Thanks all for the great replies and experiences. It's nice to know the link will last the life of the chain, I originally thought they meant you take it off a few times, you had to put a new one on. I added to my saddle bag kit a chain tool, extra links and a spare master link and pliers, a U-shaped bent spoke to hold the chain together while changing master link. Seems the older I get, the more I worry about getting stuck somewhere. Only once decades ago I got stuck with a blown tire in the middle of nowhere. So luckily, some wonderful teenagers in a old pickup truck stopped and gave me a ride to the nearest town. My faith in humanity was restored. To this day, I wish those kids a good life.