Dug North’s heavily modified Leatherman used on the ALONE television show
One Multi-tool to Rule Them All?
Forget everything you thought you knew about multi-tools. I modified a Leatherman Surge multi-tool to bring with me on Season 12 of the History Channel show ALONE which took place in the Great Karoo Desert of South Africa. I will be so bold as to say that this is the most heavily customized multitool ever to appear on the ALONE show. Prepare to be amazed by the versatility of my trusty customized survival companion.
The Value of the Multitool on ALONE
Over the course of 12 seasons, the value of a multitool on the show ALONE has become undeniable. In addition to performing a multitude of everyday tasks, we have seen Jordan Jonas process an entire moose with one. Clay Hayes carved a full size fishing rod with his. And Zach Fowler made a motarized floating mechanical trap called the “Duck Hunter 3000”!
Overview of the Leatherman Surge
The Leatherman Surge is an attractive model to bring on ALONE for several reasons. First, it is a large, robust tool. Second, four of the larger tools can be accessed without opening the pliers. Some of these tools — such as the large knife blades — can be opened with one hand. Finally, the tool is assembled with security Torx screws. With the right wrenches, the Surge can be taken apart and modified. I think it is safe to assume this will void the warranty, but I consider this to be a worthwhile tradeoff.
The Leatherman Surge is an outstanding tool right out of the box. Let’s take a look at its default configuration (see image below). From there, we’ll look at the changes I made to better suit my needs in African desert.
The full feature set on an unmodified Leatherman Surge Multi Tool
A very capable tool, the Surge is designed mostly for urban/mechanical tasks. My time in the African desert wasn’t going to involve a lot of Phillips head screws, bottle caps, or unopened metal cans. My goal was to increase its utility for working wood and shaping raw pieces of metal.
A Word About the Rules Regarding the Multi-tool on ALONE
As with all of the items that participants may bring on ALONE, strict rules apply to the Multi-tool. Here are a few points worth noting.
While many contestants choose the Leatherman brand, it is not only option. For example, Zach Fowler of Season 3 brought a multi-tool made by Victorinox.
Participants are allowed to bring a sheath dedicated to the multitool, be it canvas or leather. It cannot have built-in accessories.
Modifications to the multitool are allowed, but all of them must be approved by production.
If the model accepts removable bits or blades, the participant must make a single selection to use in those spots. No additional separate bits or blades can be brought into the field.
The Unmodified Surge Compared to Dug’s Customized Surge
The image below shows a “before” and “after” view of the Surge multi-tool. Let’s go through each major section of the tool and what I changed.
Left - an unmodified Leatherman Surge with the wood saw installed in the interchangeable slot. Right - Dug North’s heavily customized Leatherman Surge with an auger bit in the interchangeable slot.
Pliers
Pliers remained unchanged. I did install a fresh set of cutting jaws so they were completely unworn going into my African adventure.
The Four Large Tools
The four largest tools can be accessed on the outside of the handles without opening the pliers.
Main blade - I did not modify this tool. I did have an aftermarket blade made of a super steel, but I didn’t dare bring it to Africa untested! I still have yet to install it.
Wood saw - Inspired by the Leatherman used by Woniya Thibeault of ALONE, Season 6 and ALONE Frozen, this saw blade came from of a Leatherman MUT model. The saw blade replaced the large serrated blade found on the original tool. The blade does require some modification to the base of the blade to work with the liner lock mechanism. This was a fiddly process!
Single-cut mill file - I modified a 8” Nicholson file to fit in the spot occupied by the large scissors. This may strike many of you as a strange thing to prioritize for use in the wild, but the sad fact is that the world is covered in trash, much of it metal. With a good file and a hack saw, random bits of metal can be transformed into useful new tools.
Auger bit - I modified a self-feeding 5/8” flat auger bit to fit into the T-shank jigsaw blade holder. The drill bit isn’t used while in the Leatherman. Rather, the bit is removed and installed into a wood handle to a make an old-school brace and bit.
Right Handle Tools
Gouge - Also inspired by Woniya’s multitool, this small wood gouge was made from the large flathead screwdriver — a much more useful tool in the bush. This is great for carving spoons, bowls, and other concave surfaces.
Pen knife - Using an additional large flathead screwdriver blade, I ground out a small pen knife blade. This provided a backup knife that was much better suited for detail carving. If some unexpected disaster happened to the large knife blade, I would still have this tough little blade as a backup.
Scissors - With the large scissors removed to make way for the file, I found a way to reincorporate this valuable tool back into the Leatherman. I simply purchased a set of the scissors designed for the handle of the Leatherman Wave. They fit and work without any special modifications. For me, only the large knife blade gets more use than the scissors.
Left Handle Tools
Reamer - What Leatherman refers to as an “awl”, this tool was also unmodified, though I did sharpen the single bevel.
Chisel - Again, from Woniya’s multitool, this small straight chisel was made from another large flathead screwdriver blade.
Awl - The final tool inspired by Woniya’s multitool, this short, sharp all-purpose spike was shaped from the small flathead screwdriver found on the original Surge. This is great for punching holes, undoing knots, and pulling stitches without cutting the thread.
Hack saw - I found that I was just barely able to sneak a section of hacksaw blade into the handle with the other tools. I suspect, that I removed most of the washers bewtween the other tools to provide the needed space.
Add-ons
Rubber scales - I made high-visibility rubber scales for the handles using thin sheets of copper and several coats of orange Plasti-Dip. These were then epoxied to the tool. These are remarkably helpful — especially when working in a wet environment.
Lanyard picks - The original lanyard hidden in the tool’s handle can be replaced. I bought two titanium pick tools and modified one to quickly convert into a sewing needle if necessary,
Slotted screws - Not truly an add-on, but a modification for maintenance. I cut slots in each of the security nuts holding the tool together. This allowed me to use one of the titanium pick tools to tighten or loosen the screws, so I could maintain the Leatherman in the field. Of course, to get the tool apart without this modification, you’ll need a pair of T10 Security Torx Wrenches.
Effort and cost
For those inclined to make a tool exactly like mine, I want to let you know that it wasn’t exactly a quick, easy, or inexpensive project. For me, it was worth it, however. In addition to many hours of manual labor, my costs were as follows:
Leatherman Surge $150
Mut saw blade $30
Large screwdriver blades x 2 $48
Titanium awl set $30
Wave scissors $25
Nicholson mill file $9
Hack saw blade $5
Plasti-dip $20
Securty Torx wrenches $6
TOTAL $323
A few tips on making these modifications
Use the base of spare OEM blades (e.g. the serrated knife blade) as a pattern for shaping custom tools
A Dremel tool with grinding bits is very helpful for shaping tools
Work slowly and carefully. Small changes have a huge impact on how well a tool performs and locks.
Look for parts on eBay. Keep in mind that it is sometimes it is less expensive to buy an entire used tool rather than buying a single part. A damaged tool with some good parts on it can be an economical source for parts.
As time goes on more and more specialized tools are being designed for the interchangeable blade slot. Be sure to do a search for that special tool you need before making one from scratch!