best tie down straps

[briansauer]

Does anyone have a strong preference for certain tie-down straps. I kind of like the Yakima straps, but was just wondering if there are better straps out there.
Thanks friends

[Richard]

I see a lot of NRS straps.

My personal preference is rope. Its cheap . . . mult-purpose and quick. Best of all there are no metal buckles to damage anything. It also means you don't have a strap making a loop all the way over the boat and back to the buckle. A six foot rope will do the same work as a twelve foot strap.

Simply attach the rope to one side using the Mooring Hitch, throw it across and cinch it down with a Truckers Hitch.

All you need to know is two knots and when you are done you pull on the end to release. Can't get much simpler than that.

[RomanLA]

My favorite are the straps that came with my Thule Stackers, because they have a rubber cover for the buckle. However, it seems like most cam straps are created equal. It just depends what company's name you want on them.

[okieboater]

I vote just like Richard posted. Good stuff there Richard.

A few more tips I can add is buy decent rope, not the el cheapo plastic.

I find that a decent sized diameter of the rope gives a better grip on the boat and easier to tie.

I encourage the use of bow and stern tie down lines as well. Over the years I have had kayaks slide off my rack with just the two lines and witnessed several other incidents. In my case, the slide offs occurred when I had multiple kayaks loaded for a short shuttle and the center ones popped out.

I use Yakima round bars. A tip that I use to keep the inboard end of the rope from sliding around is to tie a large loop using a bowline or figure eight and attach the loop to the cross bar with a prussic knot.

Lots of diagrams of the Truckers hitch show just a quick release tie off of the loose ends - I always throw in a overhand security knot just to keep the loose end from flapping in the airstream and working loose. Also when I tie the cinch down loop for the truckers hitch I just reach up with my right hand thumb down and twist up and to the right making several turns as this makes it much easier to pull the trucker cinch apart. I have seen some folks make this loop knot turn into a locked down hard to untie mess.

As always, test this stuff out your self and decide what works for you. Lots of good examples of how to tie knots on the Internet or most any of the outdoor camping or rescue books. The vision of a boat shooting off the top of a vehicle on the interstate, is scary to the max.

Lots of strap brands out there. NRS has been kind of a standard brand over the years.

[Crane]

Not all straps are equal... some firms use ElCheapo cams that just don't do the job! NRS does have good products... Spend a little more and get the higher quality... it'll pay off in the long run! Crane

[panicman]

NRS-You can't go wrong with them.

[RomanLA]

I went back and looked at my straps with various company names on the webbing...the cams on all but one set were NRS! Lol

[reedo]

When I worked on the Ark in CO we had a guy that made great straps. they wouldn't rust and had pads behind the buckle as not to scratch anything.

I will see if I can figure out who the guy is. He came at the begining of the summers and sold to all the guides. CKS in BV might have some info on him too.

[okieboater]

Was it river rat ray out of what is now tuff river stuff in Salida by the skate board park

he still makes bomber straps and a lot of other gear as well

[fryingsquirrel]

When my mom bought the family boat (An Intrepid 17) back in '93 or '94 (I was a runt back then), she purchased a set of 3 or 4 NRS straps along with it. Those straps finally had to retire from active duty last year. 15+ years of hard service, thousands of miles holding that boat to more vehicles than I can remember, and I can't ever remember losing a boat on the highway. Those straps finally had a bit too much UV, and started weakening. At Grinder's ferry in May of 08, one of them failed while it was being cinched down, that was a good posterior landing for the party (who shall remain anonymous) involved. That was the first sigh that those straps needed a retirement. The new NRS straps (bought from Lewis and Clark in F-Ville) somehow seem cheaper and less well made, but doesn't everything when compared to something from the "good old days"?
I'm also a very strong advocate of bow and stern lines, I've been OCD about securing loads since I had a bass boat come off the hitch of my ford in the summer of '07. Came close to losing a boat once on Hwy 412, but the bow and stern lines kept it from coming all the way off the truck. I'm really not too brand specific, and I can cinch down a good rope as well as a strap. I've heard of people warping/damaging boats by over-tightening cam style straps, has anyone ever seen this firsthand?
My $.02
Jon Ellwood

[TBC]

This is an easy one.
NRS 1.5" Padded Straps 12 ft.!

[reedo]

YES, okieboater...River Rat Ray

tuffriverstuff.com BEST straps out there!!!!

[okieboater]

for any rafters, Ray makes the most bombproof nets, mesh bags, and a host of other neat things.

he is a very nice guy and since every thing he makes is custom, you want changes no problem

I have his every thing bags on both my rafts and man they make a difference in time spent lashing down gear bags.

maybe one of the last of the old time river men that turns out gear that he knows works on the river from his own experience.

I stop by and just chat every time I am in Salida as Ray always has something neat going on project wise.