Gerber Stakeout Drive – a pocket multi-tool built around a screwdriver
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The loose screw always shows up when the toolbox is in the garage. The kid’s toy with the battery hatch. The wobbly cabinet handle. The bike bell at the bottom of a hill. And every time, someone tries to fix it with a butter knife.
The Gerber Stakeout Drive is a pocket multi-tool with ten tools, and the star is a flip-out bit driver: a real screwdriver bit that swings out of the handle. Gerber released it in March 2026 as the newest member of its Stakeout family. It’s a tool for small repairs, and a pretty great gift for the person who always asks “does anyone have a screwdriver?”
What is the Gerber Stakeout Drive?
Gerber is an American knife and tool brand, and its Stakeout line started in 2022 as a camping multi-tool with a hook for pulling tent stakes. The Drive drops that hook. New Atlas sees it as more of a home, yard and garage tool than a campsite tool, and Gerber pitches it the same way: “Bring less, fix more.”
According to Gerber, you get:
- Needlenose pliers and regular pliers, with wire cutters
- A flip-out bit driver with a two-sided bit, plus a spare bit stored in the handle (four driver tips in total)
- A 2.4-inch plain-edge blade with a liner lock
- Scissors
- A three-grit file and chisel
- A ruler along the edge of the handle
- A carabiner clip that doubles as a bottle opener, plus a pocket clip
It’s 4.6 inches long closed, 6.3 inches open, and weighs 7.4 ounces. It comes in black and silver, with Gerber’s limited lifetime warranty.
How does it work?
It’s a “butterfly” multi-tool: the two handles swing open and the pliers head comes out between them. The other tools fold out of the handles. The bit driver flips out on its own and holds a two-sided bit, and the spare bit waits in a slot in the handle. Flip the bit around or swap it, and you have four tips.
The good and the not-so-good
What I like:
- The bit driver. Plenty of multi-tools only have a built-in flat screwdriver. Swappable bits fit more screws.
- Two carry options: clip it in a pocket or hang it from a belt loop or bag.
- The size. Under 5 inches closed is pocketable for most pants.
- The price: about 80 bucks for a ten-tool Gerber with a lifetime warranty.
What could be better:
- New Atlas calls the big carabiner awkward and oversized, and says it makes the tool longer and lopsided. It would rather see a removable clip.
- Two bits (four tips) is all you get. For odd screws you still need the toolbox.
- At 7.4 ounces it’s not featherweight. Keychain people should look at something smaller.
- It has a blade, so it isn’t a stocking stuffer for kids, and some places (schools, flights) don’t allow it.
Who is the Gerber Stakeout Drive for?
Homeowners, renters, van-lifers, bike commuters, and anyone who fixes things on the spot instead of later. It’s also a solid first “real” multi-tool for a new homeowner or a college student with IKEA furniture.
If they mainly camp, the original Stakeout with its tent stake puller still makes more sense. For a matching pocket kit, pair it with a flat flashlight like the Wuben X5 or the Olight Arkfeld Ultra.
Where can I buy the Gerber Stakeout Drive?
Gerber sells the Stakeout Drive on Amazon through its own store. The black version was about 80 bucks at the time of writing (October 2026). REI and Gerber’s own site also carry it, in black and silver.
No more butter knife screwdrivers. Take my money!