Loading Car Tips To Safely Secure Your Gear | WRAPTIE™

by Cameron Saunders August 20, 2018

If you are a surfer, skier, kayaker or owner of any agonizingly bulky equipment, you have probably had to deal with the constant headache of getting your gear safely to the beach, snow or lake.  We’ve all heard the horror stories about athletic equipment sailing off into asphalt oblivion and people’s prized, expensive possessions flying off their car, careening into streets with a sickening smash.

Surfboard Secure with the WRAPTIE™ 180 

Using the right roof rack straps and making sure they’re applied correctly is the only way to prevent equipment losses, and avert possible catastrophic injury or death to other drivers. No one wants their kayak sailing down the highway because of faulty kayak straps!

Losing Gear Pays A Heavy Price

Losing your expensive gear isn’t the only cause for worry on a busy highway or city streets.  Crashes and deaths from unsecured loads pose a threat to the drivers behind you, as almost 40% of road debris crashes result in a driver swerving to avoid an object in the middle of a road—often going high speeds on the freeway.  

In a 2010 study, it was found that 51,000 crashes, 10,000 injuries, and 440 deaths were due to unsecured objects.  Research director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic and Safety, Jurek Grabowski, says, “Drivers can easily save lives and prevent injuries by properly securing their loads and taking other simple precautions to prevent items from falling off the vehicle.”

Using the Right Roof Rack Tie Down Straps

There’s plenty to choose from in the tie-down market (kayak tie down straps, ratchet straps, nite ize gear ties, adjustable bungee cords, etc.) but when it comes to thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment on your roof, you need something you trust, is tried and tested and will get your equipment to your destination without any snags or loose ends.

Ever had to deal with long straps that stream far from your object that you have to pile into your car?  What about the metal buckles that get tangled, rusty and breaks down quickly due to weather.  Buckles that damage your vehicle or your equipment, or bungee cords that pose a threat to your face when fastening. 

We have an option that dumped all those considerations into a pot and out came a perfect, simple strap that’s easy to store, infinitely adjustable (so no leftover strap), and is trustworthy with the heaviest and bulkiest of loads*.

Placement

Placing your gear in the correct area on top of your car is crucial for a safe, no-worry drive.  It’s recommended to have the centre of your equipment line up with the centre of your roof so that your securing straps fit over where they’ll have the most effect.  Additionally, reducing drag is the ticket here—if you have a large surfboard, you’ll want to place the board with the fins toward the front of the car, upside down (with the curved end pointing downward). Same reasoning for any other equipment you use.

Continually Checking Straps

While you’re driving, no matter how awesome your roof rack tie downs are, it’s always a good idea to continually monitor your car tie down straps and evaluate how they’re performing.  Especially on long road trips, re-check them on gas station stops, or make a point to specifically stop and check out how your tie-downs are faring.

WRAPTIE™ is the world’s smartest multi-function tie-down straps and can handle everything from smaller pack loads to sizable roof-bound equipment.  WRAPTIE™ straps’ ease of use, durable material, unparalleled strength and easy storage make these straps a winning formula for any and all gear that needs to stay in place.

 

*Each strap is rated to 50kg (110lbs) using a minimum of 3 x hook & loop tabs fully joined.

---

---

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in The WRAPTIE™ Blog