what to do with spare electronic key

[JennyJ]

Those of you who travel alone with electronic keys, what do you do with the spare key in case something happens to the first one?   Do you keep both sets of keys with you all the time? Do you stash it somewhere in the car?

I have a 2007 Prius and would like to protect the second key from myself, so to speak, lol.

 

[B and C]

I don't have an electronic key but my worry is locking myself out and the keys in I keep a door key hidden on the outside of the van So I can get in.

I would think a door key only outside and the spare key inside somewhere where you can't get to it easily.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Those of you who travel alone with electronic keys, what do you do with the spare key in case something happens to the first one? . . .

My backup electronic key is kept in a lockbox, hidden and attached to the truck interior.
The lockbox key and a truck door key is kept in my wallet; I always have my wallet with me.
I also have a lockbox and door key hidden outside the truck - very hard to get at.

I also carry a spare key fob battery in the glove compartment.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

I keep the spare electronic keys hidden away. But I also a bunch of spares of the door key. I keep one in the small pocket of just about every pair of pants that I might possibly wear. You know how you will have a set of pants that you are "currently" wearing, in that you switch back and forth between them depending on the weather? So, I'll have a pair of jeans, a pair of long REI pants, and a couple pairs of shorts that I cycle between. (No. I don't put clothes in the laundry till they are actually dirty.) Each pair has a spare key in the small pocket.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Put me in the category of "not telling"....

 

[maki2]

Go talk to a locksmith who has a storefront shop as their sole business. They think about things such as the very best places to keep a spare key while keeping it out of the hands of a thief. They might sell magnetic key cases but that does not mean that is how they personally would do it on their own vehicle. Have the conversation while getting a spare key made.

 

[Almost There]

While it's not electronic, I keep the spare key in the hitch box which is locked with combination locks - no key to lose to get in to the tote box. It's there if the regular key gets lost. I also keep the 'valet' key in my wallet for using when I just lock myself out.

 

[Malamute]

I always carry at least one spare door or main key on me at all time, when they were non-chipped keys I just carried a spare set on a tiny ring that let them lay flat in the pocket, or on the ring with my main keys. I never have other keys on my ignition key, its often not good for the ignition lock to have keys hanging from it, and if the truck was ever jacked/stolen I have no intention of letting them have a key to anything else I own, which includes the locking gas cap in older vehicles. I also never left registration or insurance info in the vehicle, always in my wallet on me. Not making it easy on them if they get stopped. No insurance or registration and they arent as likely to talk their way out of it. If you dont want to carry your spare chipped key on you, you can leave it with something youll never be far from or leave unattended, like your pistol or spare ammo. You can get chipped keys copied in a non-chipped form, they will open the door (at least on my 05 4runner) and can run accessories to close windows etc, but it wont start the vehicle. For a couple bucks a copy, its pretty cheap. I remove the plastic covering on non-chipped keys most of the time, it allows them to lay flatter in the pocket so they arent as much of a nuisance to carry. A sharp wood chisel works well to remove the plastic on the heads.

 I keep the door remote in my vest pocket, or pants watch pocket or on a cord around my neck under my shirt, it makes it easier to get in the vehicle without fishing around in my pocket when attached to the ignition key, and gives another layer of lockout protection. I can hit the door unlock without getting it out, just by feel through the pocket or clothes.

 Ive zip tied and magnetic boxed keys to the vehicle, and they came in handy a time or two, but I also realized all the minimum wage oil change guys knew they were there.

 Ive locked myselef out enough times in bad places that I finally settled on the simplest and cheapest possible way to ensure it didnt happen again, always have spare keys on you at all times. Works well and is cheap.

 Regarding basic security, never ever leave the keys in your vehicle when getting gas, (or "just going in the store for a minute..." Utter foolishness) and never leave the doors unlocked. Its a common way to steal cars, people basically giving them away for free by leaving keys in them. Another trick is sneaking up on the opposite side when fueling and opening the door and reaching in to take whatever they find and closing the door and walking away, most people never realize anything is gone until some time later, or at least until they are gone. Mine is locked anytime i cant see it, which includes standing next to it if Im not paying attention to it. In camp, in my driveway at my cabin way out of town, its never unlocked when Im not in it.



 Some smart people never park near the door of a quick mart, or they park at the pumps even when not getting gas. If theres a robbery or trouble, you dont want to have to be right by the door to be able to leave.

 

[LERCA]

When I take long trips I wear the second key on a string -like a necklace- but under my clothes.
Childish, I know, but effective.

Just make sure no bad men follow you home and ask you to help them find their lost puppy. ? Make sure it stays hidden. That’s what I was always telling my 2nd graders. And their parents not to write their names on their backpacks. LOL Unless the bad man is cute and good with power tools.....

 

[Weight]

I have a door only key hidden out side with a -> strong <- magnet. The one vehicle with an electronic key will not lock with the fob inside. I pull the battery and keep both in a mint can stashed away.

 

[JennyJ]

Thanks for the great ideas, both for the fobs and the spare key.

I just want to make sure I can access the second fob somehow, should something happen to the one I always carry!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Another thing I do when boondocking is to tie a foot long fluorescent orange streamer to my key fob ring.
Gives me half a chance of finding it if I drop it in the weeds.

 

[JennyJ]

That's a ~great~ idea, thanks!

 

[MrNoodly]

Of the various vehicles I've had, several (usually German or Japanese) were set up so it was impossible to lock your key in the car. You needed either the key or the remote to lock the doors from the outside. It makes much more sense.

 

[MrNoodly]

Another thing I do when boondocking is to tie a foot long fluorescent orange streamer to my key fob ring.
Gives me half a chance of finding it if I drop it in the weeds.

My key has a red streamer on it.