I am somewhat of a survivalist. I carry a survival handbook under the seat of my 88 trooper, a lighter in my pocket, a gallon of water, some mixed nuts (friends not included) and I always have my Leatherman on my belt. I have been lost or stranded too many times in the past and am ready for the next time.

 

Well, that time came about a month ago. I live in northern rural Arizona. So anywhere I go, it's usually 25 miles or more before you get to any kind of civilization. This particular time I had to drive 51 miles over a mountain to get to work. I was about half way up the mountain and 30 miles from the nearest gas station when I noticed steam coming out behind my vehicle. I instantly pulled over and shut it off. I was at about 7000 feet and the air temp was 30 degrees in the day. At night it would drop into the teens. I had no phone signal and nobody but me usually travels that road in the winter. Now it's survival time! I check to see what had happened. A metal tube that connects to the heater hose on the side of the engine has a little bypass tube coming off it and whatever was blocking the hole is now gone. I searched my truck for anything that might be useful in repairing the hole. I found a small plastic red cap that came out of some 1/4" copper tubing that I had transported at some time in the past, an aluminum soda can and some zip ties. I used my Leatherman to forcefully insert the plastic cap into the hole. Then I cut a piece of the can out with the Leatherman and formed it around the tube with, the Leatherman! I then used the Leatherman to put 3 zip ties around the aluminum patch to hold it on. I emptied my gallon of water into the radiator and drove 35 miles to an auto parts store. I purchased the part I needed and installed it with my Leatherman and went to work. Thanks to my Leatherman PST II I was able to survive and make some money, all in one day.

 

Craig H.

Chino Valley, AX