Car keys - what to do with whilst caving?

[Over the Hill]

I think rsch has nailed this one for me; I've just looked around the "keysinthepost" website and I think using their services is the best thing to do (in my case).

So thanks everybody for those ideas but especially rsch.

Thanks for keeping me entertained Over the Hill!

:ang:

 

[Amy]

If you have a hitch just put a cap and lock on it. Hide your key inside. Or use a key lock box under your vehicle I think one such option was already posted.

 

[And]

I can say what not to do with your car keys. Don't leave them in a friend's car who exits the cave before you and drives off to the Helly Bridge, leaving you cold and wet standing in the snow, unable to get in your car!

 

[bagpuss]

My partner puts his in a velcro thing around his ankle. That arrangement started after our whole club got stranded in Priddy after the keys couldn't be found post trip. We returned with mental detectors but they didn't turn up for months until I think a fellow caver found them in the stream.  Moral of that story is not to put everyone's keys in one boot.. We were very grateful for the pub which gave us shelter after hours in our dripping gear until a lift from Bristol arrived!

 

[Mark Wright]

We returned with mental detectors but they didn't turn up for months until I think a fellow caver found them in the stream. 

Mental detectors you say, thats a new one on me.

Mark

 

[Roger W]

We returned with mental detectors but they didn't turn up for months until I think a fellow caver found them in the stream. 

Mental detectors you say, thats a new one on me.

Mark

Probably a technical term for dowsing...?

On a more relevant note, how strong are those keysafes as shown in ttxela's post?  If you clip them on where someone can find them, can they be hacked open with a set of metal shears/bolt cutters or whatever?

 

[Mark Wright]

Probably a technical term for dowsing...?



Mark

 

[Amy]

We returned with mental detectors but they didn't turn up for months until I think a fellow caver found them in the stream. 

Mental detectors you say, thats a new one on me.

Mark

Probably a technical term for dowsing...?

On a more relevant note, how strong are those keysafes as shown in ttxela's post?  If you clip them on where someone can find them, can they be hacked open with a set of metal shears/bolt cutters or whatever?

If someone wants your car that bad nothing will stop them. The idea is to stop the average intruder looking for a car to get, not the one with a personal vendetta on you.

 

[doughobbs]

This is why I always leave my keys just inside the cave entrance at a suitable position that is easy to find. As a few years ago we did a Draenen trip and put our keys under a stone on the surface, but it snowed whilst we were underground which made finding that stone rather entertaining.

ditto - I take my stuff in a way then stash it. I also NEVER leave anything in the car other than my clothes to change into as there are too may opportunists about that are not interested in taking the car, just getting the contents of it!

 

[PeteHall]

I also NEVER leave anything in the car other than my clothes to change into as there are too may opportunists about that are not interested in taking the car, just getting the contents of it!

Getting a bit off topic, but do you have any evidence for that?

When was the last time a caver came out after a trip to find there car broken into?

Is car crime of this nature a thing of the past?  :-\

 

[bazdog]

I put everything in a darren drum and take it with me down the cave.
  Slipped over on the way to a sea cave in mallorca and dropped it but luckily it rolled into a bush on the edge of a cliff (had wallet, car keys and phone in it so maybe best to not put all the eggs in one basket) 

 

[irnbru]

Pitlamp - I remember going in HB for a dive and jokingly saying to my friend, "don't let me dive without stashing these" of course the inevitable happened only just remembering on the return..."bugger". Can now recommend some waterproof bags with seals that clip over. I'll dig out the make when Im back home. They've been fine inside a drysuits to 40m. Will do some wetsuits tests and report back.

Also - a huge thank you to the local that lives near HB that kindly took my car keys into his house, took them apart and hair dryer them dry. He saved my job as the keys were for my boss's car he let me borrow!

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

[Pitlamp]

Thanks irnbru; the information about where those bags grow would be useful.

Also, if you have reason to test them under a wetsuit (as opposed to under a drysuit, which by definition should also keep the key dry!) then please do tell us all about it.

 

[Fulk]

What not to do (with car keys):

One day when walking down from GG in cold and nearly dark conditions we met a caver stomping up the track (this was just near the lake) looking very disgruntled. When we asked her if anything was wrong, and could we do anything to help, she said that 'she'd left her f****** car keys at the entrance to Hurnel Moss Pot'.

 

[Alex]

I have done that but at Newby moss. Got all the way down to the farm before realising. It was blisteringly hot too!

 

[tony from suffolk]

I recall an exploding ammo can incident (damp carbide), threw me 10ft down the passage, festoons of first aid bandages, tail end Charlie, the van owner, saw where the keys flew and we managed to recover them, never took the keys underground ever again.
One of the Girl Guides we were leading said  "is it always this exiting?",  not realising their 'leader' was a deaf gibbering wreck!!....

MORAL-- Don't let ANYONE else load your emergency kit, the guy washed out the spare carbide cartridge then put fresh  stuff in it without drying it out.

Snap, I had a ammo can go off big time in Hammer Pot in a crawl in front of my head as I tossed it forward. Jesus I was a jabbering wreck, big bang and flames. No keys in it though. Wonder if the smell has gone now and I don't mean carbide. 

Yep, had that happen to me too. Ammo tin strung over my shoulder & as I jumped off the little drop at he bottom of the old Forty in Swildons it hit the rock, went BANG, and flung me across the small chamber. I was fair shaken up & the lid of the ammo tin was bent at 45 degrees.

I always used to jam the key somewhere underneath the Land Rover's chassis. On an Eastwater trip someone wanted to pop their keys in an ammo tin. For some reason I didn't like the idea. Later, I managed to drop the tin down the Lower Traverse; never got it back...

 

[irnbru]

Sorry - I dropped a note to Pitlamp but forgot to post here...

The product name in question was an Aquapac - It's IPX8 which means it's waterproof indefinitely for extended periods. It doesn't say to what depth...so I have done some initial deeper tests and it has been fine so far. I'd be hesitant to recommend it just yet, but it's well made has a locking mechanism and there's variable sizes for phones, tablets etc (if you really feel the need!?!).

The only drawback that I can see is the actual "bag" is material, so a sharp rock could rip it, but so long as you were careful (or were just looking to plank the items under a rock out of view) I would think it would be OK.

 

[irnbru]

There's lots of different sizes on Ebay if you do a search but Tony sells 'em https://starlessriver.com/shop/dry_bags/aquapac_keymaster so that's kind of a seal of approval

 

[Chris Crowley]

This isn't just a problem for cavers it is a huge problem for surfers/sailors etc as large numbers of cars are  stolen from coatal car parks as thieves have realised that owners have no choice but to hide the key under the car (some car parks do operate key safe systems ) however from 2017 all new cars sold in the EU will have to use 'waterproof' entry systems

 

[Pitlamp]

There's lots of different sizes on Ebay if you do a search but Tony sells 'em https://starlessriver.com/shop/dry_bags/aquapac_keymaster so that's kind of a seal of approval

Aha - Tony's in the same club as me and I see him often, so I'll ask.

Thanks for your comments immediately above Chris; unfortunately "2017" for me means it'll be a long time before cars with such waterproof systems get within my price range!