i see several of us rate the car key as something we worry about.
what do you do or did to keep it safe?
on my early trips i duct taped it to one of the thwarts another time i went off in the woods a bit from the parking lot and hid it under a rock in a plastic bag.i also hid it under the car frame.
now it go's along with me in the day bag in the pouch that has quick clot,heavy bandage and my drivers license and cash in a zip lock..a bit of cord ties the zipper shut.as time went on and nothing really happened in the way of losing it i stopped making such a big deal out of it.
on buddy trips he gets a spare key to carry and he puts in his first aid kit.

Usually I take one key with me and keep it in a pocket by itself that zips or snaps. That way I never remove it. I leave a second key locked in the car. If I lose the first I'm breaking in somehow.

Lol, I thought I was the only one. I put it in the back pocket of my canoe pants and safety pin it to the bottom. It also zips closed. Yeah, I'm a bit paranoid about it.

under my bumper in a hidden spot.

Hidden on the car someplace.

900 posts on the nose! Sorry I'm a numbers geek.

I keep my keys in a zippered pocket. Guess I live dangerously and don't bring a spare.

I hide them on my suburban, no reason to carry them in the BW.

quote housty9: "I hide them on my suburban, no reason to carry them in the BW."

This is what I do. I tuck them inside the frame of my Suburban.

I carry my car keys in a Pelican Micro Case along with my wallet and Passport.

Hans Solo

quote HansSolo: "
I carry my car keys in a Pelican Micro Case along with my wallet and Passport.

Hans Solo"

Similar idea but mine go in the bottom under the foam of may camera Pelican Case. I do carry a spare key for the car but that requires breaking a window to get at it, can drive to an auto glass repair shop at least!
Trip documents, fishing license and such in a small sailcloth waterproof wallet on me or in map case.

butthead

I carry a set in a small waterproof case with other valuables DL, passport, etc. and the case is always in my canoe pants pockets zippered up. These days I like to keep my truck in an outfitters lot (instead of at a portage head) and give a spare key for the outfitter to keep.

I've put it in a ziploc bag, under a log, covered in leaves.
I've put it in an air tight, floating container.
I've hidden it in a ziploc bag under the truck.

The first and third method give me the most reassurance. If I leave from an EP that is a bit more busy, I'll go with hiding the key in the woods method.

I leave mine in my suburban. Wait! I don't have a Suburban. I hide one. I figure no one would look in the ignition. :)

One key goes with me in a small zippered pouch in a pack, and the other one goes under a tire on the vehicle. I should probably just leave it in the ignition with the door unlocked like I do the rest of the time.

Alan

I bring a set with...and hide a spare set

First solo, I put it in my ditch bag. Second Solo, I left the key at Rockwood Outfitters. Normally on group trips, I leave it the top pocket of my pack clipped to a loop. No spare key.

quote housty9: "I hide them on my suburban, no reason to carry them in the BW."

...except that a bunch of people have now documented that they leave hidden keys on their cars in remote parking lots!

I bring just the ignition key and tie it to the inside of either my camera bag or under-seat bag - the two bags I figure I'm least likely to lose.

Clipped inside my pfd in pocket with paperwork. My paranoid brain always wonders if I locked my car. I have even gone back to check.
Mac

Vehicle key and ID go with permits in a ziplock then in the large pocket of my life vest which is then zippered shut.
I have worried about leaving a key with the vehicle and got some good ideas about out in the woods reading this thread. I will photo the spot to help me remember when I get back.

Put my keys, Wallet, Permit, and Spare Map inside of my packs internal zippered foam pocket.

quote HansSolo: "
I carry my car keys in a Pelican Micro Case along with my wallet and Passport.

Hans Solo"

I'm with you Hans. Leaving a key in, on or around the car is asking for trouble. There's not a place on the car where you can hide a key that an experienced thief wouldn't check, including under the tires.

I used to keep a spare inside the vehicle, until the vehicle was broken into and stolen. They didn't even have to hot wire the sucker. I got a good lecture from the cops about that one.

Also, I get a chuckle out of cars with "the club" installed. A thick, hardened steel rod locked onto a steering wheel made of soft plastic with only a 1/4" thick steel wire in the center. Takes a thief about 15 seconds to cut through the steering wheel with a hacksaw and throw the club aside.

quote Jaywalker: "

quote housty9: "I hide them on my suburban, no reason to carry them in the BW."

...except that a bunch of people have now documented that they leave hidden keys on their cars in remote parking lots!


I bring just the ignition key and tie it to the inside of either my camera bag or under-seat bag - the two bags I figure I'm least likely to lose. "

Not to worried about that, have the car rigged with explosive when door is opened without the code:)

All but one of my cars now have the expensive key with the chip in it. You need that key to start the car, but you can get a door key made for $1.26 at a hardware store. I leave the key with the chip hidden in a locked car and carry a cheap key or two with.

No fancy key for my truck so one goes in the 1L sea to summit bag in my cargo pocket in pants with my ID, health insurance card, and debit & credit card. This bag also has my can of cope and matches, small bic, and fire starter.

I have another spare key that I put in my first aid kit.

One canoe trip with Scouts one of the leaders had the electronic key thing. Got wet - wouldn't open car.

I leave my key with remote with outfitter, and carry spare valet key in plastic case with passport or license and some cash and credit card.

Put the key with passport and paperwork in quart ziplock that gets dumped in the small "utility stuff-sack" and never gets looked at until I get off the trail.

Keys and wallet get thrown in the side of the foodpack and tucked way down into the bottom-- between the carrying material and the plastic box. I used to leave my wallet-- until it got stolen out of the Round Lake access. I used to be a stash guy-- not anymore.

some years ago i read something by a local fishing and outdoor writer that everyone would just set the key on the top of the left front tire.
the "key issue" tells us that as much as we love the BW when it's time to go lets get out of here......

quote housty9: "

quote Jaywalker: "

quote housty9: "I hide them on my suburban, no reason to carry them in the BW."

...except that a bunch of people have now documented that they leave hidden keys on their cars in remote parking lots!

I bring just the ignition key and tie it to the inside of either my camera bag or under-seat bag - the two bags I figure I'm least likely to lose. "

Not to worried about that, have the car rigged with explosive when door is opened without the code:)"

Oh that's a relief. For a moment there I was afraid you were being reckless!

quote Jaywalker: "

quote housty9: "

quote Jaywalker: "

quote housty9: "I hide them on my suburban, no reason to carry them in the BW."

...except that a bunch of people have now documented that they leave hidden keys on their cars in remote parking lots!


I bring just the ignition key and tie it to the inside of either my camera bag or under-seat bag - the two bags I figure I'm least likely to lose. "

Not to worried about that, have the car rigged with explosive when door is opened without the code:)"

Oh that's a relief. For a moment there I was afraid you were being reckless!"

Been doing it over twenty years, never had a problem, must be the sticker on to back window, "Enter at your own risk".:)

quote WhiteWolf: "Keys and wallet get thrown in the side of the foodpack and tucked way down into the bottom-- between the carrying material and the plastic box. I used to leave my wallet-- until it got stolen out of the Round Lake access. I used to be a stash guy-- not anymore."

If I got a dead battery back at the landing it should be relatively easy to find a key for a car to get a jump start. Never realized so many people stashed keys.

Valet key vacuum sealed and in my Pfd pocket with survival items. My full set is in a ziplock in one of the packs. I like two sets incase someone "accidently" grabs my pack at a portage.

The chances of being separated from both my Pfd and pack on the same portage are slim I hope!


Credit card and driver's license are in my zippered pants pocket at all times. No chance of losing them and I want my body to be easily identified if something really bad happens and I am separated from my gear.

I carry my key zipped in my life vest pocket, I is also attached to a carabiner which is secured to a frint in the pocket.

quote ILcdr: "Usually I take one key with me and keep it in a pocket by itself that zips or snaps. That way I never remove it. I leave a second key locked in the car. If I lose the first I'm breaking in somehow. "

Same thing here

I keep my keys, phone and wallet in a otter box that is tethered to the boat with a long enough tether that I don't need to remove it to open the box.

I used to just keep in an otter box in the boat thinking that the box would float if I flipped so I could just go get it. Well I did flip one time and the box filled with water and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Luckily I was close enough to home to solve it with a very expensive taxi ride home to pick up my keys and back again to the car. Since then I tether the box to the boat.

quote hobbydog: "

quote WhiteWolf: "Keys and wallet get thrown in the side of the foodpack and tucked way down into the bottom-- between the carrying material and the plastic box. I used to leave my wallet-- until it got stolen out of the Round Lake access. I used to be a stash guy-- not anymore."

If I got a dead battery back at the landing it shoulnd be relatively easy to find a key for a car to get a jump start. Never realized so many people stashed keys. "

I'm wondering about all the folks who wander off into the woods to take a pee when at an entry point. Are there enough places to hide a key? :-)

One in first aid kit, one locked in car.

OBX2..the only parking lots i have been in lately are on the Echo Trail and you could hide anything short of a junk car back in the woods.
other places could be along the path to the river or get away from the parking lot by just going down the road 50 feet.
the best ideas i see are having the key with you put away someplace.
years ago i took back-up everythings,spoon,watch,flash lights,hats,lighters..on and on until i realized that stuff just does not vanish when your out canoeing and a key in a pocket is like a key in your pocket at home.

my good key set with the auto door locks, stays in my lexan first aid kit, in the bottom of my pack. been thinking of getting a spare cut,for the zippered pouch in my life jacket with a foam float.

quote wetcanoedog: ",,,,,,,,,,,and a key in a pocket is like a key in your pocket at home.
"

And yet unlike at home, I can't just ask the wife for her keys because I can't find mine. Yes I've lost a set of keys and I've also misplaced a set of keys which were later recovered.

I LOVE my keyless entry on my vehicle. Now my keys stay in the vehicle even if I am only going boating or hunting for the day back home.

quote Huntindave: "

quote wetcanoedog: ",,,,,,,,,,,and a key in a pocket is like a key in your pocket at home.
"

And yet unlike at home, I can't just ask the wife for her keys because I can't find mine. Yes I've lost a set of keys and I've also misplaced a set of keys which were later recovered.


I LOVE my keyless entry on my vehicle. Now my keys stay in the vehicle even if I am only going boating or hunting for the day back home."

FORD....what a concept! I don't have one but envy that "option."

quote BobberRob: "I've put it in a ziploc bag, under a log, covered in leaves... If I leave from an EP that is a bit more busy, I'll go with hiding the key in the woods method. "

I was just thinking about paddling to shore not far from the EP and hiding one under a rock.

On my vehicle. Good enough to wear my buddy was panicking in the lot after forgetting his life vest in the pickup, only to realize after we got all the way to Angleworm lake.

Just obtained a new solo canoe. I've had it out three times in the first week. To be on the safe side, I left my keys, phone and wallet in the car. It's a Ford with keyless entry.

Got back to the car and couldn't remember my code number. No problem, I keep a copy in my wallet.........oops...........Still no problem, I'll just call the wife, she'll know the code.....double oops.

Senior moment. After much trial and error, I finally hit the right code.

Whew!

I carabineer it and put it on my belt. That way I notice it all the time. I just take one key.

Keep a spare key in a magnetic key case attached to the underside of your car or in a wheel well. You might think this could lead to the car being stolen but in practice if you don't know where the case is located its very difficult and time consuming to find. If the thing is not in easy view its unlikely a thief would devote the time to search for it, particularly if he has no way of knowing that its there.