November 2008
Sink or Swim
I had recently purchased a Juice C2 and was anxious to use it in the field. I never expected the extent to which I came to depend on it.
Day 18 on a 30 day wilderness canoe expedition for 7 adjudicated boys was a doozie. Two other instructors and I had been working hard to help the boys be independent on their course, but that day, disrespect and refusal seemed to be the themes. We had paddled 10 miles after a late night of portaging when we came upon some shoals. For kids used to flat water, the shoals threw them off a bit, and the next thing I knew, I had two students screaming my name and saw gear floating towards me. The boat had snagged on a rock and punctured a hole in the fiberglass and was rapidly taking on water, something that completely freaked the two moderate swimmers out. After working to calm the students and get them to the bank, the other instructors and I worked with the students to unload the gear and to figure out a way to make the boat float once again.
Out came the Juice C2. Knife, scissors, pliers, bottle opener...we used them all to make a patch for the baseball-sized hole. It wasn't pretty, but with the help of some parachute cord, thick mil plastic, and a whole lot of duct tape, the boat was dry once again.
My co-instructors were impressed; the students were not. For us, the Leatherman allowed us to continue on, where the students were hoping that they would be rescued from the river once and for all. The Juice now comes with me on all trips and, while it hasn't been used for such drama again, its daily reliability continues to make it my favorite multi-tool.
Katie
Fairhope, AL
OK, you voyeur, you. Enough of reading other people's stories. It's time you told your own tale of gripping heroism or even just neat DIY'ism. We know there's a Shakespeare in you somewhere. Don't make us use the Steens to find it.