Having a micro-tool is great, until you have to find one of them buried in your pack.

The Guidesman Z-Tools fix that problem by attaching to a zipper pull so its always easy to find them when you need them.

Does it work? Well it's clunky sure, but for as little as $7 you cant go wrong.

Lets check them out:

There are 4 separate tools included in the Guidesman Z-Tools. A knife, a screwdriver set, a hex wrench set, and an LED light.

They are all just over 2" long.

Probably longer than you would want for your coat jacket but about right for your Bug Out Bag.

Here's a scan of the back of the packaging:

The Guidesman Z-Blade

There is a 5/8" blade on this little tool. Decent enough for cutting cordage or other small tasks. I wouldn't try cutting any logs or anything with it.

I would consider this a backup to a backup knife, hardly a primary for the head of the household.

A good knife for your kid perhaps.

The Guidesman Z-Driver

This is a pretty handy tool. Having a couple of flat-head and philips head screwdrivers easily available is a smart idea.

My only issue is the fact that unlike the Z-Blade you cant fold in the driver heads - three of them will always be protruding. 1/8" and 3/16" flat heads and #1 and #2 bit phillips heads.

The Guidesman Z-Hex

The Z-Hex is also a good tool to have handy. Most people don't think to include hex wrenches in their emergency kits and they are used all over the place so its good to have.

2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm sizes.

The Guidesman Z-Light

An LED light and bottle opener combined, what more could you ask for? Shine a light on that beer!

The light has replaceable CR1616 batteries.

It's pretty darn bright, it will keep you from falling in the dark for certain.

You do have to keep pressing on the button to keep it lit though, which makes is a little unwieldy.

Final Thoughts

Like all micro-tools you need to understand what you are getting into - these are backups for your backups in some cases. But they can serve you well in a pinch and don't take up a lot of room or add lots of weight.

The Guidesman Z-Tools are a different idea. Unique approach to an old problem.

My only only long-term concerns would be the resilience of the clips holding to tools to the zipper. And frankly I'm not even sure I would want to use them in that way, other than the LED light which will be useful.

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Guidesman 4 Pack Z-Tool Set

Typical Price: $7

This Guidesman 4-pack of zipper tools includes: (1) Rotating Hex Tool, (1) Rotating Driver Tool, (1) Folding Lock Knife, and (1) LED Micro Light with integral Bottle Opener.

All tools have a cord for connecting to a zipper with a quick release clip. These compact rugged tools are always ready for use.

$8Amazon