The following is a true story: I went for a hike. It was lovely. As I was finishing — two hours and 1,700 vertical feet later — I realized I’d dropped the keys to my vehicle somewhere along the trail.

Few things are more frustrating than getting locked out of your car, especially if a dysfunctional key fob is the culprit. Conversely, there are, no doubt, some adventure-seeking drivers out there who ...