Roof Top Cargo

yakima cargo box

 

What’s Up Top?

 

To save you the trouble of trawling through various ‘Best Of’ web pages we thought we’d do it for you. With Winter finally getting it’s icy claws onto our roads and mountains the snow enthusiast’s thoughts turn to skis and boards; great inventions for fun on the slopes but a bit too cumbersome and wet for being at home inside your vehicle. There are plenty of options for slapping your gear on the roof but the two main styles are boxes and racks. The boxes afford the luxury of being enclosed, whilst the racks are arguably quicker and more convenient, but unarguably half the price. Take a peek at the two items that recently topped the charts at Rack Attack and Outdoor Gear Lab respectively. Both the winners were unsurprisingly made by Yakima, a Goliath when it comes to adding storage and  / or portability to your vehicle.

 

CARGO BOX  |  Yakima Skybox Pro

 

Review initially appeared in Outdoor GearLab  |  Even Lady Gaga gives her seal of approval to the Editors’ Choice winner, the Yakima Skybox Pro 16, for ease of use as a coffin in her video for Bad Romance. Beyond the style points of being in a Lady Gaga video, we think that the Skybox Pro rises above its competitors in all of the evaluation categories. We really like the way its Titanium finish looks on our tester’s Toyota Matrix, and think it’s just the right size to haul around all kinds of gear and equipment. We also love how easy it is to use; we could open and close it with one hand because if its stiff lid, the handy pull cord, and the latch handle that pops it open and makes it easy to see that it is closed. It is the heaviest box we tested, but does not make a lot of road noise until we get over 70 MPH. We also only notice a difference in handling when there are very high crosswinds on the highway, otherwise we forget it is there.

 

RACK  |  Yakima FatCat 6 Black

 

Review initially appeared on backcountry.com  |  When the snow gods bless you with double-digit freshies, load your crew’s skis and boards into the Yakima FatCat 6 w/Locks before you head to the hill. The DoubleJoint hinge system is specifically designed for fat skis and boards, and the included SKS locks ensure no one will make like a bandit with your prized pow slayers.

  • FatCat 6 will securely hold up to six pairs of skis or four snowboards
  • DoubleJoint hinge system is specifically designed to hold fat powder skis and boards
  • Included mounting hardware with an over-molded stainless steel strap fits most factory round, square, and aerodynamic bars
  • Included snap-around hardware allows you to mount the rack with aftermarket Yakima round or square bars
  • Included SKS Lock Cores to keep your skis and boards safe and secure
  • Integrated ski lift provides the necessary clearance for ski and snowboard bindings
  • Mirror black finish and the low-profile design looks great on top of your ride
  • Installation is quick, easy, and tool-free