High Sierra Topix

My 18 year old Honda has been broken into 3 times. Nothing has been stolen.
Once during the monsoon season so the interior is falling apart from rain effects. The headliner is falling down and I can't roll the passenger side window up or down. So I have a good trailhead car that is (now) left alone. Every time the car was at a deserted trailhead and in late Fall.
Every time the car has gotten me home.
I am not sure what to make of that history but I still take the key.

balzaccom wrote:Do you carry your car keys with you on the trail, or you do hide them at the car? There is no point to carrying extra weight, and car keys certainly fall into that category. I leave all of my keys in the car EXCEPT the car key itself. That goes in my pack.

I carry car key only, in the same place, in my pack, every trip. Rest of my keys are hidden inside the car, out of site. Never had a car broken into at trailhead. "knock on wood"

my sweet '64 chevy impala was broken into at Carson Pass in the late 70's. They pried open trunk and smashed a rear window (4 door). My complete craftsman toolset was in the trunk. Nothing in the passenger compartment. They took nothing.

Ranger said it was usually people looking for money on their way to Nevada. Still had my key, and a bit of a windy ride home.

My Mini Cooper has a plastic emergency key. It probably weighs less than 5 grams. The fancy remote key fob thingie stays locked in the car for when we come back.

fishmonger wrote:My Mini Cooper has a plastic emergency key.

Have you tested it?

A friend had a plastic key from AAA and I suggested that maybe we try it first before relying on it. It twisted off in the door!

Tom wrote:
My 18 year old Honda has been broken into 3 times. Nothing has been stolen.
Once during the monsoon season so the interior is falling apart from rain effects.
The headliner is falling down and I can't roll the passenger side window up or down.
So I have a good trailhead car that is (now) left alone. Every time the car was at a
deserted trailhead and in late Fall.

Darn Tom, really sorry to read this, that really sucks!

Longri wrote:
Have you tested it?

A friend had a plastic key from AAA and I suggested that maybe we try it first before relying on
it. It twisted off in the door!

Know someone too that this has happened .

longri wrote:

fishmonger wrote:My Mini Cooper has a plastic emergency key.

Have you tested it?

A friend had a plastic key from AAA and I suggested that maybe we try it first before relying on it. It twisted off in the door!

Good point. It works here, but it may not work so well when it gets real hot. Have to test it on site on a hot sunny Yosemite parking lot.

longri,

How did you get into the car after the plastic key break?

We tested it at home. It twisted off and the broken piece came out with the help of some needle nose pliers. No drama, no night spent on the side of the highway, no story to tell.

With my friend's current vehicle I don't think this would even be an option since the key has an electronic chip in it. I'm not sure but I'll bet a regular key, plastic or not, would set off an alarm or disable the ignition or call in the airforce or something.

With my own ancient vehicle I just hide the key if I'm trying to save that precious half ounce. And I always have a backup key hidden on the car. That strategy has saved me a few times over the years.

Eventually we won't need keys. Our cars will will recognize us: "There you are, finally! What took you so long? I was expecting you sooner. Look at me, I'm all dusty! Now get in and I'll drive us home, stopping at the car wash in Escalon where you can wash me."

nice. nothing more to ask.