Skip to main content

Trekking: Meet the Leatherman Tread, the Wearable Toolbox for Your Wrist

Man isn’t meant to stay indoors — our weekly “Trekking” column can attest to that. It’s a column dedicated to the adventurer inside of all of us, the one pining to ditch the office humdrum for a quick surf session or seven-week jaunt in the Grand Tetons. One day we may highlight an ultra-light stove and the next a set of handmade canoe paddles. Life doesn’t just happen inside the workplace, so get outside and live it.

If you haven’t noticed already, we live in a world where modern smartwatches and other connected wearables dominate the tech and mainstream headlines alike. However, while devices like the recently-overhauled Apple Watch might excel at receiving text messages and getting you from Point A to B with your phone in your pocket, sometimes a little physical functionality is all we’re looking for when it comes to our wrist. For those instances, the Leatherman Tread ($165+) is your no-frills companion.

Recommended Videos

Leatherman TreadThe minimalist Tread doesn’t utilize any apps or internal software to operate, but instead, conveniently relies upon a network of 17-4 stainless-steel links that render the multi-tool more resourceful than your typical bracelet. The hardy construction of the bike chain-like device is built to withstand unwanted corrosion, while the melange of TSA-compliant tools help you with a handful of everyday tasks you might face when at home or out and about. Embedded within the interchangeable links are 29 individual tools, including a screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, box wrenches, hex drives, and cutting hooks. Other components, such as a carbide glass breaker and a bottle opener, add to the bracelet’s out-of-the-box resourcefulness. The Tread even offers a 25-year warranty and a pick specifically designed for removing your SIM card should the need ever arise.

Best of all, the bracelet is adjustable to ¼-inch, allowing to accommodate any wrist size and shape. Now, if only Leatherman could find a way to integrate a pair of scissors and a full set of needlenose pliers into the build…

Check out Leatherman online to make a purchase, or to peruse the company’s American-made goods.

Brandon Widder
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brandon Widder is a journalist and a staff writer for the Manual and its brother site, Digital Trends, where he covers tech…
Cigar etiquette 101: Dos, don’ts, and modern manners
Please don't be that guy. Here are the cigar etiquette mistakes that scream 'amateur'
well-dressed guy smoking on a couch in the dark

Walking into a cigar lounge for the first time feels like crashing somebody's secret club. They've got this unspoken language, weird rituals, and enough unwritten rules to make your head spin! But here’s the thing—cigar etiquette is not some gatekeeping nonsense to try to make you look dumb. It's about respecting the process, the experience, and not being the person who ruins everyone else's vibe.Whether you're new to this or have been faking for years, this guide will sort you out because there's nothing more likely to ruin a good smoke than someone who clearly has no idea what they're doing.

The basics: Respecting the ritual

Read more
The first movie from Materialists director Celine Song just found a new streaming home
The movie is a brilliant look at the roads not taken.
The cast of Past Lives

Few directors have a debut feature that's as splashy as Celine Song's. The director, who now has Materialists in theaters, had a breakout hit at Sundance called Past Lives that took her all the way to the Oscars. Now that Materialists is in theaters and doing quite well, you might want to catch up with Past Lives, which was one of the best movies of 2023.

The film stars Greta Lee and is told in episodes that span more than 20 years. It starts in South Korea, and follows two Korean children who are clearly close friends and may even have a romantic spark as one of them prepares to move to Canada. Then, we follow their story over decades as they come into and out of each other's lives until they're both in their mid-30s and they reunite for a day in New York City.

Read more
Jeremy Allen White was born to run in the first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
The movie follows Springsteen as he makes his album 'Nebraska.'
Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Music biopics are all the rage these days, and Bruce Springsteen is the latest icon to get the treatment. The first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere sees The Bear star inhabiting the role of The Boss. The film is based on Warren's Zane's book of the same name, which focuses on the period when he was making his 1982 album Nebraska.

The film is directed by Scott Cooper, who also directed Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. In the trailer, we see White embodying Springsteen as he sings "Born to Run," and we also get a lengthy monologue from Jeremy Strong's Jon Landau as he explains why Springsteen feels the need to make this album.

Read more