Autopian Asks superfans will note that we already did a keychain question back in July of last year (What Keychains Are You Rocking?), but that Ask was more about the fun little tchotchkes like those below that some us hang off our keyrings to amuse ourselves, or perhaps to alert others to our level of car-coolness.
With that in mind, I can’t help but think of a boss I once had who, when he had a Ferrari in the 1980s, would casually place his keys on the bar when sidling up to a lady during happy hour. Or so I was told – the Ferrari was gone by the time I started there. I was also told the reason the Ferrari was no more was because it was once parked behind a lifted Jeep, and when the Jeep driver looked into his rear-view and saw nothing but clear driveway, he shifted into R and promptly backed over the Ferrari, monster-truck style. This story was confirmed by both my former boss and the Jeep driver, who was an employee at the time, and remained one even after going Full Monster Jam on the boss’s Ferrari.
Needless to say, those guys rule.
Anyway, back to this keychain query, where the focus is more on utility. I wouldn’t call myself an EDC nerd (EveryDay Carry – though knowing the term does kinda make me an EDC nerd, I guess), but I do enjoy choosing, or dare I say curating, nicely designed tools to keep on my person throughout the day. The level of kit I have in my pockets varies with what I expect the day to have in store for me, but I usually keep it pretty simple with just a flashlight and a knife (as seen in the top graphic). By affixing them to my keyring, I don’t have to think about making sure I have them with me – if I have my keys, I have my knife and flashlight. Add an AirTag in case I lose track of the whole shebang, and that’s my keychain situation.
The knife is a Victorinox SD Classic, which packs a small blade, scissors, nail file, screwdriver, toothpick, and tweezers into a mere 2.3 inches. I don’t think I’ve ever used the toothpick, but all the other items have seen plenty of action. I do wish it had a bottle opener though, as I usually grab a Mexican Coke on the way out of Home Depot, and the lovely glass bottle’s cap doesn’t twist off. Thankfully, Victorinox also offers the Rally, which is identical to the Classsic SD but swaps the scissors for a neatly designed tool that combines a bottle opener, wire stripper, and Phillips screwdriver.
As for the flashlight, it’s an Olight i3E EOS. I like this lil’ guy because it runs on a single AAA battery instead of button cells, and there’s no switch to accidentally click – to turn it on and off, you just twist the threaded lens end to make or break contact with the battery. Simple and goof-proof – and waterproof, too, thanks to an o-ring seal. Best of all, it’s just ten bucks.
“Pffft, I just use the flashlight on my phone.” Well yeah, so do I, but sometimes you need to use both your hands to fix whatever you’re shining the flashlight onto. The Olight is easy to tuck behind an ear or hold with your teeth in those situations, and it’s a backup if your phone dies.
I may not be prepared for everything, but I’m gonna be prepared for some things.
Your turn:
What’s Your Keychain Situation?
The post What’s Your Keychain Situation? appeared first on The Autopian.
