I never thought about putting together an emergency go bag until I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. I live less than a mile from the fault that earthquake experts say is the region's most dangerous. "Did you feel that?" is probably the most asked question in my household.
Knowing we won't get much of a warning before the next big one, my family and I have created an emergency plan: We keep our car fueled up, we have our portable chargers topped up and on the ready and we all know how to shut off our gas. But maybe the most important prep work we've done is to put together an emergency go bag, also known as a bug-out bag.
One item I've included in my go bag is a multitool by Gerber that includes pliers, scissors, screwdrivers, wire cutters and a knife. You can drop a lot of money on a multitool, and some of those more expensive models are worth it. But because I wanted to buy more than one of these -- since my kids could always use one too -- both price and weight were important to me, which is why I chose the Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini multitool.
Normally priced around $29, this multitool is always worth grabbing, whether it's on sale or not. But right now, as part of Amazon's Big Spring Sale even, you can get the red one for $25, a 14% discount. If red isn't your style, there's a green version available that's that's also $25 and a cool-looking all-black one for $26 with an on-page coupon. Below, I'll go through why I like this tool so much. For more go-bag mainstays, here are our favorite power banks for iPhones and the best portable solar panels.
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Where this multitool fits into my emergency preparedness plans
In addition to having bug-out bags at the ready, we keep an extensive earthquake kit in a big toy chest. With this big kit — called a stay box — weight isn't really an issue, and we can store enough food, water and whatever else we need to make it through a few days or even weeks. But in a go-bag, each item has to be portable and essential, because weight adds up quickly. (This This is the mini lantern I'm going with.) The Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini weighs just a few ounces and fits into the palm of my hand when it's folded up.
Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini multitool specs
- Material: Stainless steel
- Dimensions when open: 5.5 x 4 x 0.6 inches
- Dimensions when closed: 5.5 x 2.75 x 0.6 inches
- Weight: 2.2 ounces
- Included tools: Pliers, wire cutter, tweezers, small and medium-size flat-head screwdrivers, bottle opener, retail package opener, plain-edge blade, scissors, fine and coarse files, lanyard/key ring
Why the Gerber Dime Mini makes a great gift
This is also a great tool to have in your car or your desk drawer at work.
Looking to save on more things to make your life easier? Here's our roundup of all the best deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale. And if you're looking for practical gifts, check out our list of the best gifts for grads.