Best way to tie down a kayak? 2024
Crankin4Bass reply :
What's the best way to tie down a kayak in the bed of a truck with the tailgate open? If anyone has pics or video that would be great!
J Francho reply :
I back my Hobie Compass into the bed, and use a short cam lock strap to connect the rear handle to the tie down in the bed, near the cab. I run another longer cam lock strap around the hull, and attach to the tie down near the tailgate. Different kayaks with be a little different. You basically want to prevent any side to side movement, and keep it from sliding off the back.
Hower08 reply :
Ratchet straps through the handles of the yak or rope with a slip knot. Holds tight till you pull the tag end to release the knot
J Francho reply :
Ratchet straps a no-no with kayaks. People have a tendency to over tighten them, and warp/crack the hull. Since working at a kayak shop, I've seen a lot of it.
Crankin4Bass reply :
On 8/26/2019 at 11:40 PM, J Francho said:I back my Hobie Compass into the bed, and use a short cam lock strap to connect the rear handle to the tie down in the bed, near the cab. I run another longer cam lock strap around the hull, and attach to the tie down near the tailgate. Different kayaks with be a little different. You basically want to prevent any side to side movement, and keep it from sliding off the back.
Thanks! Do you wrap it around the handle near the cab or just slide it though?
J Francho reply :
I slide it through lines on the T-handle on the Compass. For my other two boats, they are riveted handles, so, just around the handle.
CountryboyinDC reply :
I used to tie my kayaks down pretty ridiculously, but I've found that in a truck bed, at least, you don't need a whole lot. I leave the tailgate down, and use a ratchet strap on the front handle which is attached to the truck bed D-rings at the front. I have a box, so these are under the box. As @J Francho mentioned, ratchet straps tend to get over tightened (I see creases in canoes and kayaks pretty frequently too, particularly in the sun), but I never bought a cam strap with hooks, and the continuous loop type would be a pain here. IMO, the continuous loop types are best for kayaks and canoes because you don't want them too tight, and they won't come off from being too loose like the hook type. So I have a continuous loop cam strap in the rear of the truck bed going through the carrying handles, if everything lines up. Add a flag, and you're ready to go. This is the only picture I have, and I don't bother with the rope on the stern anymore.
Krux5506 reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 1:02 AM, J Francho said:Ratchet straps a no-no with kayaks. People have a tendency to over tighten them, and warp/crack the hull. Since working at a kayak shop, I've seen a lot of it.
I usually run a ratchet strap through the handles on my Eagle Talon as described but don't tighten much, kinda just snug it up. Not that I'm overly concerned with this kayak, but when I get something nicer, should I avoid this method altogether? Or is it ok as long as it's just snug
J Francho reply :
I like NRS straps. They don't slip like the slick nylon ones you find in sporting goods stores.
https://www.nrs.com/category/4342/straps/
Choporoz reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 1:46 AM, J Francho said:I slide it through lines on the T-handle on the Compass. For my other two boats, they are riveted handles, so, just around the handle.
Keep an eye on those T-handle cords. I attached a bow strap to my forward T-handle and after just a couple trips, I noticed significant fraying in the handle cord. I swapped the front and back T's since I use the front a lot more...and I no longer use a bow strap. (Since I switched to a Hullivator, the yak doesn't move...at all...very secure.)
J Francho reply :
I haven't seen any wear from mine. It's not cinched down real tight, just insurance against backward movement from the boat. I'm loading stern first, so there's a lot of weight in the bed itself.
fishwizzard reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 10:35 PM, Krux5506 said:I usually run a ratchet strap through the handles on my Eagle Talon as described but don't tighten much, kinda just snug it up. Not that I'm overly concerned with this kayak, but when I get something nicer, should I avoid this method altogether? Or is it ok as long as it's just snug
If you can resist over-tightening them, ratchet straps are far far superior to cam straps. Cams are much more likely to loosen if they get any slack in then then ratchets are.
Source: 24 years of securing scenery, AV gear, and fine art in trucks.
J Francho reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 3:23 AM, fishwizzard said:Cams are much more likely to loosen if they get any slack in then then ratchets are.
Buy the right ones (I linked to them) and they do not come loose. Been transporting kayaks on vehicles for a dozen years using them. This is a non issue if you use the right ones.
fishwizzard reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 3:37 AM, J Francho said:Buy the right ones (I linked to them) and they do not come loose. Been transporting kayaks on vehicles for a dozen years using them. This is a non issue if you use the right ones.
We will have to agree to disagree then. The only issue with ratcheting straps is a lack of self-control in the user. I would rather risk having people dent a yak with a ratchet then risk not tighten a cam enough and have said yak come off during transport.
Choporoz reply :
Hated paying through the nose for Thule cam straps. But I have to admit that after 2-5 trips per week...eight months a year...for almost 4 years....and those Thule straps are still in perfect shape -- a bit faded perhaps, but I just checked them last weekend and there's zero sign of fabric fatigue or buckle failure. I am positive that any straps at half the price would have been replaced by now.
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 1:02 AM, J Francho said:Ratchet straps a no-no with kayaks.
Advice to live by when securing kayaks. Use cam lock.
LadiMopar reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 1:02 AM, J Francho said:Ratchet straps a no-no with kayaks. People have a tendency to over tighten them, and warp/crack the hull. Since working at a kayak shop, I've seen a lot of it.
Would you give that same advice for securing it to a trailer?
Crankin4Bass reply :
On 8/26/2019 at 11:40 PM, J Francho said:I back my Hobie Compass into the bed, and use a short cam lock strap to connect the rear handle to the tie down in the bed, near the cab. I run another longer cam lock strap around the hull, and attach to the tie down near the tailgate. Different kayaks with be a little different. You basically want to prevent any side to side movement, and keep it from sliding off the back.
Another question. Do you tie the rear handle to one tie down in a corner near the cab or run the strap through both tie downs in the corners?
Brad Reid reply :
Me too, regarding cam straps over ratchet straps.
For one thing, when not in use, cam straps roll up into a tiny puck-shaped disc. So, they take up less space. I leave 5 or 6 of them in my truck at all times. Gosh, they are so handy for securing so many things.
I also found that ratchets wiggled a bit loose, in my experience, and I have never have had this problem with cam straps. I know this likely varies depending on brands of each device one uses.
For my little Native Propel 10, I just nose it up and in to the back of my truck and secure it from tie downs in the bed of the truck that are located near the tailgate on each side. I run the strap over the top of the seat folded down, tug it securely. And as a security measure I run one through the kayak's front handle up near the cab securing from side to side.
I'd always recommend a second strap just as a security measure and two securing points makes the kayak less capable of pivoting.
For anyone car-topping, I'd be much more thorough and deliberate owing to the amount of wind resistance pushing against the kayak.
Brad
J Francho reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 3:59 AM, fishwizzard said:We will have to agree to disagree then. The only issue with ratcheting straps is a lack of self-control in the user. I would rather risk having people dent a yak with a ratchet then risk not tighten a cam enough and have said yak come off during transport.
A cam lock cannot come loose. The harder you pull on it, the tighter the connection becomes, on a properly designed buckle. There's nothing to disagree about. Literally thousands of trips, 20 kayaks at a time, up the creek, for a float downstream for customers, for 20 years, every day when the weather is good. You'd think, if there was an issue, someone would have have seen it, never mind all the rest of us that use them. Funny thing is, I've had ratcheting straps fail. They suffer from over complication, and get sticky. You think it's locked into a tooth, until it isn't. No such issue with cam locks.
On 8/28/2019 at 8:13 AM, LadiMopar said:Would you give that same advice for securing it to a trailer?
We trailer 20 at a time behind an old school bus for customers that want a downstream float. All are tied down with NRS cam locks. No one that worked in the kayak industry would ever recommend ratcheting straps. No one.
On 8/28/2019 at 3:16 PM, Crankin4Bass said:Another question. Do you tie the rear handle to one tie down in a corner near the cab or run the strap through both tie downs in the corners?
Just the one by the cab. If there's something to wrap around, like the seat rail in my Commander, I'll use that for the gate side, otherwise, I go around the hull.
fishwizzard reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 7:46 PM, J Francho said:A cam lock cannot come loose. The harder you pull on it, the tighter the connection becomes, on a properly designed buckle. There's nothing to disagree about. Literally thousands of trips, 20 kayaks at a time, up the creek, for a float downstream for customers, for 20 years, every day when the weather is good. You'd think, if there was an issue, someone would have have seen it, never mind all the rest of us that use them. Funny thing is, I've had ratcheting straps fail. They suffer from over complication, and get sticky. You think it's locked into a tooth, until it isn't. No such issue with cam locks.
I mean we’re just going to have to get into a battle of doing anecdotes, because I have experience over course of my career dozens and dozens of camlocks that have loosened up during transport and allowed loads to shift.
I am mystified that there seem to be people out there who can be trusted to put enough tension on a camlock to prevent it from slacking but somehow turn into Lennie Small as soon their fingers touch a ratchet strap.
HookInMouth reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 11:12 PM, J Francho said:I like NRS straps. They don't slip like the slick nylon ones you find in sporting goods stores.
https://www.nrs.com/category/4342/straps/
The NRS straps are nice. I think the Nite Ize Cam Straps are nice too.
J Francho reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 8:41 PM, fishwizzard said:I am mystified that there seem to be people out there who can be trusted to put enough tension on a camlock to prevent it from slacking but somehow turn into Lennie Small as soon their fingers touch a ratchet strap.
The laws of uncommon sense are at play here, man. You also have to realize that we have a responsibility to give advice beyond just what will work. For every post there are ten other members that are looking. For every member logged in, there ten more that are lurkers. Advice, like securing a kayak to a pickup truck has to be bulletproof. If I say something flippant, like use a bungee (believe it or not, I have used them in a pinch for a kayak) it could be irresponsible advice, and damage our reputation.
fishwizzard reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 9:03 PM, J Francho said:The laws of uncommon sense are at play here, man. You also have to realize that we have a responsibility to give advice beyond just what will work. For every post there are ten other members that are looking. For every member logged in, there ten more that are lurkers. Advice, like securing a kayak to a pickup truck has to be bulletproof. If I say something flippant, like use a bungee (believe it or not, I have used them in a pinch for a kayak) it could be irresponsible advice, and damage our reputation.
But that's my entire point! The possible repercussions of over-tightening a ratchet are far far less damaging then under-tightening a cam. A caming strap is limited by the strength of the person tightening it while a ratching strap gives mechanical advantage, which allows a far wider range of users to sufficiently tighten them.
Ratching straps are inherently safer then a camming one. If a cam strap is allowed to slack the only thing holding the load is the small springs that keep the knurled bar pressed into the strap. A ratchet strap that is set too loose still has both spring pressure and all the friction from the strap being wrapped over it's self several times to keep it from slipping.
J Francho reply :
Myself and most of the kayaking community will have to agree to disagree with you here.
A slack cam lock will not suddenly fail. Once pressure is put on, from the kayak sliding during cornering, it will only become tighter. That's how a cam lock works. You creating a problem where there is none. You're experience with them is not the norm, and I suspect they were NOT straps designed for securing a kayak to a vehicle. The NRS straps I linked to are. They simply do not fail as you claim. There are literally millions of them in use. If failure was a problem, it would be more than just you claiming they are inferior. Sorry, man. I'm done debating a moot point. You want to secure a kayak to your vehicle? Get a kayak strap made for that, not something for securing heavier, more rigid cargo.
Crankin4Bass reply :
I like the NRS straps too. I have been using them for the last year to secure my kayak to my roof rack. I'm glad to hear they are also the way to go for a truck bed.
Thanks for all the detail on securing the kayak. I appreciate the advice!
CountryboyinDC reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 9:03 PM, J Francho said:like use a bungee (believe it or not, I have used them in a pinch for a kayak)
I'm not a big fan, but the outfitter I get to shuttle my kayak uses bungees on his trailers for kayaks and canoes. He's a big outfit too, 6 buses I think, and a couple of vans for the longer trips. He uses the black rubber type, not the type that have a mesh covering a bunch of small elastic bands. With the insurance that I'm sure he has to have for that outfit, they must be acceptable to underwriters (to say nothing of the staff). They can't be overtightened like a ratchet strap and they hold tension even if the boat moves (a little) and they . Again, I personally like cam straps that make a continuous loop around an anchor point of some type, but that outfit has shuttled hundreds of thousands of canoes and kayaks, and so it goes to show that there's more than one way to go about it.
J Francho reply :
I'd be worried one would snap.
markedman reply :
I use a Sigtuna cable on each side. The cables are actually designed to secure a bicycle to a bike rack.
They are plastic wrapped steel cable. I connect each end to my tie downs with a padlock. Its secure and since my Lure 11.5 has molded in side handles its relatively theft proof.
I wrap the cable around the side handle a couple of times to remove the slack.
J Francho reply :
I've something similar to lock my kayak to the rack or truck to prevent theft, but wouldn't recommend it for securing the boat to a vehicle. But hey, until it doesn't, it works for now.
Bass Junke reply :
On 8/27/2019 at 11:12 PM, J Francho said:I like NRS straps. They don't slip like the slick nylon ones you find in sporting goods stores.
https://www.nrs.com/category/4342/straps/
Sweet! Adding these to my NRS shopping list for the winter. Thanks.
VolFan reply :
I have the Kanulock lockable straps after having had the NRS for 20 years or so (and still have them). Never had a problem with either. I dont think the Kanulocks would stop anybody for long, but they are definitely more substantial than anything else I've used.
J Francho reply :
Those are cool.
VolFan reply :
They are pretty nifty. And the weight of the internal cable makes them even easier to manage and throw over through a crosswind.
Smalls reply :
On 8/28/2019 at 8:13 AM, LadiMopar said:Would you give that same advice for securing it to a trailer?
I trailer mine exclusively. I use the NRS straps, and they don’t budge. They’re inexpensive, and work great.
Don't use the Malone cam straps they sell at Cabela’s. The ends fray like crazy for no d**n reason. I’ve accidentally left the end of my NRS straps drag on the road and they still didn’t fray.
LadiMopar reply :
On 9/10/2019 at 5:35 AM, Smalls said:I trailer mine exclusively. I use the NRS straps, and they don’t budge. They’re inexpensive, and work great.
Don't use the Malone cam straps they sell at Cabela’s. The ends fray like crazy for no d**n reason. I’ve accidentally left the end of my NRS straps drag on the road and they still didn’t fray.
I trailer mine exclusively also, but have always used a good quality ratcheting tie down. So far have not had issues with the hull, or loosening of tie downs even on highway trips of several hours. But will certainly give the cam straps a look see, if I can improve on safety I'd be happy to reconsider my current choice.
Thanks for the advice!
LadiMopar reply :
On 9/1/2019 at 11:25 PM, markedman said:They are plastic wrapped steel cable. I connect each end to my tie downs with a padlock. Its secure and since my Lure 11.5 has molded in side handles its relatively theft proof.
I use a similar rig for locking my FF Dorado to the trailer at the winchstand, so far so good...never bothered with that with my Lure 10 because it was never out of my sight...house to ramp, ramp to house sort of thing, but did [and still do] have a 12 ft steel cable system that I wrap around a tree and through the trailer and yak at home.
DogBone_384 reply :
On 8/26/2019 at 11:14 PM, Crankin4Bass said:What's the best way to tie down a kayak in the bed of a truck with the tailgate open? If anyone has pics or video that would be great!
I use a ratchet strap between my tie down hooks, running the strap through the kayak’s nose. I tighten it just enough to keep the kayak from moving around.
JoshFromBolo reply :
I just use bungees for my kayak, sometimes I use nothing and close the tailgate.
TnRiver46 reply :
Back in my guiding kayak trip days i saw an NRS fail but it wasnt the cam. The strap broke! Haha. Talk about a boompf! I like old fashioned rope quite a bit but you have to know the simple truckers hitch which has confused many a young paddler, trucker, and tent setter upper
Smalls reply :
On 9/13/2019 at 11:11 PM, JoshFromBolo said:I just use bungees for my kayak, sometimes I use nothing and close the tailgate.
I’m sorry, but people like you terrify me. A bungee? Really?
the reel ess reply :
I have two kayaks. On the lighter one, it's good enough to run a strap through the handles in the middle, near the seat and hook into the rear anchors on the truck. The other is a Feelfree Lure 13.5. It's 1.5' longer. I do the same with it, but I run another strap on the front through the handle built into the bow. I wrap the strap once around the handle before I hook it in the front anchors and tighten.
kjfishman reply :
I have my yak strapped in the front and across the back of the bed and again on the bed extender with magnetic brake lights. Over kill yes but never have to worry about it falli8ng off the truck.
Brad Reid reply :
On 9/14/2019 at 11:30 AM, Smalls said:I’m sorry, but people like you terrify me. A bungee? Really?
Me, too! Up in the D/FW area, Houston, too, it is not uncommon to see something large in the middle of the highway. The other day, it was a large mattress or bed box spring. Too busy dodging it to know which one.
But, I could see it well ahead, had time to react; it had fallen off a truck earlier. How about the poor drivers right behind a truck that loses a mattress or large piece of furniture, etc.?
It could literally cause a chain reaction wreck that could kill or maim someone. I don't want to kill or maim someone.
Well, anyway, for truck bed carries, two straps is great insurance. Not that one strap wouldn't suffice as most of the wind resistance never even puts pressure on most carries back there, just whistles by overhead, but if a strap were to snap, the other would hold things down until you could get off to the side of the road.
Brad
LadiMopar reply :
On 9/14/2019 at 10:24 PM, Brad Reid said:Me, too! Up in the D/FW area, Houston, too, it is not uncommon to see something large in the middle of the highway. The other day, it was a large mattress or bed box spring. Too busy dodging it to know which one.
But, I could see it well ahead, had time to react; it had fallen off a truck earlier. How about the poor drivers right behind a truck that loses a mattress or large piece of furniture, etc.?
It could literally cause a chain reaction wreck that could kill or maim someone. I don't want to kill or maim someone.
Well, anyway, for truck bed carries, two straps is great insurance. Not that one strap wouldn't suffice as most of the wind resistance never even puts pressure on most carries back there, just whistles by overhead, but if a strap were to snap, the other would hold things down until you could get off to the side of the road.
Brad
Glad you were able to avert disaster, that crap is scary.
Many years ago I got behind a pickup truck carrying saw horses in the bed that were, to my horrified surprise, not tied down. After work high volume traffic, three lanes, rain, and no where to go.... Those things came flying out of that bed like rockets, (I was maybe 2 car lengths behind) and all I can say is, how no one got hit by these things is still a mystery and a miracle.
All I can figure is everyone behind and to either side of this guy were really on their A- game, or there was some form of "divine intervention" .
IMHO, there is no such thing as being too safe.
JoshFromBolo reply :
On 9/14/2019 at 11:30 AM, Smalls said:I’m sorry, but people like you terrify me. A bungee? Really?
The yak aint going anywhere, its not like I leave any slack, its tight as can be. Plus the areas I've been too I can usually just take back roads to get there, never really hit the highway. Whats so bad about bungee cords? They were made just like ratchet straps and other stuff to keep your stuff from falling and moving out.
J Francho reply :
On 9/15/2019 at 1:30 AM, JoshFromBolo said:Whats so bad about bungee cords?
This kid is a tool.
There are hundreds of these.
JoshFromBolo reply :
On 9/16/2019 at 7:41 PM, J Francho said:
This kid is a tool.
There are hundreds of these.
I would never strap a kayak bungee corded to the top of my vehicle, thats crazy. All of the videos you sent show the kayaks on top of the vehicle.
Like I said, mine is in the back of my truck. Tail gate up. Additionally I also put 3 bungee cords going across it, top, middle and bottom. I'm not going crazy speeds and I make sure to keep a eye on it. To note as well my bed is almost 7 feet in length with the kayak being 10 feet in length just barley hanging over the locked tailgate.
With that said, I didn't know there was so much concern about bungee cords, will definitely look at other options to possibly replace them with.
Russ Brown reply :
On 9/3/2019 at 7:39 PM, J Francho said:I've something similar to lock my kayak to the rack or truck to prevent theft, but wouldn't recommend it for securing the boat to a vehicle. But hey, until it doesn't, it works for now.
In my opinion, you are more trouble than you are worth. for every nugget of wisdom you shell out yoy are a total jerk to about 5 people. I pick and choose my info on here, but I have have seen enough to realize what a jerk you are. It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice. A moderator like you can wreck a site, do your best...
Russ
J Francho reply :
On 9/17/2019 at 1:11 AM, Russ Brown said:A moderator like you can wreck a site, do your best...
Russ
Been serving this forum since 2010. You're welcome. 
Harold Scoggins reply :
On 9/17/2019 at 1:17 AM, J Francho said:Been serving this forum since 2010. You're welcome.
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