Como lake road car stolen Blanca peak

[Ptglhs]

The whole gun suggestion is really funny. Try this on: let's sit at the trailhead, using your car as bait, waiting in ambush to shoot the perp who is coming to steal it! A brilliant strategy. A little time intensive, but packing some real firepower in an ambush is the best way to spend some quality time in the hillz.

I think he'd bag a wolf, grizzly, wolverine, or mountain lion before he shot someone in the act of stealing his car.

[Matt]

Another simple preventive measure is to disconnect or remove a battery cable.

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Vehicle anti-theft device. Very effective.

As as smug manual driver whose car was broken in to a few weeks ago, I love it!

Another simple preventive measure is to disconnect or remove a battery cable.

Thats what I'm guessing happened here, and why the original poster hasn't returned to say it. People leave keys at their car and are shocked that people get into it. Those people are lucky the thief doesn't drive away with the vehicle too

You may wish to try this test before bagging on the OP:

[nsaladin]

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Vehicle anti-theft device. Very effective.

As as smug manual driver whose car was broken in to a few weeks ago, I love it!

Another simple preventive measure is to disconnect or remove a battery cable.

A kill switch could be wired up in an hour as well, and no need to pop the hood.

[polar]

Another simple preventive measure is to disconnect or remove a battery cable.

I'm not a very mechanically inclined person, but wouldn't a disconnected battery cable be the easiest thing to figure out? You can't easily remove the battery cable or the battery itself (at least on my car), so if the thief bothers to pop the hood, it would be pretty easy to see the cable has been removed.

Looking at all these different ideas, I think taking out a couple of fuses may be the easiest thing to do for someone like me (who's not very good with cars). And fuses are small enough that I can pretty much hide them anywhere in the car. Take out two and hide them in two different places would greatly reduce the chance of someone finding both.

Looking at the fuse diagram for my car, I see one that's for "engine ignition system/SRS airbag", and one that's for "fuel pump". I assume these would be the ones that will prevent someone from starting the car if removed?

[highpilgrim]

Take out two and hide them in two different places would greatly reduce the chance of someone finding both.

Any of these ideas can be made to work well; it's kind of a personal preference thing.

What I haven't seen mentioned is that while having your car stolen is the worst, it also sucks big to have your car smashed open, even if not stolen. Broken windows and a car full of water is another crappy way to end a hike.

I have a hard time making myself leave my car open though. It seems like it's just inviting trouble...

[polar]

Oh for sure, I just don't know enough about cars to install a kill switch or anything like that.

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Here's the fuse diagram for my car (yes, I drive a crappy Subaru Outback). I don't actually see any fuse in the engine compartment I can pull, so besides fuse 11 and 13, am I missing anything else obvious?

[Conor]

These anti-theft measures are all well and good, but I'm the guy who's gonna leave that all-important relay or fuse somewhere on the trail and really screw myself over.

I've had plans (for the last 3 years) to weld a small lockbox to my frame to store the keys. You could give your climbing partners the code to open it in case they beat you back to the car (or in my case, they can't take the uber big day and turn in early ) I'm more worried about losing my keys while out than I am about my car getting stolen.

[Cruiser]

I was traveling recently and saw a guy tuck his keys into a Realtors lock box and attach it to his trailer hitch before leaving his truck to go surfing. Seemed like a perfect solution to the problem of where to stash a car key when you want to leave the keys securely at the vehicle instead of taking them with you.

[chicagostylehotdog]

I just leave a spare key hidden in my car. If I lose my keys on the trail, or if I'm the driver and fall off a 1000+ cliff and my partner can't get to my lifeless body to recover the key, a window can be smashed and my car can be driven out. Still cheaper than a backcountry tow and I don't have to fuss with leaving a key outside my car.

I'm with Conor though, my main fear is losing my keys on the trail. That's why my keys are redundantly secured in my pack. Always in a zippered pocket and clipped two at least two things. Really, the only way for me to lose my keys is to lose my whole pack, which I try hard to avoid.

I do like the idea of a partner being able to get in my car (without smashing a window) if he beats me back to the TH.

[WVMountaineer]

I'm more worried about losing my keys while out than I am about my car getting stolen.

I'm guilty of hiding my key in the truck and taking only the key fob with me. This way, I can still unlock my car (assuming the battery doesn't die) and open it when I'm done hiking. I do it this way because if I do happen to lose the key fob while out hiking, I don't have to go back up the mountain looking or it and worst case I find a way to gain access to my truck (smash a window, remove the antenna and press the unlock button, etc) and can still drive home.

I'm also an electrical engineer so I have zero excuse to not wire a kill switch... hmmm, maybe I'll make that happen this weekend since I can't go hiking.

[WVMountaineer]

Here's the fuse diagram for my car (yes, I drive a crappy Subaru Outback). I don't actually see any fuse in the engine compartment I can pull, so besides fuse 11 and 13, am I missing anything else obvious?

I'd try #11 first because odds are that'll prevent any kind of start signal from making it's way to the computer or rest of the starter system. If you only pull #13, you could still potentially turn the engine over but it won't start if no fuel is being injected.

[polar]

I'd try #11 first because odds are that'll prevent any kind of start signal from making it's way to the computer or rest of the starter system. If you only pull #13, you could still potentially turn the engine over but it won't start if no fuel is being injected.

Thanks, I'll try that!