Category Archives: Gear

What gear wears out on a long hike?

The South West Coast Path is 630 miles long and a challenge in itself. When Three Points of the Compass finished this in 2018 there was still another 1400 miles of walking. Gear had to be carefully selected and be suitable for a wide range of terrain and conditions

Lightweight modern gear can be surprisingly tough. With care much of it will last many thousands of trail miles. My 900ml Evernew pan is titanium and flexes with ease. Yet other than being blackened and scratched, with scorched silicon covered handles, it is still in good working order and I expect it to last me many more years. It wasn’t cheap when new but has more than paid for itself. I like it and feel no need to replace it with shinier, newer cook wear.

The heel cups always seem to wear out in my trail shoes. I expected this to happen with my Lone Peaks around the 450 mile point. When they began to fray I would line them with a piece of duct tape

Lone Peak Altras were light, breathable and comfortable. However I knew that I would be lucky to get more than 500-600 miles out of a pair

I find the toes on my trail shoes tend to come unstuck and flap around after a couple of hundred miles. Sometimes I would glue them back with a 1 gm tube of superglue from my ditty bag. Frequently I couldn’t be bothered

Lone Peak Altra trail shoes are light, breathable and comfortable. However I know that I am lucky to get more than 500-600 miles out of a pair. I had purchased four pairs prior to my 2018 hike as they aren’t the easiest to source. I expected my feet to spread and I used pairs a size larger than normal. Just as well, as they did.

The trail was often muddy, especially in the first few weeks in the Spring. Fine silt would work its way through the mesh of the trail shoes and this would build up in the thick pile of my Darn Tuff socks

Despite being washed, or at least rinsed, on a daily basis. Socks wore out. I carried tow pairs for walking and alternated them. Both pairs were replaced during the walk.

Despite being washed, or at least rinsed, on a daily basis. Socks wore out as a result of silt. I carried two pairs for walking and alternated them each day. Both pairs were replaced with new during the walk

Needless to say, footwear- socks and trail shoes get a battering. I had the option of wearing boots but have been using lightweight trail runners for years. I prepared spares in advance of my walk for Mrs Three Points of the Compass to send on to me as required. I don’t think a long hike is the time to be changing out to unfamiliar footwear and it made sense to have reserves ‘back-home’. Particularly as I would no doubt be using them on future hikes if they were not required for this trail.

It is pure miles and miles of hiking, washing gear in streams, sinks and shower trays. Sun, rain, hot and cold. Brambles, thorns, heather, gorse, barbed wire and rocks, that all combine to wear down the daily trekking clothing and other items carried. Wear good quality gear from reputable manufacturers that have tested this over tens of thousands of miles. Clothing will wear out, of course it will, but I found that Champion 365 shorts or Montane Terra pants, Rohan merino polo shirt and synthetic ExOfficio baselayers lasted fine months of hiking. Black Mountains, Offa’s Dyke, Jun 2018

My pack of choice was the Gossamer Gear Mariposa. I found it a comfortable pack if a little ‘saggy’ if not carrying much food. There were tears and abrasions and the hip belt began slipping in the final two hundred miles. It put up with much abuse and I will be buying another exactly like it. Caithness

The curved Kylesku bridge was crossed in Sutherland. Wind was extraordinary and resulted in one particular unexpected gear failure

The curved Kylesku bridge was crossed in Sutherland. Wind was extraordinary as I crossed the Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin and resulted in one particular unexpected gear failure

Three Points of the Compass has been a fan of the Montane Lite-Speed wind jacket for many years of hiking. The intense winds crossing the Kylesku bridge ripped out the stitching in the back of the neck

I carried a small selection of repair materials. The aforementioned mini tube of superglue, a carefully thought out sewing kit, patches for Thermarest sleeping mat and self adhesive tenacious tape and cuben dyneema. Everything was put to use at some point and tape was replenished twice.

A more extensive repair kit was carried than on my normal one or two weeks hikes

Sewing the crotch of my trekking shorts on a zero day

Sewing the crotch of my Champion 365 training- 9 inch inseam trekking shorts on a zero day

It is a wise hiker that stays on top of repairs on a long hike. Gear has to be working in order to put in the miles

It is a wise hiker that stays on top of repairs on a long hike. Gear has to be working well in order to put in the miles

Three Points of the Compass invariably uses a BeFree water filter for purifying water. However thought it prudent to pack along a few Chlorine Dioxide tabs in case of failure or filter freezing. As it was, due to carelessness, I lost my entire hydration kit at one point- bottle, bladders and filter. Fortunate that I was able to switch to tablets with a couple of half litre bottles purchased two days later.

Filtering water on trail. My walk coincided with one of the hottest UK summers on record

A change from filtration to chemical purification was made in Scotland. But not due to gear failure

MSR Pocket Rocket and Torjet lighter were part of my cook kit. Both tried and trusted items

MSR Pocket Rocket2 and Torjet lighter were part of my cook kit. Both tried and trusted items. However the lighter did rust badly

I never expected to have problems with the reliable stove however found the windshield trivet kept falling off. I always had to keep an eye on this to ensure it wasn't lost

I never expected to have problems with the previously reliable MSR stove however found the windshield trivet kept falling off from half way through my hike. I always had to keep an eye on this to ensure it wasn’t lost

Possibly the only piece of gear that I had selected for my hike that properly failed was a bespoke pack liner that I had commissioned. It simply wasn’t up to handling the deluges in Scotland and at Fort William I swapped out to a heavier but watertight Sea to Summit roll top liner

One of the most exciting materials that has found its way into hiking gear in recent years is cuben fibre, more recently known as dyneema composite fabric. Very strong, very light. Also very expensive. I carry a few items made of this but was well aware of this materials biggest drawback. It doesn’t suffer abrasion well. The only cuben items I used were a few stuff sacks (a big fan of these as I like to compartmentalise) and my shelter.

cuben stuffsacks wore badly if they abraded

My Z packs chest pouch was one of my favourite pieces of gear and took a lot of hammering. It leaked like a sieve by the end however purely as a result of wear to the cuben

My shelter was the Z Packs Duplex. I loved this tent. Huge interior and only weighed 637 grams. However it will never see another hike with me. Strath na Sealga, Scotland

Strong winds saw a guy tie out ripped off a side wall. A cuben repair patch sorted things out

I put cuben ‘stitches’ across some seams that appeared to be under strain but there was never any actual failure

Some points of particular strain, such as the tent door tie outs, suffered badly over the miles but never failed entirely

Three Points of the Compass used Pacer Poles not only for trekking but also as supports for my shelter. I like their raked, moulded grips and find them comfortable to use. I am not a fan of their twist locks though and found these bound up over time and frequently couldn’t loosen them Rocky steep paths on the Cape Wrath Trail put a bend in one of them. Unable to separate the sections I was unable to fly home with them at the end of my trail and, reluctantly, I was forced to leave them at John O’Groats. Despite their faults, I have bought another pair since my return.

It is doubtful that I could have completed my 2000 mile Three Points of the Compass hike without my Pacer Poles. At the end they were missing much of the paint on their shafts, one tip had been replaced mid-trail, the sections couldn’t be separated and one pole was bent like a banana. Nonetheless I was saddened to leave them behind

Duncansby Head- the end of my trail. August 2018

A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number one choice

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Adding utility to the classic: The ‘Wanderer’ series and Manager derivatives

My previous post focused on the excellent Classic series of 58mm knives from Victorinox and the derivatives that were based around that classic combination of blade, nail file and scissors. It was one of these variants, the Signature Lite, that emerged as my second choice of 58mm Swiss Army Knife for taking hiking. The addition of scissors was a welcome improvement over my third choice, the Talisman, which only includes a combination-tool.

Obviously, my ideal would include both scissors and combo-tool but would be a far simpler affair than the over-burdened MiniChamp which was my fourth choice. Needless to say, Victorinox comes up trumps with yet another series of knives that does just that. I show below just five of a more extensive range. These exclude some of the more obscure models and any seen below would make an excellent companion on the trail. However, it is the final one shown that is my number one choice from the 58mm Victorinox knife range for taking on a hike of any length from a single day to many months. I am not sure if ‘Wanderer‘ is an actual official term for this series of 58mm multi tools from Victorinox. But I’ve seen it used by others, so adopt its use here

Rambler

The 58mm long Rambler from Victorinox contains most of the tools that any hiker is likely to require on trail including both flat and Phillips head screwdrivers

The basic model in the ‘wanderer’ series is the Rambler. This replaced a slightly older model that featured a flat head screwdriver instead. The Rambler has been a popular inclusion on tens of thousands of keychains, belonging to those who have understood the benefits of this great little knife, for decades. As testament to this, at the time of writing (2019) this 29.8g tool is still in production. Despite the difference in cost, I don’t really understand why the Classic sells more units while this is available as the Rambler has so much more utility.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)/wire stripper
Nail file, with flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
Toothpick
Tweezers

Rogue

The 58mm long Rogue builds on the more basic toolset found in the Classic

A slightly older model than the Rambler was the Rogue. This has a magnetised flat screwdriver tip to the combo-tool while the nail file has a nail cleaner tip. I say magnetised, mine has lost this and I must get round to re-magnetising it someday. Note that any of the tools on these small knives will only handle light to medium duty and abuse will break or damage them. My 29.4g example now has a twisted tip to the combo-tool as a result of too heavy a task. But still, needs must at times. Mine is the pre-1997 model which lacks a wire-stripper on the combo-tool. No loss there I feel.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/2.5mm flat screwdriver (originally with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with nail cleaner tip
Scissors
Keyring
Toothpick
Tweezers

Manager

The Manager series from Victorinox is actually a separate series but the toolset is so similar that I have lumped them together. In essence, the primary difference is the replacement of the toothpick in the Wanderer series with a pressurised ballpoint pen in the scale instead. Though I do wish that Victorinox produced a black ink option instead of the ubiquitous blue in their Signature series.

The 58mm Manager comes with retractable ballpoint pen and tweezers in the scales. When purchased a toothpick is provided by Victorinox for those oddballs who prefer to swap this out with the useful tweezers

Replacing the retractable ball point pen is an easy task. If on a long hike, simply slip a spare into the ditty bag, each pressurised pen cartridge only weighs 0.9g

Replacing the retractable ball point pen is an easy task. If on a long hike, you could also simply slip a spare into the ditty bag, each pressurised pen cartridge only weighs 0.9g

As I have stated in previous posts, I am not a fan of the toothpick and am more than happy for it to be excluded or replaced with something more useful. The Manager does just that. At the expense of a thicker scale on one side, resulting in a slightly thicker tool, the toothpick on the Rambler is swapped out for a much more useful ballpoint pen. A set of tweezers is provided in the other scale.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
Tweezers (toothpick is provided in the box when purchased)
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen

While the Manager is a great tool, Victorinox have also produced a further variant that refines still further the scale tools. Tweezers (or toothpick) are excluded so that an LED can be fitted in the Midnite Manager. This is at the expense of the tool becoming marginally wider.

The earlier red LEDs, shown here in Midnight Manager, were later replaced with brighter white LEDs, also shown here in a Midnight Manager. White headtorches are carried by most hikers and Three Points of the Compass feels the small red LED is of more use in conjunction with the main white light

Dim red LEDs, shown here in a early version Midnite Manager on left, were later replaced with brighter white LEDs, shown here in a later version of the Midnite Manager on right. White headtorches are carried by most hikers and Three Points of the Compass feels the small red LED is often of more use in conjunction with the main white light carried on trail, though discerning colours on a map can be a little more difficult

Midnite Manager (white LED)

Victorinox Midnight Manager. In addition to what is probably the best selection of tools, this knife comes with pen and white LED

Victorinox Midnite Manager. In addition to what is probably the best selection of tools in the 58mm range, this is the second version of this tool that comes with pen and white LED. The light is especially useful when scribbling notes in a darkened tent

Over the past few posts, I have looked at a number of the handy little multi tools produced by Victorinox in their 58mm range over the decades. Some have been quite simple little knives, others have a quite amazing array of tools crammed between their scales. It is important to consider exactly what it is you require from one of these tools when considering whether to take one on trail. Hopefully those I have shown may provide an idea of what is available and what may suit you best. As to me, I have already shown four great choices, all of which have accompanied me on hikes in the past. But Three Points of the Compass feels that a sweet spot was reached with the Midnite Manager.

The second generation of the Midnite Manager, shown here, is a cracking bit of kit. My 32.5g tool has blue translucent scales and you can see the small replaceable battery fitted in the scale for the LED.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
White LED
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen

Midnite Manager (red LED)

The small Midnight Manager multi-tool from Victorinox contains one of the most useful set of tools, including a pen and small LED light. This is the earlier version that has a red light, operated by pressing the shield on the scale

The small Midnite Manager multi-tool from Victorinox contains one of the most useful set of tools- including a pen and small LED light in the scales. This is the first generation that has a red light, operated by pressing the shield on the scale

The latest versions (since around 2011) of the Midnite Manager have been sold with a white LED installed. This is the second generation version shown above. However, for reasons stated earlier, I prefer the older first generation of the Midnite Manger with red LED which is more useful around the tent, bothy or hostel etc. It has exactly the same tools as the second generation.

The 32g Midnite Manager with red LED is my number one choice of 58mm Victorinox knife for taking on a hike, especially one of any great length where there is more chance that any tools may be required for repair etc. It is now a discontinued model but can still be found on the second hand market. It is not burdened down with ‘interesting’ but unrequired tools. Instead, it has a fairly small range, packed into just two layers, that will tackle most tasks a hiker would expect to encounter. Note that this knife also has the desired layout that permits both blade and scissors to be opened away from the keyring, enabling it to be used more easily while still attached. If the earlier version with red LED cannot be sourced, then the current model with white LED is still a great option.

Now, if I could only find this tool with a wharncliffe blade…

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
Red LED
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
Rambler	58mm	19.40	10.5mm	29.8g
Rogue	58mm	19.80mm	10.5mm	29.4g
Manager	58mm	19.80mm	12.35mm	31.1g
Midnite Manager (white LED)	58mm	19.80mm	13.60mm	32.5g
Midnite Manager (red LED)	58mm	19.80mm	13.60mm	32.0g

Victorinox Midnight Manager clipped to my Gossamer Gear Mariposa. Three Points of the Compass on the South Downs Way, winter 2018

The familiar little red Swiss Army Knife- Victorinox Midnite Manager with red LED clipped to the shoulder strap of my Mariposa pack. Three Points of the Compass on the South Downs Way, winter 2018

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Midnite Manager with red LED, my number one choice, is far right

A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number two choice

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The ‘Classic’ Series and derivatives

The Victorinox Classic is available with an immense range of scales. Here, the effective if small scissors are shown on the 'A Trip to London' Classic SD from the 2018 Limited Edition range

The Victorinox Classic Swiss Army Knife is available with an immense range of scales designs. Here, the effective if small scissors are shown on the ‘A Trip to London’ Classic SD from the 2018 Limited Edition range

Classic and Classic SD

All of the knives mentioned in this particular blog are from the small 58mm Classic and variants range produced by Victorinox. All are two layer models, all carry the same basic toolset. These are blade, nailfile and scissors. Most differences in the models shown here relate to inclusion or not of a flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip to the nailfile, the scale material and the additional tools in the scales. There are a lot more variants than those shown here however the knives illustrated do give a good idea on the major alternatives.

Victorinox’s Classic is their best seller, with just reason as it contains a sweet little range of basic tools. There are also hundreds, if not thousands of scale designs but that is of limited interest to me on trail. Despite claims being made that this knife dates to the 1930s, this is incorrect to a degree. Elements of the knife- blade, scissors, nailfile and scale tools, certainly did appear on other knives earlier, but it is not until the 1970s that the ‘Classic’ begins to appear in catalogues.

If the basic Classic set of tools comprising blade, nailfile and scissors is all you want for hiking, take a look at those shown below and rather than simply snap up the first Classic you see, consider if there is a variant that you might prefer. For example, the 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip on the nailfile included in the Classic SD, introduced around 1987, is probably going to be more useful than the nail cleaning tip in the Classic. Three Points of the Compass has his preference amongst the Classic derivatives and it is the final one listed below.

The Victorinox 58mm Classic was a development of the earlier Bijou that lacked a keyring. A further variant on both Bijou and Classic was the addition of a flat 2.5mm ‘SD’ screwdriver tip to the nailfile. Clockwise from top left: Bijou SD, Bijou, Classic, Classic SD. All of these knives come with tweezers and toothpick in the red cellidor scales.

Classic SD knife fitted with a Wharncliffe, or Emergency blade. This blade is similar to a Sheepsfoot profile but the curve is more gradual, starting nearer the handle. The seldom seen 58mm Victorinox knives that have this alternative blade fitted allow for good precision work

Classic SD Emergency

When I covered my fourth choice of 58mm Victorinox for hiking in a previous blog, that knife, the MiniChamp had two ‘proper’ blades. One of those was the Emergency or ‘wharncliffe’ blade. This shape of blade is great for precision work and it is only found on the 58mm series. Away from the MiniChamp it is a far less common and rarely encountered blade. Some Victorinox knives were manufactured with this ’emergency’ blade instead of the standard pen blade and are worth snapping up if you come across an example. Three Points of the Compass is rather fond of his old Classic SD Emergency blade and has found it useful for detailed or precision work.

Victorinox 58mm Classic SD Alox

Classic SD Alox

While the Victorinox Classic is a simple, two layer knife and not all bulky in the hand, there is an even slimmer alternative. This is where the red plastic ‘Cellidor’ scales are replaced with Aluminium Oxide, or Alox, scales. The textured scales on the Classic SD Alox are comfortable to hold but can sometimes be a bit slippery in wetter weather. Despite being metal rather than plastic, there is little weight penalty with the alox variants. Respective weights are shown below.

Alox scales already exist in a variety of colours and a new limited edition colour is introduced each year. The coloured alternatives do wear quite easily though. Because alox scales are so thin, they do not permit the inclusion of any scale tools such as toothpick, tweezers, pen or LED light.

Classic (above) and Classic Alox (below). The differences in their respective thickness is apparent

Classic SD (above) and Classic SD Alox (below). The differences in their respective thickness is apparent

Tomo

An interesting diversion from tradition was made by Victorinox in 2011 when it released the Tomo designed by Abitax Tokyo. While based on the 58mm Classic and carrying the same toolset- pen blade, nailfile with nail cleaning tip and a pair of scissors, these were enclosed in a radically different set of scales. The scale design did not allow for a pair of tweezers and toothpick so it is difficult to see what advantage this knife offers to the hiker, other than not looking like a knife, which may be important to you. There is no SD version of this knife.

Victorinox 58mm Tomo. This has exactly the same tools as the traditional Victorinox Classic but no tweezers or toothpick. It is a less threatening tool to many people due to its shape and not looking like a knife

If you rock up at a bothy after dark, there is a good chance it already has occupants. The use of a small discrete light, if only at first, would be appreciated by sleeping hikers. Maol Bhuidhe bothy, Cape Wrath Trail, August 2018

If you rock up at a bothy after dark, there is a good chance it already has occupants. The use of a small discrete light, such as the one in a Victorinox SwissLite, would be appreciated by sleeping hikers. Approaching Maol Bhuidhe bothy, Cape Wrath Trail, August 2018

First introduced in 1986, the SwissLite has the Classic toolset with tweezers, but differs by having an LED light in the cellidor scales. Holding down the Victorinox shield on the scale operates the LED

SwissLite

The SwissLite is simply a Classic where the toothpick has been replaced by a small LED embedded in one of the scales. First appearing in the late 1980s, LEDs in these knives were initially red, replaced by white LEDs from around 2010. Most hikers will be carrying a headtorch or similar with them on trail, so a fairly feeble white LED is of limited use. However I like a small red LED in the tent, bothy or hostel, or when studying a map at night, as night vision is preserved and the light disturbs other occupants less. Not only that, but a battery will last far longer with a red light. A replacement CR1025 3V battery weighs just 0.6g but I have never had to change mine. Usually, Three Points of the Compass includes a mini Photon Freedom with red LED with his hiking gear. Any knife that includes such a red light, such as an early version SwissLite, could replace this. The light in the knife is activated when pressing and holding the shield on the scale. The inclusion of an LED is especially useful for late night note writing as it shines directly on to a page when writing.

Signature series

The Signature series from Victorinox is actually a separate series from the Classic range, but because it only differs due to the replacement of a particular scale tool, I have included a couple of these variants here with the Classic series.

Victorinox Signature has small pen blade, nailfile with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip, scissors, tweezers and retractable ballpoint pen

The Signature does exactly what I prefer in any Victorinox knife, replaces the useless toothpick with something more useful- a slim retractable pressurised ball point pen. This has blue ink but I live in hope that a black ink version becomes available eventually. A set of tweezers are located in the other scale. If this little knife and its toolset suits you, you could consider instead, the plastic SwissCard which has very similar contents but a marginally more effective pair of scissors.

The Victorinox Signature carries a similar toolset to the very different SwissCard produced by the same company

The Victorinox Signature carries a similar toolset to the very different SwissCard Classic produced by the same company

Victorinox Signature Lite with red LED. The light is operated by pressing down the shield on the scale

The Signature almost has it. For some people it will provide the perfect set of tools. But for Three Points of the Compass, looking at the range of small 58mm knives available from Victorinox that are based on the Classic toolset, there is another alternative that I prefer. This is the SwissLite version of the Signature, the Signature Lite red LED where the tweezers are replaced with an LED light. As discussed above, while a white LED may be great for sorting out your keys at the front door, I feel it is less useful on trail where you will have a more powerful headtorch or similar, so I prefer the pre-2010 Signature Lite which has a red LED. Admittedly, the white light variant is far brighter than the red, but that is a choice for you.

Victorinox Signature Lite. The best of the 58mm knives based on the Classic

Victorinox Signature Lite. Probably the best of the 58mm knives based on the Classic design

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
Bijou	58mm	17.05mm	9.40mm	20.5g
Bijou SD	58mm	17.05mm	9.00mm	20.2g
Classic	58mm	17.30mm	9.00mm	20.8g
Classic SD	58mm	17.30mm	9.00mm	21.1g
Classic Alox	58mm	17.30mm	6.40mm	16.9g
Classic SD Emergency	58mm	17.20mm	9.00mm	20.9g
Tomo	58mm	19.00mm	8.95mm	22.1g
SwissLite	58mm	17.30mm	10.90mm	22.7g
Signature	58mm	17.30mm	10.00mm	21.9g
Signature Lite	58mm	17.30mm	12.45mm	23.3g

Signature Lite with white LED. Useful for writing with in the dark, if anything, the white LED is too bright for this task

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Signature Lite, with red LED, at number two, is fourth from left

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Signature Lite with red LED, at number two, is second from the right

A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number three choice

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Added utility: the ‘Rally’ series

The requirement on trail for any additional tools other than a knife blade is personal and will largely depend on what is carried on a hike. There is little point in carrying tools that ‘may’ be useful for other hikers that ‘may’ be met. However, if you want to tighten the screws on your glasses, cut open backpacking meals, dismantle and reassemble a stove, tighten the locks in trekking poles, open a can or bottle or any number of other maintenance or necessary tasks, then the inclusion of the right tools for the job will benefit immensely.

Combination tool in use on trail. This version, the Talisman, has a magnetised Phillips head, wire stripper and cap lifter

The Rally series includes, on the back of the knife, a little combination tool that will often suffice, though it still wont do all of the tasks mentioned above. Early versions of the tool were simply a magnetised screwdriver tip and cap lifter. Later combo- tools included a wire stripper/bender that I confess to never using and never requiring.

The Rally is one of the simplest and least equipped of the 58mm knives produced by Victorinox. However it may be all that is required

Rally

Available since 1995, the 58mm Victorinox Rally is the basic tool on which the variants shown below are based. It is a two layer tool with a typical small drop-point pen blade with 34mm of cutting length opening toward the keyring. This is an annoying feature that makes the knife harder to use while still attached to a lanyard or similar. Beside this is a nailfile, opening in the same direction. This has a flat 2.5mm ‘SD’ screwdriver tip. On the opposite side, opening away from the keyring, is the aforementioned combo-tool with magnetised Phillips head. It is an easily found knife and can be picked up quite cheaply.

My version has translucent red scales in which are located a useful pair of tweezers and a plastic toothpick. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t like these toothpicks and if taking one of these knives on trail, it is potentially more useful to include one of the little Firefly ferrocerium rods.

Rover

While the Rally Combo-tool has a Phillips head, the Rover is a simple variant that has a 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip on the combination tool and a nail cleaning tip on the nailfile. The tip of the nailfile can be used with some small Phillips head screws. This is, I feel, a less useful knife for use on trail. Scale tools and blade are the same as on the Rally.

Victorinox Rover. Probably the least useful of the multi-tools in the Rally series

My battered and well used Victorinox Talisman is my third choice of 58mm knife and is particularly suited for use on trail. It has a small but useful set of tools- small blade, nailfile with flat screwdriver tip, cap lifter, wire stripper, Phillips screwdriver, tweezers and ball point pen

Talisman

The final knife I show from the Rally stable is the most useful I feel. The toolset is exactly the same as the Rally, but the Talisman has a slightly thicker cellidor scale on one side that accommodates a retractable ballpoint pen instead of the useless toothpick. The Talisman is, at a little over 10mm, only a shade thicker than both Rally and Rover but provides a small set of tools with nothing superfluous. A pretty old and now obsolete model, the Talisman is not an easy knife to find and include in a hiking set-up. Three Points of the Compass rates this tool as his number three choice from the 58mm range of knives that Victorinox has produced, providing just a small amount of added utility to a basic toolset which is frequently all that is required on trail.

While the addition of the new four-way screwdriver was a welcome addition, the loss of scissors in the SwissCard Quattro means that there is considerable wasted space in the plastic holder of this version

The Victorinox Talisman has a similar basic toolset to that found in the SwissCard Quattro- blade, nailfile with flat screwdriver tip, pen, tweezers and Phiilps head screwdriver

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
Rally	58mm	19.15mm	9.35mm	21.7g
Rover	58mm	19.15mm	9.35mm	21.0g
Talisman	58mm	19.15mm	10.20mm	23.0g

Victorinox Talisman in the hand with ball-point pen extended. Opening the nailfile makes the small 58mm long knife more comfortable in the hand for writing with

Victorinox Talisman with ball-point pen extended. Opening the nailfile makes the small 58mm knife more comfortable in the hand for writing with

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Talisman, at number three, is third from left

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Talisman, at number three, is in the centre

A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number four choice

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A pocket workshop on trail

My previous post on 58mm Victorinox knives suggested a couple of very simple knives that would be an excellent choice for taking on trail. Of the two shown, one of these, the Victorinox Escort, was identified as the fifth choice of Three Points of the Compass. Some hikers may prefer quite a degree more capability out of a knife or small multi-tool they carry. I would agree. Below, I show just four examples of the most complex of the smaller knives that Victorinox have manufactured. The final one shown is my fourth choice of 58mm Victorinox knife for taking on trail.

Four impressive knives- from left: Original MiniChamp, MiniChamp, Midnite MiniChamp, Alox MiniChamp

There are a handful of other versions of the MiniChamp than those shown here. However items such as a golfer’s divot tool (as found on the XL version of the MiniChamp) are not going to be much use to the average hiker. Those shown here are what I feel are the best versions of this mini work shop specifically for taking on trail.

The first version of the Victorinox Minichamp crams an amazing number of tools in to a two layer knife

The first version of the Victorinox MiniChamp crams an amazing number of tools into a four layer knife

MiniChamp I

While the first version of the 58mm Victorinox MiniChamp contained less tools than later versions it is still a fantastically versatile multi-tool and a shade lighter and thinner. If you have no need for the combo-tool, featuring a cap lifter, wire stripper and magnetised Phillips screwdriver, then the earlier MiniChamp I may be all that you require. The Mk I dates from some time prior to 1994 but can still be found on the second hand market. It is a pretty thin four layer tool and it is pretty astonishing that a diminutive 58mm knife can deliver so much functionality.

The two later variants shown below are much easier to locate than the earlier version and their toolset differs slightly. There are so many tools on these multi-tools that I have Iisted them separately to aid you in identifying the differences between the those shown here. Unfortunately, some tools are suited for tasks such as measuring, personal grooming, or even peeling an orange (yes, really!), and as such are somewhat superfluous on trail, but the remaining tools mean that there is great capability for repair and maintenance when the household toolbox is a long, long way away.

The MiniChamp I features:

Pen blade
Emergency blade
Orange peeler, or cut and picker blade
Nail file with nail cleaner tip
Cuticle pusher
35mm ruler with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip
Scissors
Toothpick
Tweezers
Keyring

As you can see, these little multi-tools even provide a secondary blade that can be kept in reserve or used for specific tasks such as food preparation.

Later version of the MiniChamp (formerly known as the MiniChamp II) was extended to a five layer tool to include the useful combination tool. This version also includes a retractable ball point pen in one of the scales. However many of the tools are unlikely to be required on trail

MiniChamp

The later version of the MiniChamp (originally known as the MiniChamp II while the MiniChamp I was still available) built on the previous model by including Victorinox’s remarkably useful combination tool that includes cap lifter and magnetised Phillips screwdriver with a less useful wirebender/stripper. This is at the expense of it widening still further to become, at 14.8mm, the only five layer 58mm knife in the Victorinox stable. While it comes with a set of tweezers installed, one of the useless toothpicks is packed in the box should you feel a burning need to trade out something useful for something considerably less so.

The MiniChamp features:

Pen blade
Emergency blade
Orange peeler, or cut and picker blade
Nail file with nail cleaner tip
Cuticle pusher
35mm / 1 3/8inch ruler with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip
Combination tool
Scissors
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen
Tweezers
Keyring

I have never been a great fan of the toothpick on Victorinox knives. They get pretty torn up and manky and I prefer not to think of what sort of bacteria is being harboured in the slot in the scales. This is another reason why I usually replace the 0.3g plastic toothpick with a thin 1.2g Firefly ferrocerium rod that may prove to be much more useful in an emergency. One of these mini firesteels could just as equally be swapped out with the tweezers.

The Midnite MiniChamp adds an LED light to an already impressive set of tools, the opposite scale to the light has a retractable ball point pen. This is the thickest of the 58mm knives from Victorinox

Midnight MiniChamp

If a pair of tweezers is already sitting elsewhere in the pack and we have already agreed that the toothpick is superfluous, then this version of the MiniChamp includes still more useful tools in its red cellidor scales. I do like this particular model as I invariably include a pair of Uncle Bill’s Sliver Grippers in my First Aid Kit. I think these are a better tweezer than those made by Victorinox due to the fine points which, while not quite the ‘Precision Points’ as advertised by Uncle Bill, still enable fine work when removing ticks and splinters etc.

The choice of scale tools highlights one of the decisions that should be borne in mind when selecting a knife to take on trail- is the tool duplicating any part of the kit already being carried and is such redundancy required?

Instead of tweezers and toothpick the more recent version of the Midnight MiniChamp includes a small LED light and a retractable ballpoint pen in the scales. In my mind, while the ball point pen is a useful addition, a small white LED is seldom required on trail and the greater bulk required to add this feature is not justified. Prior to the Mk II version the knife came with a dim red LED which would be more useful however I have not been able to locate an example to show here.

The Midnite MiniChamp features:

Pen blade
Emergency blade
Orange peeler, or cut and picker blade
Nail file with nail cleaner tip
Cuticle pusher
35mm / 1 3/8inch ruler with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip
Combination tool
Scissors
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen
LED light
Keyring

MiniChamp with black alox scales. Other colours are available

MiniChamp Alox

Despite the usefulness of a small ballpoint pen and tiny LED light, at 16.6mm thick the Midnight MiniChamp is quite thick in the hand for such a supposedly small 58mm knife. I feel that it may have crossed the threshold and is now too thick for carrying on trail. Three Points of the Compass often carries a separate mini-pen and frequently a mini-light such as one of the Photon Freedom micro LED light. If carrying a Victorinox MiniChamp with me on trail I actually prefer to make do without any scale tools and take the thinner MiniChamp Alox version instead. I have the black scaled Alox version, not only is this a handsome little beast, but it is only a tad over 10mm thick; some two thirds the thickness of the regular Cellidor scaled version. The Alox, or Aluminium Oxide, scales are not only attractive but are also pretty ‘grippy’ in the hand, useful with a small knife.

The MiniChamp Alox features:

Pen blade
Emergency blade
Orange peeler, or cut and picker blade
Nail file with nail cleaner tip
Cuticle pusher
35mm ruler with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip
Combination tool
Scissors
Keyring

So good is this multi-tool that even if not being carried as part of my hiking kit, it is invariably sitting alongside my equally diminutive Spyderco Bug on my keychain as part of my EDC. I still don’t need such items as a cuticle pusher and ruler even on a thru-hike of length which is why this tool isn’t further up my top five list. Despite this, for those occasions where a genuine multi-tool is wanted while backpacking, Three Points of the Compass regards the MiniChamp Alox as the most generally suited and well appointed of the small Swiss Army Knife ‘pocket workshops’ as it is still fairly compact and it is my fourth choice of Victorinox 58mm knife for taking on trail.

Four impressive knives- from left: Original MiniChamp, MiniChamp, Midnite MiniChamp with white LED, Alox MiniChamp

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
MiniChamp I	58mm	18.60mm	11.15mm	35.0g
MiniChamp	58mm	19.55mm	14.80mm	45.2g
Midnite MiniChamp	58mm	19.65mm	16.60mm	46.3g
MiniChamp Alox	58mm	19.55mm	10.20mm	39.4g

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Alox MiniChamp, at number four, is second from left

A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number five choice

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‘Simple’ knives on trail

Very frequently all that is ever required of a knife on a hiking trip is a single blade. Opening food packages, trimming tape, cutting cheese. Simple tasks, for which a small blade is all that is required. I have used the Spyderco Bug, with its 33mm blade, or the Opinel No. 8 with its longer 85mm blade, on some camping trips. In fact the former knife still sits on my keychain as part of my EDC, but it no longer accompanies me hiking.

The ubiquitous Swiss Army Knives produced by Victorinox are familiar and affordable tools. The knives that Victorinox have made over the decades are broadly classed by length: 111mm, 108mm, 100mm, 93mm, 91mm, 84mm, 74mm and 58mm. Of these, a knife from the smallest, the 58mm stable, is often all that is required while backpacking. Three Points of the Compass has selected a ‘top five’ from these that would make a good trail companion.

58mm Victorinox Princess and Escort knives. Two simple tools

Princess

Victorinox have produced two extremely minimalist keychain knives that I think are particularly suited for taking hiking. The first is extremely thin at only 7.20mm thick. This is made possible by the exclusion of any scale tools such as tweezers and toothpick. The 15.4g Victorinox Princess has a small 34mm drop point pen blade in common with most blades found on the 58mm range of Victorinox tools. On the other side of the single layer tool is a small nail file with nail cleaning tip. There is also a small keyring positioned at the other end of the open blade but lets not get too excited over that. You will see that my example has a blade opening toward the keyring, this is an error in design as it makes it more difficult to use the blade if it is hung from anything and used while still attached.

The Victorinox Princess is a very simple single layer knife from the Victorinox 58mm range

Escort

Offering just a little more functionality is what I feel a better choice than the Princess as a simple bladed knife to take on trail. This is the 16.4g Victorinox Escort. Just a little thicker at 7.70mm, the very slight extra width of the red cellidor scales allows the inclusion of a small set of tweezers and a useless toothpick. If taking one of these knives on trail I suggest replacing the 0.3g plastic toothpick with a 1.2g emergency Firefly ferrocerium rod.

The 58mm Victorinox Princess and Escort models are both slim single layer tools

The pen blade on the Escort is the same as that on the Princess however my version is more practical in use as when open the blade is situated at the opposite end to the keyring, making it easier to use if still attached to a lanyard or similar. Be aware that other versions of this knife have the same opening configuration as the Princess. The nail file is also the same as that on the Princess other than the change of the nail cleaning tip to a 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip, which could potentially be of more use on trail. So, due to it being only a gram heavier than the Princess, the Escort is my fifth choice of 58mm Victorinox knife for hiking with- particularly suited as a very simple bladed tool.

As a spectacles wearer I am still frustrated by the small flat screwdriver on the four-way Victorinox screwdriver not being small enough for tightening screws on my glasses. On occasion I may therefore include one of the tiny 0.6g screwdrivers, that have a 1.5mm flat tip, in my ditty bag

As a spectacles wearer I am frustrated by the smallest flat screwdriver on the four-way Victorinox screwdriver not being small enough for tightening screws on my glasses. Frequently I include one of the tiny 0.6g Victorinox screwdrivers, that have a 1.5mm flat tip, in my ditty bag

These two knives are very simple affairs and many other 58mm Victorinox knives feature either flat or Phillips screwdrivers, occasionally both. I will be looking at those in later posts, however there is the option of also carrying a simple little screwdriver if it is felt there is the need. You could do worse than taking one of the unique, flat, four way screwdrivers that were first produced by Victorinox for inclusion with their Quattro SwissCard in 2000. There is no need to purchase the whole card as the screwdrivers can be easily obtained singly.

These little flat three gram screwdrivers are never going to handle heavy work but may get you out of a fix on trail. I have certainly been able to use one of these to change internal workings of a trekking pole and tighten and release a screw-on tripod to the base of my camera when I had nothing else with me that would suffice for the job.

The unique flat 3g screwdriver that has been included in various Victorinox SwissCards will is suited to Phillips #00, Phillips #1-2, 3mm flathead and 5mm flathead screws

The unique flat 3g screwdriver that has been included in various Victorinox SwissCards is suited to Phillips 00-0, Phillips 1-2, 3mm flat-head and 5mm flat-head screws and take little room in a ditty bag

The Princess is a pretty old tool, first produced around 1980 but, just like most of the small 58mm Victorinox knives I am covering over the next few posts, it can be fairly easily picked up on the second hand market. The Escort is more easily purchased. Another plus factor for the Escort is that it is incredibly cheap and you can find it for a tenner or less. Despite this, for just a few quid more and a handful of extra grams, I feel that some other Victorinox 58mm tools can provide a great deal more functionality. I will cover many of these in subsequent posts.

The Escort is the choice from of Three Points of the Compass from the Victorinox 58mm range as a very simple tool for taking hiking

The Victorinox Escort is the fifth choice of Three Points of the Compass from the 58mm range. Well suited as a very simple tool for taking hiking

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
Princess	58mm	17.05mm	7.20mm	15.4g
Escort	58mm	18.35mm	7.70mm	16.4g

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Escort is far left

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Escort, at number five, is far left

SwissCards

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Victorinox SwissCards

Four Victorinox SwissCards- each offers a slightly different range of tools. Shown here are the SwissCard (second generation), SwissCard Quattro, SwissCard Lite (second generation) and SwissCard Nailcare

The Victorinox SwissCards are lightweight plastic ‘cards’ that contain a small range of tools. These can frequently be all that is required on a hike. Three Points of the Compass has a few of these and takes a glance at four of the various cards released by Victorinox since they first appeared in 1997. These are the SwissCard (later SwissCard Classic), the SwissCard Quattro, the SwissCard Lite and SwissCard Nailcare.

There have been different generations of these cards, particularly with the original SwissCard. Also, a couple of varieties, including a money clip, and car visor models that excluded the nailfile to fit respective clips instead. An oddity that I shall not cover here was the Doctor SwissCard that exchanged the tweezers for calipers. All of the SwissCards are small, measuring 82mm x 54m x 4mm. So, a little smaller than a credit card. The smaller dimensions are necessary if you want to slide one into a wallet or purse. I would suggest not storing them in the pocket as the plastic (actually ABS or Acrylnitril-Butadien-Styrol) will crack and break if overly stressed by flexing or being sat on. They will slip into just about any packs hipbelt pocket.

Blade length is only 36mm on the little knives, often called letter openers, incorporated in the SwissCards. Though short, this is usually more than sufficient for most tasks on trail. There is a good edge to this blade

Blade length is only 36mm on the little knives, which are often called letter openers, incorporated in the SwissCards. Though short, this is usually more than sufficient for most tasks on trail. There is a sharp blade and it keeps an edge pretty well

Most hikers would probably glance at these little tools and discount them as they don’t immediately strike them as ‘knife’. But the toolset in a SwissCard is very similar to that found on many of the the smaller knives, particularly the Signature, also produced by Victorinox. These tools are mostly of a size that makes them pretty convenient for life on trail.

The original 26g SwissCard, released in 1997, boasted '7 features - 10 functions', but some of these are not worth getting too excited about. It came with Letter opener blade, scissors, stainless steel pin, nailfile with screwdriver, tweezers, toothpick, ballpoint pen and cm/inch ruler

The original 26g SwissCard, released in 1997, boasted ‘7 features – 10 functions’, It came with letter opener blade, scissors, stainless steel pin, nailfile with screwdriver, tweezers, toothpick, ballpoint pen and cm/inch ruler

The first SwissCard appeared on the market in 1997 and while the small range of tools largely remained unchanged, small details in the plastic holder construction were later altered to make it more robust. A rotating sliding lid over the scissors was eventually excluded in 2008 but not before a protractor had been added to the rear of the lid in the second generation of SwissCard.

Second generation Victorinox SwissCard in translucent blue weighs 26.2g. The first two generations of the SwissCard had a sliding door over the scissors

The sliding door on the first two generations of SwissCard was a design fault. The door easily snapped off from its pivot

Second generation Victorinox SwissCard in solid black featuring an added protractor. The sliding/rotating door was a design fault. The door easily snapped off from its pivot. The protractor on the inside of the door can be seen in this image but was of little practical use

The first two generations of the SwissCard weighed 26.2g, this weight increased imperceptibly to 27g when the sliding door was excluded from the design with the third generation. This meant that the protractor on the second generation was now also removed as a result. While the protractor on the second generation SwissCards could possibly be used for measuring snow slope angle, and the likelihood of avalanche, I really can’t see this being carried out in reality. The third generation of the plastic case is much sturdier and robust as a result of the change.

All SwissCards include a small ruler- 75mm on the front edge, 3 inches on the back

Victorinox SwissCard Classic in transparent blue. All SwissCards include small rulers- 75mm on the front edge, 3 inches on the back

The 27g SwissCard Classic is a simple tool that carries much of the toolset found in the little 58mm Victorinox Classic folding knife. That is- small blade, nailfile, scissors, tweezers and toothpick. The SD version of the Classic knife has a small flat screwdriver tip on its nailfile and this is what is also found in the SwissCard. In addition, there is a stainless steel pin and useful, if miniscule, pressurised ballpoint pen in the SwissCard.

The 58mm Victorinox Classic has a similar set of tools to those found in SwissCards

The 21.3g 58mm Victorinox Classic has a similar set of tools to those found in SwissCards. This is the Edelweiss scaled version, there is a huge variety of scale designs found with these knives

Originally called the SwissCard, the Classic designation was added when new models became available

Victorinox SwissCard Classic in transparent red. Originally called the SwissCard, the Classic designation was added when other models also became available. The Classic also differs from the first two generations of card by not having a sliding door over the scissors

The 22.2g SwissCard Quattro was released in 2000 and this saw the handy little four-way Quattro screwdriver made available for the first time. This is so small and convenient that even if I am not carrying one of the cards with me while hiking, one of the 2.6g screwdrivers is often sitting in my ditty bag. Sadly, the inclusion of the screwdriver was at the expense of the scissors, which are excluded from the SwissCard Quattro. A hole was added to the corner of the card enabling it to be hung from a keyring or lanyard.

Victorinox SwissCard Quattro in solid black. While the addition of the new four-way screwdriver was a welcome addition, the loss of scissors in the SwissCard Quattro means that there is some wasted storage space in the plastic holder of this version that could have been utilised by Victorinox

Victorinox SwissCard Quattro. While the addition of the new four-way screwdriver was a welcome addition, the loss of scissors in the SwissCard Quattro means that there is some wasted storage space in the plastic holder of this version that could have been utilised by Victorinox. this solid black colour is 20.6g compared to the very slightly heavier translucent Quattro cards which are 22.2g

In 2003 a small LED light was incorporated and the 26.7g SwissCard Lite appeared on the market. Essentially, other than differences in case colour, there are two variants of the Lite- early models had a red LED, these were changed to a white LED in 2009. While the white LED is far brighter than the red and ideal for urban use, Three Points of the Compass feels that red is often more useful on trail, especially if stumbling around a crowded hostel or bunkhouse room and trying not to disturb slumbering occupants.

First generation of SwissCard Lite with red LED, card case in translucent red.

A hiker normally carries a primary white light headtorch or similar, however a small red LED can be useful at times for discreetness. Early models with the red LED can be difficult to find now but are still available through eBay etc. if now over-priced. Though it must be admitted, the red LED is very dim whereas the white variant is far brighter, but still no where near bright enough for night hiking or similar.

Red and white LED variants of the Victorinox SwissCard Lite

White and red LED variants of the Victorinox SwissCard Lite. The brighter white light is distinct

The LED in the SwissCard Lite is powered by a replaceable 0.6g 3v Lithium CR1025 battery

The SwissCard Lite hits the sweet spot by including both scissors and the handy little four-way screwdriver. Incorporating both of these at the expense of losing the nailfile is a reasonable trade off I feel.

The LED switch is a rather clever and simple affair, being a removable slide that contains both LED and the battery. The drain from the modest LED means that battery life is considerable, though a spare battery could be carried on a particularly long multi-day hike.

The SwissCard Lite has a useful set of tools. The 5 x magnifying glass could be useful as an aid when removing small splinters with the pin and tweezers

Victorinox SwissCard Lite in transparent black. This 26.7g card has a useful set of tools. The 5 x magnifying glass is helpful when removing small splinters with the pin and tweezers. Both four-way screwdriver and scissors are present in this card

The flat four-way Quattro screwdriver is such a handy piece of kit that it can easily be slipped into a ditty bag on trail

The flat four-way 2.6g Quattro screwdriver is such a handy piece of kit that it can easily be slipped into a ditty bag on trail

In 2015, the SwissCard Nailcare was released. While both four-way screwdriver and scissors are incorporated, the little knife blade is replaced by a glass nailfile. As a result, I think the 26.6g Nailcare is the least useful of the SwissCards for taking on trail, unless personal grooming really is that important to you. Unfortunately the cutout for the nailfile is reduced in the nailcare card, otherwise the nailfile could have been swapped for a knife from another card.

The 6.7g scissors from a Victorinox SwissCard are are an excellent efficient choice for a First Aid Kit

The 6.7g scissors found in most variants of the Victorinox SwissCards are a useful choice for a First Aid Kit

SwissCards were manufactured in a range of solid and translucent/transparent colours only some of which are shown here. Ice Blue (shown here) was only available with the Nailcare. The pin and small tweezers are useful for removing splinters and as with the other incarnations, the spring loaded scissors do a good job, though I find my digits a tad large for the small single finger hole so frequently simply grip the whole of the scissor in my hand when using.

While well-appointed, the SwissCard Nailcare is the least useful of the small range for taking on trail

26.6g Victorinox SwissCard Nailcare in translucent Ice Blue. While well-appointed and great for day-to-day urban carry, the SwissCard Nailcare is the least useful of the small range for taking on trail

I normally carry a small knife or multi-tool on trail, however it is probably time that I gave these little cards more attention. They include many of the items that I already carry but could remove from my gear list- scissors, blade, pen, tweezers, and depending on which variant is taken, could provide a couple of other useful items. Three Points of the Compass feels that of all the available SwissCards, a SwissCard Lite is the most suited for backpacking. As to the choice of colour of LED, that is up to you but the earlier red LEDs are becoming pretty difficult to source these days.

One option with a SwissCard is to replace the pin with a needle. This replacement is a Size 7 embroidery/crewel needle