[BlueStuff34]

Friends,

Newbie here, I recently got a cargo basket for my roof and I was wondering how are you all keeping your cargo dry. I was planning to move my camping chairs, mattresses, sleeping bag up there for my next trip but I am unsure on what would be the best way to keeping everything dry

 

[bcblues]

Keep EVERYTHING dry? You may want to look a a rooftop box which seals tight. To keep smaller items dry (like sleeping bags), you can get dry bags in various sizes, which work really well, especially for soft items like sleeping bags.

 

[Lightingguy]

Agree with bcblues, it's why a lot of us use cargo boxes rather then baskets.

Thule and I believe Yak sell rooftop cargo bags. Check with RackAttack

 

[GrumpySquatch]

You can get soft-sided bags that will do a pretty good job and attach nicely to the basket. Nothing as good as a sealed hard-shell carrier, but my bag has done well in normal rain showers. I have an 11 cubic foot Roof Bag from https://www.roofbag.com/Car-top-carriers.asp. I don't put anything that has to be 100% dry there, but things like chairs would do fine. Packing one can be a bit of a puzzle because they don't do well when partially full, but they work.

 

[subiesailor]

I picked up a large 42x42 really heavy rubberized cloth bag from Target a few yrs ago. Works pretty well. Its huge. But after borrowing a basket yrs ago, I skipped the basket and got a roof box its about 30in wide and little over 6ft long. The super wide short boxes suck. With my narrower box I can run two bikes on the roof with 56in bars or an 18ft canoe and box on 66in bars.

The box is quieter than nakid cross bars and typically shows about a 1-2mpg hit at 70-75mph. The basket was nearly a 5mpg hit and noisy as ****.

 

[Alex Seubert]

i've had the same rack on my OB for the past 2 years and from experience, I keep all my equipment i want to stay dry in the cabin and put the rest of the gear up top. i have found that a 10'x 10' tarp and some rope gets the job done pretty well too. as long the corners are tucked in and overlapping (front over back) your soft goods should stay dry. i haven't had any issues with this method and i camp at least 2 times a month.

 

[johnre]

i've had the same rack on my OB for the past 2 years and from experience, I keep all my equipment i want to stay dry in the cabin and put the rest of the gear up top.

Exactly. And even with a Thule cargo box, I follow this same philosophy - since the rim of the cargo box is still only able to keep out vertically falling precipitation, not rain that is driven horizontally, or that follows the usual airflow patterns around a moving vehicle (i.e. upflow in the front to get up and over your windshield and cargo box).

Fortunately, my outdoor activities are compatible with this approach to packing - pickets, ice axes, crampons, rock gear, boots, helmets, etc. all go up top; backpacks go in the back.