You need a multi-tool. That’s all there is to it. A multi-tool is something that is always a part of my kit. Most Rangers in a tactical setting will always have a multi-tool somewhere on their person. Over the years I’ve accumulated 6 or 7 different multi-tools from a myriad of brands. I keep one on my kit, one in my truck, and the rest are spread out throughout the house. They are the some of the most useful things I own and I find myself using them almost daily. One brand of multi-tool that stands out to me is SOG. They managed to stand out in the league by incorporating something they call Compound Leverage technology.
Basically, the gear-looking things that are near the pliers act as pivot points that give a leverage advantage of twice the power of a conventional multi-tool. These gears also make the opening of the tool extremely smooth. New to their line of multi-tools is the SOG PowerAccess. The PowerAccess has 18 different tools built into a medium-sized package. The first thing that I noticed is that the tools open from the outside. Many multi-tools require you to unfold the tool completely to access the different tools. Being able to access most of the features without having to completely expand the tool is great. The fold-out tools are pretty standard for most multi-tools, including a knife, file, multiple screwdrivers (Philips and flat,) can opener, awl, but they also included a jewelry driver. I find the jewelry driver extremely useful and I’m glad I don’t have to dig around for it when I need one.
The SOG PowerAccess does not come with a sheath but instead has a removable pocket clip. The SOG PowerAccess isn’t as big as a full-size multi-tool so this shouldn’t be an issue for anyone looking to carry this tool. If a pouch is truly a necessity for some of you, a pistol mag pouch works perfectly for a multi-tool and is the preferred method of carrying for most of us in the Regiment. The pliers are needle nose which is my preferred setup for a multi-tool. I’m not sure why every multi-tool doesn’t have needle nose pliers, but SOG clearly gets it. The pliers also have a bolt gripper, wire cutter, and below them, a crimper. A stand out feature of this tool is a magnetic hex bit driver. When the tool is closed, you can insert any ¼ hex bit into the end which definitely multiplies the usage of the SOG PowerAccess.
Like everything SOG makes, the PowerAccess is a high-quality piece of equipment. For those of you who already have a multi-tool, having multiple is useful to check this one out. For those of you who don’t have a multi-tool, you need to get one, and the SOG PowerAccess won’t do you wrong. The SOG PowerAccess can be found from SOG’s website right now on sale for $53.60 which is a great deal for a hard use tool such as this.
Author – Tim Morgan