Overlanders are a unique breed. They eat, breathe, and sleep adventure. It is all about getting out there into the great unknown and figuring out how to get the most out of traveling from one place to the next. Enter cam straps. When you are out in the middle of nowhere and carrying everything that you need in your vehicle, keeping things secure is a must.
I am not an overlander myself, but I know quite a few of them. Most prefer cam straps as the primary method for keeping things secure. I know a small number who use ropes and bungee cords, but they are the rare exceptions to the rule. It is cam straps or bust for the typical overlander.
Things Are Going to Move Around
Overlanders tend to carry everything they need to survive for as long as they intend to be out doing what they do. It starts with the basics like food, water, clothing, and fuel. If an overlander wants to make the experience more comfortable, he might carry everything from a gas grill to a collapsible picnic table with chairs
Here’s the thing: just about every item carried in an overlander’s vehicle has the potential to move around in transit. And given that overlanders have a knack for going off road – particularly in places where cars were never intended to travel – a person really has no choice but to tie things down.
Cam straps are better than any other kind of tiedown for a few reasons. Those reasons include:
- Ease-of-use.
- Strength and durability.
- Flexibility and versatility.
- Overall effectiveness.
Before there were cam straps, rope was the preferred tool for tying things down. But rope has its limitations. For starters, it tends to come loose even when you tie the most secure knots. Rope also expands and contracts with temperature and water exposure. Rope wears out faster when compared to strap material.
Cam Straps Are Built to Last
Even with improvements to rope construction in recent years, cam straps are still a better choice. They are built to last. Take a brand like Rollercam, for instance. Their cam buckle straps are made of a tough webbing material capable of withstanding temperature extremes, UV radiation, and exposure to rain, snow, etc.
Cam buckles tend to be made with stainless steel for maximum dependability and long life. That being said, there are some cheaper brands that feature plastic buckles or buckles made from softer metal, like aluminum. They aren’t as good.
What the overlander needs is a tiedown they can depend on from the start of the journey to its conclusion. Cam straps are designed to hold tightly whenever fully engaged. They won’t slip like ropes can. They also won’t stretch under load like a bungee cord will.
How Overlanders Use Them
The good folks over at Rollercam say overlanders love their cam straps. They use them for all sorts of purposes. Here are just a few examples:
- Securing fuel cans.
- Securing loose cargo in the back of a truck.
- Tying things down on the back of the trailer.
- Securing a rooftop tent in place.
- Providing extra support to a spare tire mount.
For all intents and purposes, an overlander can use a cam strap in any application that would otherwise be addressed with rope or bungee cords. If you can secure something with one of the other two options, you can secure it better with a cam strap.
Cam straps could be the overlander’s best friend. Knowing that overlanders need to keep things secure or risk damage, they are more than fit for purpose.
