Anybody that lives in Arizona will tell you that the jumping cholla cactus really does seem to "jump!" Well, my oldest son realized just how true this statement is.

 

At 8 years old I recently took him and his younger brother on their first hike in the desert just north of Phoenix. Simple hike, near the house, up and back in an hour or so. The only rule that I had was "stay on the path!" Little boys aren't necessarily known for their listening skills. Within 10 minutes I heard shrieks of pain coming from my son. Sure enough, he hadn't listened to my 1 rule and subsequently, had many, many (many) jumping cholla cactus needles stuck in his legs, arms, pants, shoes, socks, etc. There were too many and they were too sharp to take out by hand. Never fear, though, because my Leatherman Wave was attached to my belt! As I tell my wife over and over, you just never know when you're going to need it. The pliers pulled out thorns, the knife ripped through pants and the scissors cut through socks. My son was saved!

 

Thanks Leatherman for having the MOST useful tool in my arsenal!

Donovan C.

Cave Creek, AZ