Loading Gear onto the Roof of your Car

When embarking on a car camping trip, space in your trunk and car may be at a premium, especially if you are going on a long trip and have extra gear (or extra people). If your car has a roof rack, definitely put it to use to hold some gear. If your car does not have a roof rack, there are after market racks you can purchase and install. If you are capable of putting together furniture from Ikea, you can easily manage installing a roof rack on your car. Thule and Yakima are the two most common brands. If, like me, you live in a metropolitan area, be sure to buy cam locks for your rack or one day you may walk to your car and find them gone.

If you have never used your roof rack before, it may seem a bit daunting. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you don't want all of your gear to fall off your roof and onto the highway halfway to your destination. You may also be concerned about damaging the roof of your vehicle with the gear and weight. I have loaded my roof rack many times during trips, I have never lost a load on the highway (though once came close) and have learned how to manage with no damage to your roof and no risk of spillage.

Like a boss! 80 miles and it didn't budge an inch.

The first thing you need (other than a roof rack) are sturdy ratcheting tie downs. These can be purchased online or at many auto or home improvement stores. They typically come in packs of 4 and can be bought for between $15-$25. Here is an example of a set: Ratchet Tie Down on Amazon. You will also need to one tarp to cover your gear and protect it from bugs & rain (I use my tent ground tarp) and another tarp or old quilt to protect the roof of your car - unless you have a basket on your roof rack that keeps the gear off the actual roof.

1. Place the long strap of the tie downs, 2 width-wise and 2 length-wise, securing the s-hook to the bars.

• Step 1: Arrange the long straps of the ratchets on your roof with two going across the width of your car, and two going across the length of your car. Secure the s-hook to the bar of your car. If your vehicle only has side rails or, like mine, only has cross bars, just secure the width-wise or lengthwise straps for now. If the S-hooks at the end of the tie downs don't hook around the bars of your roof rack (mine don't), then loop the tie around the bar, and then wrap the tie several times around the s-hook.

2. Place a tarp or folded quilt to protect your car roof from damage.

• Step 2: Place the tarp or quilt on top of the straps to protect your roof from being scratched.

3. Carefully load your gear to the roof. Make sure weight is evenly distributed.

• Step 3: Next is the tricky part. Load your gear to the roof, being sure to load large items only, and try to make sure that the weight is evenly distributed. My typical roof load consists of the following: Folding table first, then on top two storage bins and in front of the bins, my tent, behind the bins, my grill. Essentially, you want to be sure that anything you load on the roof will be covered by the over tarp you will add later.

4. Cover your gear to protect from weather and bugs and to keep your gear packaged nicely.

• Step 4: Take a tarp and cover your gear. Try to tuck the tarp in under your gear so it is completely protected from the elements and this also helps keep your gear balanced and together during transport.

5. Lash the tie down straps width-wise across your gear and ratchet down loosely.

• Step 5: Now to start tying everything down. Take the width-wise straps and throw them across your gear. Go to where the ends of the straps are and attach the ratchet part of the strap to the side bars as you did with the long strap in step 1. If you do not have side bars, just secure the ratchet S-hook to the long strap S-hook. You can wrap some duct tape around them for extra protection. Carefully begin ratcheting both straps together, following the instructions on the packaging. Do not ratchet them too tightly at this point, just ratchet enough so that the straps lay flat against your load.

6. Lash the tie down straps length-wise across your gear, crossing them in an X and ratchet down loosely.

• Step 6: Take the length wise straps and throw them across your gear, making sure to cross them in an "X". Just like in the previous step, go to where the ends of the straps are and attach the ratchet part of the strap to the cross bars as you did with the long strap in step 1. If you do not have cross bars, just secure the ratchet S-hook to the long strap S-hook. You can wrap some duct tape around them for extra protection. Carefully begin ratcheting both straps together. Again, do not ratchet them too tightly at this point, just ratchet enough so that the straps lay flat against your load.

7. If you don't have cross or side bars, you can hook the s-hooks together.

• Step 7: The last step is to go back to the width-wise straps and ratchet more tightly. Then go to the length-wise straps and ratchet tightly. Repeat this until they are very snug and tight. Test the integrity of your gear by pushing against it. If you've done it right, your car should move but not the load.

• Here is a great video which shows how the ratchet part of the tie downs work. 

If this is your first time, start with a short drive, perhaps to your local gas station and check your gear. Be sure to stop from time to time to make sure everything is secure. If you hear any notice from above, pull over immediately and check. I am always so proud of myself whenever I do this. Also keep in mind this skill can come in handy if taking a road trip and you need to store luggage on the roof. That is how I discovered a cover tarp is essential after a trip to visit family in Erie PA resulted in wet, bug covered luggage. I hope this all makes sense. Feel free to comment with questions.