I’ve kept my keys on the same Nite Ize carabiner for more than 10 years. I can quickly clip it to the cart when I go to the grocery store and never have to worry about setting my keys down somewhere. If you don’t need a cart, you can quickly clip them onto a belt loop and still use two hands to carry larger purchases.

This is a dual lockable carabiner, meaning that you can keep one side locked (the side with your keys, for example) and keep the other unlocked for quick clipping and unclipping to a backpack. I’ve never had to worry about the little black lock coming undone.

The stainless steel is very high quality and has a smooth finish. Some of the black anodized coating has worn off over the years, but the spring clips haven’t lost a bit of tension.

These carabiners are available in several different sizes and colors. I use the #3 size carabiner for my keys. I keep my vehicle keys, house key, and classroom key on here and there is still room for at least a couple more to fit comfortably. The #4 carabiner is a little larger and might be the way to go for those who carry more keys.

I always bring several of these when I travel. They’re perfect for attaching various items such as my flashlight or water bottle to the MOLLE loops on my 5.11 Tactical RUSH backpack, which I reviewed here. I’ve even used them to hang clothes to dry on a windy hotel balcony in Spain.

I don’t camp as much as I’d like to, but you can never have enough of these when you’re in the woods. Having carabiners can be the difference between being comfortable and enjoying your time or being miserable in so many different ways.

You’ll never go back to thick old-school “D-ring” carabiners (unless you’re using them for climbing, which these are not rated for) after you buy the Nite Ize S-biner.

I bought this as a “go-bag” to keep in my trunk in the event of an emergency. If I have to rush to the hospital because a loved one has been admitted, I will have a change of clothing, toiletries, contact information, snacks, reading material, entertainment to keep the kids busy, and various chargers – all things that would make being away from home unexpectedly for a couple of days go a lot smoother.

The 5.11 Tactical RUSH 24 has been the best backpack I’ve ever owned. It makes the day pack that I was issued in the Marines look like something from Dora the Explorer. The 5.11 pack is large, incredibly durable, and has well-designed internal organization. The price is very reasonable for a bag that is going to hold up for years, even with heavy use. For this reason, these bags are popular with outdoorsmen, law enforcement, and those who travel frequently.

I brought this bag to Spain on my high school’s most recent exchange trip. It worked great as a carry-on, allowing me to take my full size laptop, several books, hygiene kit, pillow for the plane ride, and many snacks with some room to spare. This will be my carry-on bag going forward whenever I fly because of how organized it keeps everything. There are compartments inside of compartments inside of compartments. This is my kind of bag.

The RUSH pack comes in three sizes: 12, 24, and 72. The 12 is similar in size to a school backpack. It would be too small for what I need it to do. The 72 is huge. It’s too large to use as a carry-on when you fly and just too bulky. If you need a bag that big, go with the next step up and buy a framed pack. The 24 is large, but won’t look out of place anywhere you would normally carry a backpack. Even though it’s not a lightweight pack, it is comfortable to carry thanks to the generous padding in the shoulder straps and the padding on the back.

5.11 does a good job of ensuring that all of their products play well together. The RUSH 24 is set up to accommodate a wide assortment of Molle gear including accessory pouches, individual first aid kits, magazine pouches, radio holsters, and more. A word of warning – it would be easy to make even the RUSH 24 massive and unbalanced by adding too much to the outside of the bag. Personally, I haven’t had to add anything to mine, as there isn’t anything that I need to carry that the interior compartments can’t accommodate.

Be aware that the organizational pouches expand internally, so don’t expect to fill these all up and stuff the main compartment at the same time. I wouldn’t be concerned about overloading the bag weight-wise, but it will become too bulky.

At the time I wrote this review, this bag was available in the following colors: black, dark navy, double tap (dark gray), flat dark earth, olive drab, and sandstone. I originally purchased the sandstone bag, but it had a greenish tint to it in person that I didn’t care for. I returned it and got the flat dark earth which is similar to the “coyote brown” color that a lot of tactical clothing comes in. I prefer the lighter colors, as it makes items in individual compartments easier to find.

Put this device in the category of “why didn’t I think of that?” It’s such a simple concept, but the utility and the build quality make this something that I think all cars should come equipped with from the factory. WeatherTech is known for their durable precision-fit floor mats and other accessories. Just like their other products, the CupFone is designed, engineered, and manufactured in America.

My mother-in-law had sent my wife one of these via Amazon as a surprise since she has a pretty long commute to her school. I thought it looked like something I would get a lot of use out of, so I asked her to look it up real quick to see how much it was. I have to admit that I was taken aback when she told me that it was $52, but she very generously told me to have it since her cup holders were for her Starbucks. There is no doubt that it’s a chunk of change for a plastic contraption that sits in your cup holder, but I can honestly say it’s worth every penny of that after using it for the past several months.

This is hands down my favorite automotive accessory due to how convenient it makes stowing my phone when I get in my vehicle. It’s become a habit to slide my phone in the holder as soon as I get in and grab it when I reach my destination. Because the phone is securely held in place by gravity, you don’t need to loosen any fasteners when you need to access it. I also don’t even bother plugging in the aux cable anymore because the CupFone elevates my phone and makes it much easier to hear my podcasts or audiobooks than when I used to just set it on the passenger seat.

Having my phone slide around on the seat or fall on the floor (or worse yet, fall in between and under the seats) is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to my while I’m driving. Don’t waste your time on the gel mats or the holders that attach to the air vents — they won’t secure your phone like this will.

The extension feature is especially useful for using voice commands and for when I need to safely take a quick look at the GPS because I can set it at the optimal height and angle. The extension –as well as the adjustment wheels for the bracket that holds the phone itself, the tilt, and the rotation — stay exactly in the position that you set them indefinitely. This is where off-brand accessories similar to the WeatherTech CupFone and cell phone mounts and tripods fail.

The CupFone uses multiple sized tapered friction cups that can be changed to fit the cup holder. There are enough of these cups to provide what feels like a factory fit in any of our vehicles’ cupholders, including in my John Deere Gator. The bracket itself adjusts to fit any smartphone and gently secures it in a dense cushioned slot. The bracket’s design allows you to keep your phone plugged in for charging while it’s in the holder. You can even remove your phone from the holder or replace it with one hand without ever having to disconnect your charging cord.

You will never have to worry about whether someone will use your gift if you give them one of these. I can’t think of anyone whose commute you couldn’t make a little easier by buying them a CupFone.