StrapThang

[kbhit]

Has anyone tried the Yakima StrapThang?  I'm considering buying one for my Yakima but not sure if it will work for my purpose and would benefit from somebody who has one and tried it.  I really need it to hold TWO stacked SUP's (one 11" and one 10'8" on my car).  Not sure if it's big enough given how much bigger SUP's are than regular boards?  I'm also not sure if you can center the boards in the middle of the car or if they have to be positioned towards one side.  One of the main reasons I want this is to avoid having to run straps within my car.

Thank you

[Dwight (DW)]

Are you talking about the bungee inside a wedding sleeve by Yakima?

If you are, then consider skipping it. Black rubber bungees crack with age and break without warning. The fabric sleeve makes it fancy, but won't prevent disaster.

Instead, consider buying 3/8" round bungee off a bulk roll at a climbing store or hardware store. I'm talking about the bungee cord made up from dozens of tiny rubber bands stuffed in a tight fabric sleeve. When this type bungee breaks, it doesn't release your load. The fabric outer sleeve acts like a finger cot pinching the bungee and the sleeve is strong enough to hold your load.

We used this method to carry 80 lb hang gliders without damage, then windsurfers, and now SUPs over the last 35 years without loosing any.

Make a giant loop with knotted end, just like Yakima does it.

I avoid straps. They are good for nothing but crushing rails.

[Caribsurf]

I have owned the Strap Thang and it worked fine for a year or so with my surfboards until one day while driving down I-95 in Florida after a surf session I hear a "ping" and I see in my rearview window my board tumbling down the highway.  The board was trashed, thank God I didn't  kill anyone or cause an accident though.  All 4 rubber straps had snapped cleanly which led me to believe some a-hole local was pissed I was at his break and pre cut the straps because it was too coincidental.  Worked fine up until then...

  Not sure I would trust it with the size and wind resistance of a SUP driving on a highway.

[juandoe]

I love my shockles.  No passing the strap back and forth, adjustable.  Wear should be evident.  Mine are in the sun yearlong and still working fine.

http://www.shockles.com/products/shockstrap.cfm

[kbhit]

Very cool.  Great suggestions, thank you!   Do the Shockles do the trick if you only have the crossbars?  Or do you also have the perpendicular bars (that run the length of the car) that you clip to?

[juandoe]

They will secure to anything.  All you do is wrap it around the bar and clip the caribiner back on the strap.  My setups are Thule bars and also Thule Hullavators.  They have lots of photos on the shockles website to show various setups.

[highsierrabear]

Strap Thang= $60 piece of junk that caused $100 in ding repairs to my longboard. 

The front one snapped without warning and the boards lifted like a sail and flew off the car.  Fortunately they weren't run over.  It's just not worth that pit of the stomach sinking feeling of seeing your boards flying through the air in your rear view mirror.

I go with cheap adjustable cinch straps from REI.  They last a long time and can be used for a lot of things.  They can also be inspected for damage unlike the Strap Thing.  Sometimes the simpler cheap option is better.

[andygere]

The Shockles look like a good solution for quick on/off loading of boards.

Do they buzz against the board while driving (my current straps are driving me crazy)?

Do you know what the elastomer inside the webbing is made of? 

I made a strap set up like this for my surfboards many years ago, with the only difference being that I did not cover the shock cord with hollow webbing.  Fortunately, I replaced the shock cord before it completely failed.

[Admin]

These things are awesome.  The only thing you will want to change from the video is that the outside of the strap should always be looped inside the foot  .   

[juandoe]

The Shockles look like a good solution for quick on/off loading of boards.

Do they buzz against the board while driving (my current straps are driving me crazy)?

Do you know what the elastomer inside the webbing is made of? 

I made a strap set up like this for my surfboards many years ago, with the only difference being that I did not cover the shock cord with hollow webbing.  Fortunately, I replaced the shock cord before it completely failed.

I have had mine a couple of years now and the elastomer is still good.  The webbing is still intact so I dunno what it is.  No buzzing whatsoever.  I am never going back to cinch straps.

[stoneaxe]

Shawn at maxfield provisions has some great straps. I use a mix of them and my steelcores depending on if I need security.

[linter]

Like Admin, I use the GARBS and they are terrific.  I'm going to replace them this year with another set, but the ones on there have lasted for 4 years now, no problems.  They make it super fast to get your board on and off.  While other people are struggling with their straps, I'm either already on the water or off to get coffee.  Yum!

[Rockbottom]

The Garb looks convenient, however after what could have been a 10 car pileup accident with a touring kayak had I not blown a yellow light that was a result of using a hook based system and no safety hitch, (totally my own fault) I will no longer use hooks.  I use good ole' fashioned rope with a trucker's hitch, with no issues in the last 10 years.
    It was a surreal moment to see the bow of my boat hit the concrete outside the driver's side window, slide perpendicular to my truck, then see it spinning like a top in the road behind me, coming to rest perfectly parallel with the road on the yellow lines.
      funny in retrospect.   Just thought I'd share.

[gbww]

Go to camstraps.com and tell him you need rack straps. One side is a buckle that loops through itself, and the other side is a long tail that loops through itself. These are bomb proof, quick to install and take off of the vehicle.

It is the same buckle set up we use on whitewater rafts, and they don't slip or fail over the course of 15 years of rafting with many flips and them holding my gear on the boat upside down.

This is how I hold my boards to my factory roof rack.

-Dan