in shoe soles.
26. Breaking Glass (In Emergencies): Some multitools have a glass breaker for emergency situations like escaping from a locked car.
27. Opening SIM Card Trays: You can use the small pin on some multitools to open SIM card trays on smartphones.
28. Cleaning Ears: In a pinch, you could potentially use the tweezers to clean out earwax, though you need to be extremely careful not to hurt yourself.
29. Removing Bottle Caps: If your multitool includes a cap lifter, it can be used to pry off metal bottle caps.
30. Unbending Clips or Wire: You can use the pliers to straighten bent clips or wires.
31. Loosening Knots: The awl or a small tool can be used to loosen tight knots in ropes or cords.
32. Cutting Pills: If you need to halve medication, the knife or a pill cutter on a multitool can do the job.
33. Cleaning and Gutting Fish: If you’re fishing, the blade can help clean and prepare your catch.
34. Removing Hooks From Fish: The pliers can be useful for this common fishing task.
35. Carving Wood: A sharp blade can carve wood for whittling or making utensils while camping.
36. Scraping Ice or Frost: In a pinch, you could use the tool to scrape ice from a windshield.
37. Creating an Emergency Kit: A multitool can serve as the centerpiece of a compact emergency kit.
38. Sharpening Other Knives: If your multitool has a sharpening stone, you can use it to sharpen other knives.
39. Signaling for Help: If your multitool is shiny, you could potentially use it to signal for help in an emergency by reflecting the sun.
40. Cutting Bandages: The scissors or knife can be used to cut bandages to size in a first aid situation.
41. Making a Shelter: The knife and saw can be used to cut branches for building a temporary shelter.
42. Fixing Eyeglasses: Some multitools have a small screwdriver for tightening the screws on eyeglasses.
43. Opening Letters: The knife can easily slice open envelopes.
44. Making a Spear for Hunting or Defense: You can use the knife to sharpen a stick for hunting small game or for protection.
45. As a Defensive Tool: While not ideal, a multitool can be used for self-defense in an emergency.
46. Repairing Watches: Some multitools include tiny screwdrivers perfect for repairing small mechanical devices like watches.
47. Cleaning Small Spaces: A pointed tool can be used to clean grime from tiny, hard-to-reach places.
48. Hammering Small Nails: The base of some multitools can be used as a makeshift hammer in a pinch.
49. Emergency Sewing Repairs: You can use the awl to punch a hole in fabric, then thread a needle and sew.
50. Spreading Butter or Jam: The knife can spread condiments in a picnic scenario.
51. Storing Small Items: Some multitools have compartments to store small items like matches.
52. Removing a Stripped Screw: You can use the pliers to grip and turn a stripped screw.
53. Cutting Dental Floss: The knife can cut a length of dental floss if the dispenser’s cutter fails.
54. Cleaning Nails: The flat edge of a file or knife can be used to clean under nails.
55. Trimming Loose Threads: A small pair of scissors can trim a loose thread on clothing.
56. Replacing a Fuse: The pliers can be used to pull out a blown fuse and replace it.
57. Scribing Metal: An awl or sharp knife can be used to mark metal.
58. Making a Fishing Hook: A piece of wire can be bent into a hook using the pliers.
59. Fixing a Zipper: Pliers can be used to carefully realign the teeth of a zipper.
60. As a Paperweight: In a pinch, a heavy multitool can hold down papers in the wind.
61. Poking Holes in Plastic or Cardboard: The awl or a sharp point can make a hole in various materials.
62. Removing a Cork: Some multitools have a corkscrew for opening wine bottles.
63. Stirring a Drink: The long, flat screwdriver can mix a cocktail if no stirrer is available.
64. Cutting a Seatbelt (In Emergencies): Some multitools include a strap cutter that can quickly cut through a seatbelt.
65. Scoring Materials for Breaking: A knife can score glass, plastic or other materials to guide a clean break.
66. Bending Wire: The pliers can bend wire into shapes for crafting or repairs.
67. Popping Balloons: A small point or knife can pop balloons easily.
68. Cutting Tape: The knife or scissors can easily cut tape when packing boxes.
69. Removing Nails: The pliers can be used to pull nails out of surfaces.
70. Turning Small Knobs: The pliers can grip and turn small knobs or dials.
71. Checking an Edge for Straightness: The edge of the multitool can be used to check if something is straight.
72. Loosening Soil for Plants: A flat tool can be used to aerate soil in small plant pots.
73. Digging Small Holes: The tool can be used to dig holes for planting seeds or small plants.
74. Climbing (As a Last Resort): While not recommended, in an emergency, a multitool might be used as a grappling hook.
75. Making Sound/Noise for Attention: You can use the tool as a makeshift gong or bell to attract attention in an emergency.
76. Removing Rust: The file or sandpaper tool can be used to scrape off surface rust.
77. Leveling a Surface: Some multitools include a bubble level for ensuring a surface is flat.
78. As a Mirror: A polished multitool can be used as a signal mirror or for personal grooming.
79. Creating Sparks for a Fire: The back of the knife blade can be struck against a flint to create sparks.
80. Cutting a Cake: The knife can be used to slice a cake or other soft food.
81. Punching Holes in a Belt: The awl can add an extra hole to a belt that’s too big.
82. Making an Impromptu Compass: By magnetizing the needle and floating it in water, you can create a simple compass.
83. Cutting Through a Seatbelt: In emergencies, the cutter can swiftly cut through a seatbelt.
84. Grinding or Sharpening Tools: Some multitools include a small, rough stone for grinding or sharpening.
85. Crafting Tools/Sculptures: The pliers and knife can help in bending wires or cutting materials for craft projects.
86. Reshaping Plastic: The heated blade of a multitool can be used to bend plastic.
87. Drawing Straight Lines: The edge of a multitool can guide a pen or pencil to draw a straight line.
88. As a Fulcrum for a Makeshift Lever: If something heavy needs lifting, the tool could act as a pivot point for a lever.
89. Carving a Message: The blade or awl can be used to etch a message into a surface.
90. Performing a Tracheotomy (In Extreme Emergencies): In a life-or-death situation, a sanitized blade might be used to perform a tracheotomy. This should only be attempted by someone trained in the procedure.
91. Cutting Through a Locked Bike Cable (If It’s Yours): The cutter or saw can be used to cut through a bike cable if the lock is jammed or the key lost.
92. Cleaning a Dirty Grill: The scraper can be used to clean a grill surface.
93. Tightening/Loosening Hose Clamps: The screwdriver or pliers can be used to adjust hose clamps.
94. Checking the Depth of Tire Treads: The ruler can be used to check the depth of tire treads for safety.
95. Opening Locked Doors (Only If Legal): Some people use slim multitools to pick locks, but only do this if it’s legal and the lock is your own.
96. Creating Art: You could use the multitool to scratch designs into surfaces, creating art.
97. Making a Whistle: You can use the knife to carve a whistle out of wood for attracting attention.
98. Shaving (In a Pinch): The blade could be used for a rough shave if you’re stuck somewhere without a razor.
99. Making a Stronger Fist: In situations where you need to defend yourself, you can hold your multitool tightly in your hand to form a stronger fist. The added weight and stability can help maximize the impact of your punch.
100. Repairing Bicycle Tires: Some multitools have tire levers for removing a bicycle tire.
101. Carving Initials into a Tree: While it’s generally not good for the tree, some people use their knife to carve initials or other symbols into tree bark.

So there you have it, 101 uses for your beloved multitool.

It’s like having a utility belt in your pocket, ready to tackle just about anything life throws your way.

From strengthening your fist to opening boxes, the versatility of a multitool is simply staggering.

It’s the unsung hero of your everyday carry, waiting patiently for its moment to shine.

We hope this list has inspired you to experiment with new ways to use your multitool, or even to upgrade your current model to a more feature-packed one.

The possibilities are nearly endless – so go forth, explore, and remember: your next adventure is only as good as the multitool in your pocket!