Car Keys

the ultralight solution bandied about on the boards here is to go to AAA and they can cut a plastic key for you.

http://www.wiredatom.com/blog/2005/07/27/plastic-key-to-the-rescue/

I put them in a small cuben zip wallet (about passport sized) with my cash and cards. That then goes in to
the bottom of my clothing dry bag.

"By the way….I like the word "fob". If I had a son I might have named him fob."

Daryl, you are sick : )

Good idea, I think I maight name my son Fob too

or daughter…

I just drive an old car.

Did you notice the link about AAA given was from 2005? Recently here there was a discussion about the disappearance of the plastic keys at AAA. New keys are too complex.

Fob the key guy.

Hide it near the car at a trailhead for keys, or use magnetic box that attaches to frame and just leave it there. With some fobs this wouldn't work if it automatically unlocks doors when you are 3 ft from vehicle.

Some fobs have a removable plastic or metal key in them. If the battery is dead in the fob you can use them to open door, then you remove a little plastic cover somewhere and stick the key in to be able to start it.

But, another problem is that if you have two fobs, you can lock the door with one in car, but with only one it may not let you lock it in the car.

My truck has a keypad to unlock door.

I hide my key on the car, in the same place each time. My family, friends and hiking companions know where that place is.

This means,

1) if I bail on a hike or go further than planned, etc, someone else can swing by and pick up my car.
2) if part of the group gets back sooner, they can get in the car and get warm.
3) I can't lose the keys on a hike.
4) I save that weight on the hike.
5) If I lose my carry-on bag while traveling, I don't lose my car key for the drive home from the airport.
6) while I'm out of state and my car is at the airport, other people can use it, including people I didn't know could use it until after I left.

All those reasons, 1 through 6, have come up for me, especially #2.

While in many places, there would be a concern about someone finding the key and stealing the car, (1) there are lots of ways to steal cars without a key and (2) it's Alaska and lots of cars have keys in far more obvious places (the ignition, on the dash, under the floor mat) or in the ignition with the engine running in winter.

"With some fobs this wouldn't work if it automatically unlocks doors when you are 3 ft from vehicle."

You could remove the battery from the fob, I suppose, or else wrap it in foil or put it in a metal box.

Where do you get an aluminum key cut?

I thought the obvious answer was to lock your keys inside then break back into your car after each backpacking trip by smashing in the driver's side window. This isn't what everyone does?

Based upon the feedback received I'm going to hide the (door)key on the outside of the car if I can find a good spot to do so. I'll still hide the fob inside the car so it can stay dry.

The challenge will be to find a convenient place to hide the key outside the car. I currently have one hidden underneath the car for emergency back-up of lost key. I don't like crawling under the car to get it, however, …..especially with muddy ground or rattlesnakes in the area, after dark, with things hiding in the bushes waiting to have there way with me while in that vulnerable position.

Thanks for your ideas.

One thing to consider, over here in Europe if your car is stolen and the insurance finds out you left the key in, on or near the car many will not pay out the claim.

So it might be worth checking with your insurance company before doing that.

Me personally i have a small waterproof pack that i keep my car keys and wallet in.

Well that's a twist I never thought of.

–

>" if your car is stolen and the insurance finds out you left the key in"

Here (in Alaska), the few times a car gets stolen, the police ask, "Were the keys on the dashboard or in the ignition?"

And typically, the car isn't stolen to be sold or parted-out. It is often found somewhere across town the next day. Because someone didn't want to walk 5 miles at -20F/-30C.

I always have a spare key on me. One in my wallet one in a magnetc hide-a-key that my trip partners know about.

The one in the wallet is for town use. The magnetic is for trips and town use.

On outdoor trips, I throw my full set of keys in the car out of site and carry a spare key (no fob) in my ziplock "wallet".

I became a true believe about spare keys when I was about 18.

Dad was always telling me to have a spare key in my wallet. Yeah..whatever Dad.

He'd always ask if I made the spare key yet. Nope Dad..

Make it yet Paul? Nope.

A few weeks later, I got a flat on my car at my after school job. No problem. Pulled out the spare tire, the jack and swapped the flat tire out. Easy peasy. Mac-n-cheesy.

Except I locked my keys in the car.

Called home. Dad brought by a spare set of keys. He did not say a word. Just handed the keys keys to me. He just looked at me with a look I've seen too often from my childhood. He then went back home.

The following day I went to the hardware store and made a spare set of car keys.

"Here (in Alaska), the few times a car gets stolen, the police ask, "Were the keys on the dashboard or in the ignition?"

And typically, the car isn't stolen to be sold or parted-out. It is often found somewhere across town the next day. Because someone didn't want to walk 5 miles at -20F/-30C."

—-

Here it is the tweaker taxi. A way to get around town for the car driving prohibited. Typically Honda Accords that can be started with a screwdriver in the ignition. One friend has retrieved his from the police 5 times. The police GIVE away "the club" to Accord owners.

Maybe buy an Accord just for leaving at trailheads so you can start it with a tent peg. Course you would need to chain it to a tree to be sure it was there when you got back.

I recently observed a Civic driver park his car (urban setting, not trailhead) and walk away with the steering wheel. I guess maybe he had had issues in the past with thieves being able to start his car sans key. :-)

I always take my keys with me. They don't weigh that much. I'm more worried that the car will be broken into than my loosing the keys. I've never lost my keys while hiking, but I've had a car broken into and stolen. Granted, it wasn't at the trail head, but…

I take my wallet too, for the same reason.

>"I take my wallet too, for the same reason."

This is even more helpful for other types of travel, but helps a bit here, too:

There's the concept/practice of a "throwaway wallet" versus the keeper wallet. I practice this in third-world countries and tourist-filled areas (Paris, London, etc). I've a got my regular wallet, with low-value stuff (business cards, library card, small bills, subway card, maybe a low-value Visa gift card) in my back pocket where I usually keep it. Then I've got a very small wallet (or sometimes a credit-card-sized taped Tyvek envelope) in my front pocket with my driver's license, credit card and a few large bills. I use the regular wallet for almost everything – getting on the subway, buying gelato, etc. If someone pick-pockets or robs me of the large wallet, it doesn't totally screw up my vacation.

For the day hike, I'd take only the most important 20 grams of stuff while leaving the many ounces of low-value stuff behind.

Ziploc freezer bag. Cut it to size. Use "seal-a-meal" to seal edges. Use that for wallet. Fairly waterproof.

At some point it occurred to me there was no reason to move stuff from regular wallet to my backpacking wallet, so I use it all the time and got rid of my regular wallet.

It wears out maybe a couple times a year, but no problem…

Photo and weights might put this very important topic into perspective.

(Banana provided for scale and to snack on after photo and posting.)

I've had a car broken into at a trailhead. Really sucks to come back and find a window smashed in and belongings stolen, but would suck even more if the car had just vanished. I bring the key in my ditty bag; the weight penalty is worth it.

I usually avoid the problem completely by never driving and letting one of the others in my group worry about it. ;-)

When I drive locally to do day hikes, mountain biking, etc., I don't leave any keys in the car, including my house key. If someone breaks in and finds the house key, and gets my address off the registration card, then I've compromised the safety of my family & home. Yeah, I'm probably overly paranoid, but whatever.

For backpacking I try to cut weight where I can, but an ounce or two for a couple of keys isn't what keeps me up at night. If I am driving I would take my valet key and leave the more expensive remote key at home. I wouldn't take a house key on a multi-day trip; instead I'd rely on faith that I've not taken that "one trip too many" and my wife will let me back in the house when I return.

That said, I think I'd like to sew a little shock cord loop inside one of my hip belt pockets to secure a key and my "hobo wallet."

I like to keep my "civilization stuff" separate from my backpacking stuff.

I used the little mesh clip-in zip pocket that came with my ULA Ohm. credit/debit/health insurance card/ID/cash in a ziploc. phone in bubble wrap in a ziploc. all in the mesh bag.

I use a hair elastic to connect my car & house key to one of the same loops that connect to the mesh civilization bag. My keys are the simple metal, no extra bulky plastic thing or fobs, luckily.

Ideally no one is home when I get home, so can get a shower in before my four year old attaches herself to me.

>"I'd like to sew a little shock cord loop inside one of my hip belt pockets to secure a key and my "hobo wallet."

I like that feature in my packs, fanny packs, and book bags. Having that option makes me more likely to take my key with me.