Originally Posted by
truman
1. Look hard at your bike and gear.
2. Make a list of things that can go wrong that you could fix.
3. Make a list of the tools needed to do those tasks.
4. Find a tool or tools that can most efficiently do those tasks.
4a. Determine if anything can easily be replaced to eliminate excess tools (such as replacing Hex head bolts with Allen bolts, so you need only carry one kind of wrench)
5. Shop for a multitool that accomplishes some or most of what you can do for the bike.
Short answer for ME is a Park multitool with a chain breaker a tire lever and a spoke wrench, plus a patch kit, and separate 3, 4 & 5 mm Allen wrenches, a CO2 inflator head and 2 CO2 cartridges (these are for use in case my pump fails, not the opposite) and a Topeak Mtn Morph pump.
Your mileage may and should vary.
Your advice is good as far as it goes but I'd suggest looking at the bike with an eye to reducing the number of tools you
have to carry before the ride. Upgrade equipment to modern stuff where you can. For example, replace a threaded headset with a threadless (if possible). Replace square taper cranks with external bottom bracket cranks (XT trekking cranks are very cheap...$125). Replace cone and cup hubs with cassette bearing hubs. Although I still carry this tool kit while touring
Some of the stuff I carry now is really unnecessary. (To be fair so of that tool kit is for off-road riding too.) A lot of my touring bike equipment can be fixed with a 5mm allen wrench. Add a patch kit, tire levers and a Leatherman P2 minitool and I'm ready to go.