September is National Preparedness Month and it has all of us re-considering the tools we keep handy in our Emergency Go-Bags or close by in case of disaster. As a young Officer in the Ranger Regiment, I often studied the kits and battle belts of the more experienced Rangers around me and tried to replicate their streamlined build. Part of having everything you may need (and not an ounce more) is choosing the most efficient tools, and I think we’ve found a staple with the Gerber Center Drive Multi-Tool.
The Center Drive
The Center Drive is touted by Gerber as being the first of its kind with “a full size drive on the center axis that uses standard bits”. The tool includes 13 bits located in the sheath (phillips, flat head and everything in between), and the bit arm swings out a full 180-degrees making it great for hard to reach problem sets.
Here are some other specs straight from Gerber’s site:
- One hand opening system
- Spring loaded needle nose pliers
- Full-size 3.25″ 420HC fine edge blade
- Carbide wire cutters & strippers
- Pry bar w/ nail puller & bottle opener
- Serrated blade
- Awl, File
- Magnetic flathead and phillips bits
- Lanyard hole
- Made in the USA
- MSRP $109
The Gerber name already gives this tool some street cred in terms of durability, but if that isn’t enough, the members at Team Rubicon have real world field tested this tool and given it their stamp of approval. Team Rubicon is a disaster response organization that deploys first responder volunteers across the globe within 24-96 hours of a catastrophe, a deployment window rivaling the U.S. Military’s. Based on their trust in this tool, I will certainly keep it in my kit bag.
Final Thoughts:
I took this tool with me on an overland ruck after just moving to Texas and appreciated the rugged sheath that kept the tool and drill bits tight on my hip and under my kidney pads, but you can get a MOLLE capable sheath as well. The out-board knife came sharp and is longer than most of the competition you’ll find. Once home, I continued using the Center Drive while unpacking and fixing furniture around my new place. I see many additional uses for this tool including; fixing weapons malfunctions on a rifle or prying open something I’d need an emergency. For this reason I’ll keep it on while doing daily chores.
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About the Author:
Stephen Zachensky served as a Rifle Platoon Leader in the 82nd Airborne with a deployment to Iraq, as well as two deployments to Afghanistan as a Strike Force Platoon Leader and Chief of Operations with the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and is currently working as a banking associate.
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