I used to keep my keys on a standard carabiner, which I could clip to my belt loop. Most of the time, that worked fine. But every so often, when I unclipped the carabiner from my belt loop, one of the key rings would slip off without me noticing. I had spare keys, so such events were really just a minor nuisance. Then, I got a car with an (exorbitantly priced) keyless entry remote.
One day the inevitable happened, I reached for my keys and the ring with the remote was gone. Staving off the panic, I assured myself that it would turn up. Luckily, the lawn service at my apartment came across it a couple days later... after they ran it over with a riding lawnmower.
Staring at the mangled corpse of my absurdly costly key fob, I resolved to solve my key loss problem once and for all. With the simple hack I describe here, I haven't lost a key since! (Though I have yet to replace the remote.)
This project was made proudly at the i3 Detroit hackerspace.
One day the inevitable happened, I reached for my keys and the ring with the remote was gone. Staving off the panic, I assured myself that it would turn up. Luckily, the lawn service at my apartment came across it a couple days later... after they ran it over with a riding lawnmower.
Staring at the mangled corpse of my absurdly costly key fob, I resolved to solve my key loss problem once and for all. With the simple hack I describe here, I haven't lost a key since! (Though I have yet to replace the remote.)
This project was made proudly at the i3 Detroit hackerspace.
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You'll need:
* An s-biner (two-sided carabiner)
* A key ring
* Some heat shrink tubing
* A heat gun
* Your keys
* An s-biner (two-sided carabiner)
* A key ring
* Some heat shrink tubing
* A heat gun
* Your keys
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Head down to your local hardware store and ask for O'Kay's KeySafe. This belt clip has a spring release and once your keys are on it they are there when you need them. I have never lost a set of keys using these and they last for years. Multiple sizes too!
Not exactly DIY, but it works.
I love "S biners" and I keep two on my pack with vinyl tubing ( from pet shop ) to holds them closed, but a better way to handle the key on belt problem is to get a "RAINE" "key ring holder With flap", and a welded SS ring ( pick the size you need from the hardware store)...remove the small plastic key clip from the flap and slide the SS ring onto the double Velcro belt loop, If you use a closed loop biner , or a "round eye snap" you will never loose your keys and still have them on your hip and the flap keep the keys from ripping and dirtying your pants.
NEVER USE CHEEP ALUMINUM BINERS. !.... My key's are my job so I never go cheep, I have four friends that have made this set-up and we all love it.
The heat shrink held up surprisingly well on my last carabiner. I had it for about 9 months before the clip broke, and the heat shrink was still going strong. I'll bet your method would last years though.
Slide it down to lock it so things don't come loose accidentally.
I have one of these s-biners and keep my little swiss army knife on it.
It's great since I can clip the knife off when I want to use it without all the keys and junk attached, but sometimes it twists around and comes unclipped in my pocket!
This would certainly remedy that!
Great idea and nice writeup!
http://keyringstore.com/clips-clasps/24-beltclip.html
Only downside is I jangle if I run, but never losing a master key... priceless.
I have encountered the problems where the s-biner slips out of the belt loop as well. (esp when loaded down with key's and large key rings)
anyway, for my fix, i used some stretchy electrical wire jacket. so that i could slide it over the open gate portion with enough overlap so my keys wouldn't come out again, but if I needed to take they key ring off, i just had to slide the sleeve down to open the "gate" .... it might take some tough fingernails to slide it off.. and some time to find the right size and strength and flexible wire covering.. but my keys have not come off for over 3 years now!
I have replaced all of the plastic mini-biners with metal ones. I have one key or fob per biner. This is so handy. However, while the rack
never came loose from my belt-loop, sometimes individual biners would be missing. I have recovered them almost every time, but I got tired of the sick feeling losing car/home/office keys.
My solution: I had some fish aquarium air hose laying around. I cut some short pieces that would fit on each mini s-biner. This way, it can slip over the clipping mechanism and lock it. When you need to remove a key quickly at the dealership or need to loan a key to someone, you just slide the hose away from the locking mechanism and it comes right open! (The air hose material gets a little dirty after a year or two but they are so cheap to replace.)
What I use is a regular beaner-clip on each end of a lanyard, clipped to my belt loop. This way I can reach almost anything that I'm unlocking or the car ignition without ever actually detaching anything. I can easily unclip one or the other ends when necessary, of course (keeping the car on while I need to get out of it), but I can never drop them, lock them in the car etc.
With shrink wrap, also, if you need to remove it for any reason, it's just a quick slit and it's done.
Very good re-purposing. Thanks.
I've lost keys as well. The s-biner is great but it seems that if it's twisted at just the right angle, with the keys in just the right spot, the clip leaves enough room for them to slip off. I ended up using some tape to keep it 100% safe but this is much cleaner. :P
I have used a "STANLEY Round Eye Swivel Bolt Snap" with the sliding closure for about thirty years with very few problems.
I admit though that I have never tried the nite-eyez s-biner you have used here, I have seen them at the Harbor Freight tool store and will pick one up next time I'm there...