LakelandGear.com makes the best car top carriers.
Here's how you can tell.
What's the difference between a car top carrier from LakelandGear and those
from the other guys?
1. Waterproof, weather resistant what's the deal?
For us it means your gear stays dry in our car top
carriers as you drive your car for hours,
at highway speed, in a fierce rain storm. Weather resistant is a cop out. If you read 'weather
resistant' on other car top carrier products, know your stuff is going to get
wet. "Waterproof"... some companies exagerate. A simple
zipper flap won't keep the water out.
LakelandGear uses the fold and bed closure with Classic, just like white water
rafting bags. We use our unique ZipRight closures with Sport models, and special urethane coated zippers.
It is possible some water may get into our stitched
bags, if you use the liner, no water ever touches
your gear. Our carriers do a
better job than most keeping water out but with the liner inside,
your gear stays dry. We test our systems and
they work. NOBODY protects your gear from
water as well as we do. Our car top carriers are like
a duck's butt in a pond "no water gets in."
2. Our speciality: car top carriers. Since our first carrier
in 1995, we've been refining, changing, evaluating customer feedback, and moving
manufacturing to ISO 9000 factories. Most of our competitors make a
rectangle bag, put a zipper around the top, call it "weather
resistant" end of story. You recognize those as the cheap carriers
found at mass
merchandisers. When you shop, avoid straps that are sewn into the bag
itself because they rip the carrier, their buckles break, the zipper snags, and your gear will get
soaked in the rain, it's a fact. Lakeland sells many carriers as
replacements after the cheap ones blow out on the road. Buy a cheap bag AND a LakelandGear product later OR buy
ours first. Which saves you money?
3. Our material is best, second to
none. Thicker, UV resistant, dual layers of polyester and waterproof vinyl
that won't separate. I use an expensive name brand bag a few years ago in
a rainy trip to Michigan. The inner material cracked up into little tiny
pieces and stuck all over my soaked cloths. What a mess. That
doesn't happen with products from LakelandGear.
4. Unique features. We do use
zippers, but special ones, urethane coated and tucked up into flaps not under
them. That keeps water out. StrapRight straps aren't sewn into the
carrier. The tension is from one luggage bar to the next not on the
carrier, which is the leading cause of carrier blow outs. We use fold and
bend closures (no zippers) on our Classic, it's like a white water rafting
bag. Simplicity like this keeps water out and makes our car top carrier
more reliable.
5. ISO 9000 manufacturing. We take
care of seams and pay attention to thread and needle size to make a strong
carrier that keeps the water out. If you hold cheap carriers up to light
you see gaping needle holes and can even see threads or shadows through the thin
material. Avoid carriers made of nylon. Nylon rots in the sun, our
carriers use thick polyester with vinyl coating inside. Polyester is
highly UV resistant. Our material works well in the Arizona desert heat and
Alaska's freezing tundra.
6. Accessories. Why offer
accessories and not include 'everything' with each carrier? We keep the
price down. You only pay for what you need. Our carrier comes with four
sets of StrapRight. It is a complete system. The Liner
is available for those that want total assurance they gear will be dry under any
circumstances. We offer car clips if you don't have a luggage rack.
Roof protection pads are available to protect your roof from sharp or hard items
that go inside your carrier bag. No one pays for products they don't need.
At LakelandGear we respect your
knowledge and judgment.
7. Looks and Brains. It's true. LakelandGear customers ARE better
looking and smarter than others.
Car
Top Carrier Comparison Grid
How
to pack a car top carrier bag.
Car
Top Carrier Photos
Car Top
Carriers as part of your evacuation and emergency
gear.