How do you keep your rack cargo dry?

callaway · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:01 am

This is a very dumb question but how do those of you w/roof racks keep the cargo dry?

I'm going on a camping adventure for 1.5 - 2 weeks covering several hundred miles and plan on keeping all the camping gear on the roof. If it rains on the way I don't want to put together a wet tent or use a wet sleeping bag (but if it rains while I'm setting up I guess it doesn't really matter

).

I guess the simplest way is having a tarp covering the gear and then using netting to hold it all down, but then I'd have roof noise on the highway from the tarp. Does anyone else try to keep stuff dry?

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

Why don't you pack everything in the waterproof gear bags?

callaway · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:15 am

waterproof gear bag eh? I'll look into that...

2006KJSPORT4x4 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:27 am

8x10' tarp...wrap whatever I need in it and then bungee it all down....has worked for me so far...depending on the size of gear of course will also change the size of tarp

callaway · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:29 am

tarp would prob be easiest as I don't think a bag would arrive in time. But how much do you think something like this would hurt my gas mileage... the bag is 38" x 38" x 18"...

HyperKJ · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:36 am

you could also look at sealline http://www.seallinegear.com/ they make waterproof/drybags for kayak's, canoes etc. but would also probably
work well for a roof rack. the only thing is there quite expensive, but are completly water/dust proof. i would imagine a tarp could be a cheap fix as well. hope this helps

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:34 am

It never rains in California!

I used a tarp over my gear on the trip to Moab a few years ago as it was a rainy year. Make sure to use a nice heavy duty tarp though as the one I had didn't hold up very well and was pretty much useless by the time we go there.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:09 am

The few time that we carried our stuff on the rack we only put up top what could get wet
and some of that was my cloths packed in a water proof gear bag
We had a good camping/out door store here but they closed down I dont think that the "big box " stores have them at least not the real good ones
We also used a plastic bin but that sucked as far as mpg goes

I have found that with some cleaver packing you can fit cloths and sleeping gear for 4 adults for 4 nights behind the seat and then use some smaller bins for food and through the ice chest up top ,we use 2 smaller ice chest 1 for food and 1 for "drinks"

have fun

hooperswish · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:43 am

What I was thinking of doing was to put the tarp in first, then put in the gear, then folding the tarp over everything like a burrito. Then use my "spider" net that I got at pepboys for $15 to secure it real well. So far I have not used the tarp, but the net works great. I had a ton of fishing equipment up there and it was entirely secure. But since it was fishing equipment i.e. pontoon boat, net, rods, reels, etc. I did not care about it getting wet. I think the burrito config. and a spider net could be sufficient.
Good luck....

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:14 pm

I use dry bags as HyperKJ suggested. That way my gear is always packed and stored correctly, and goes on and comes off the rig fast and in light enough packages that anyone can handle them. They keep dirt and dust out as well as water. They come in so many colors and sizes that customizing sizes to you gear needs and colors to itemize your gear is a snap. They even make them with windows or clear plastic so you can see inside them without opening.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:35 pm

spoonplugger1 wrote:

I use dry bags as HyperKJ suggested. That way my gear is always packed and stored correctly, and goes on and comes off the rig fast and in light enough packages that anyone can handle them. They keep dirt and dust out as well as water. They come in so many colors and sizes that customizing sizes to you gear needs and colors to itemize your gear is a snap. They even make them with windows or clear plastic so you can see inside them without opening.

do you sell them?

J.K. dude :lol:

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:28 pm

hooperswish wrote:

What I was thinking of doing was to put the tarp in first, then put in the gear, then folding the tarp over everything like a burrito. Then use my "spider" net that I got at pepboys for $15 to secure it real well. So far I have not used the tarp, but the net works great. I had a ton of fishing equipment up there and it was entirely secure. But since it was fishing equipment i.e. pontoon boat, net, rods, reels, etc. I did not care about it getting wet. I think the burrito config. and a spider net could be sufficient.
Good luck....

That's what I do. Works well for me but, we don't get much rain. I did go through a pretty good shower on the way to the lake Friday night though, and everything was still dry when I pulled it off the rack.

2006KJSPORT4x4 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:56 pm

My local paper had a Target advertisement in it for the Thule roof storage bag. Not sure of the size but looked pretty big. Was on sale for $59.99, seems pretty reasonable to me for those that are looking for that sort of thing....

kolesy · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:47 pm

This is what I have and it works awesome! Drove down from Pa to NC with it loaded up and it poured down rain most of the way and everything was completely dry!! Awesome!

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates ... 20131&rid=

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:09 pm

I have two of those bags and have used both in several miles of reain, one trip back from Fla. was in rain for about 10 hours nothing was even a least little bit damp, do hurt the mileage some though

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:00 am

Those roof top bags work great. When I fist got mine and wasn’t sure if it would leek I put everything inside the cargo bag then put a tarp over if and closed up the bag.
But for extra precaution I’ve sprayed the bag down with water repellant, especially around the seams and that seems to have helped. Never had anything more than MAYBE a few drops and that was on some heavy heavy rains on the way to the camping site.

spoonplugger1 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:07 am

Jason,
No, I don't sell bags. Just have used them to pack my gear for wheelin', fishing wilderness float trips of Alaska and the rest of the country. Back country horseback riding, canoeing, kayaks, pontoon boats and my jet sled. Takes me just minutes to load up as the tents, cooking gear and stove, dried foods, travel spinning and fly rods with gear, raingear and sleeping bags, etc. are all clean and packed up to be used at a moments notice.

chetos · **Posted:** Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:48 am

callaway wrote:

tarp would prob be easiest as I don't think a bag would arrive in time. But how much do you think something like this would hurt my gas mileage... the bag is 38" x 38" x 18"...

Go to Wally World. I think I've seen them there.

How do you keep your rack cargo dry?

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