As we started adventuring into more remote locations in the southwest, we noticed that a lot of vehicles had their hoods propped open while parked at campsites. Having never seen this before, I Googled and discovered it was to protect pack rats and other pests from camping out under the vehicles’ hoods (cold desert nights, warm engine compartments) chewing wires and making other messes. A YouTube video on the subject suggested battery-operated devices that will deter the critters by making noise and flashing lights. It seemed like a relatively cheap solution, so I purchased a set of two and zip-tied them in the engine compartment.