Everyone Needs a Multitool. This One Is Discounted for July 4th Before Amazon Prime Day

"Was that an earthquake or a truck passing by?"

I live about a mile from the San Francisco Bay Area fault that experts say is probably the region's most dangerous. It's hard to forget I live so close, with small shakes every few days. I know I probably won't get much of a warning before a big quake, but I can still prepare for it, which makes living close to the fault doable.

My family and I are getting ready: We have an emergency plan, keep our car fueled up, have portable chargers and know how to shut off our gas. But maybe the most important things we have are our go bags, also called bug-out bags.

One item I've included in all our go bags is this multitool by Gerber that includes pliers, scissors, screwdrivers, wire cutters and a knife. You can drop a lot of money on a multitool — and some are absolutely worth it — but because both price and weight were important to me, I chose the Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini multitool.

This multi-tool is worth grabbing whether it's on sale or not. Typically around $30, you can grab it now for $5 off.

In addition to having bug-out bags at the ready, we keep an extensive earthquake kit in a big toy chest. With the big kit, weight isn't really an issue, and we can store enough food, water and whatever else we need to make it through a few days or even weeks. But in a go bag, each item has to be portable and essential, because weight adds up quickly. (This is the mini lantern I'm going with.) The Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini weighs just a few ounces and fits into the palm of my hand when it's folded up.

For more, check out the portable car jump starter battery pack and Govee floor lamp that are both discounted during the July Fourth sales.