Highland 10391 Kar Pak Rainproof Soft-Sided Car Top Carrier - 15 Cubic Feet Review.

 "There and Back Again" 2007-06-25
By Ralph Fontcuberta (Little Rock, AR USA)

We've had the Highland Kar-Pak since our first family trip to Disney World in 2002, and we've used it many a times since: trips to Disney World, trips to Gulf Shores, a few visits to Texas and, the big one, our evacuation from New Orleans a few days before Hurricane Katrina struck. Not to be overly glowing, but this thing helped us save a lot more since we could cram it full.

It holds a bundle, stores quickly, cleans up easily (bug splatter is no match for scrub brush & water, eh), is arguably leak-proof (never had a problem even through the worst rains), and attaches easily and securely (and not to dismiss another person's review/opinion, but the carrier box clearly stated "Roof Rack Mount"; however, I can see confusion with roof rack and roof bars -- those bars on the roof when you get the van/suv/etc are just styling until you add a cross-bar).

My wife came across this model locally in N.O. when we were searching for something for the roof to carry luggage on our first real driving vacation. We had looked at a lot of the hard-side ones, which were all extremely expensive and sorely lacking in capacity. She found this and we thought it might be a quick-fix but we've used it ever since and have no plans to replace it.

FWIW, a tip: get some big safety pins. Though you can tie the excess strap up it's easier to use a safety pin to pin up the excess. You don't have to, but the excess strap tends to flap in the wind and will drive you a little batty.

 "Listen to the expert and buy this carrier" 2008-01-01
By Joseph M. Baltrus (Okinawa, Japan)

After doing the research across price, functionality, ease of use, durability, storage, and weather proofing, I decided on the Highland carrier. For $30, you get an incredible amount of storage, that is secure on your roof, and totally waterproof. This Xmas, I drove from the Northern VA area (DC) way up to Upstate New York (Past Albany) and back with this carrier [in the rain and snow up and back both ways - all stuff was totally dry]. 900 total miles at about 75 MPH.

Here is what you need to know before buy: You have to have a roof rack with crossbars as the carrier's four straps attach to this; the space between the crossbars must be 38 inches so you will need to adjust this on your car first; and don't expect it to look like the picture once on your car/SUV unless your packages/stuff is exactly the dimensions of the bag. During installation do not attach the four straps, that is, fill the carrier on your roof, then attach the four crossbar straps as you will need the wiggle room for secure placement on your roof. After installation I suggest simply tucking/knotting the excess strap as these flap in the wind and will drive you crazy (takes an extra 2 minutes). Also, for piece of mind as I mentioned that unless your stuff is a perfect 39x18x38 rectangle the carrier looks a big lump on your car so I put two 48 inch bungey cords across the width of the carrier. You don't need the cords, but I am a little anal-retentive.

You will be impressed with the ultra thick material this thing is made of. Only four straps connect to your car which you will make suspect their ability to hold this thing down...but they do, and they don't budge. I can confidently say this THE best purchase I have made to date. You get way more than what you pay for on this carrier.

While driving I saw other people with the Thule soft carrier and Rainex, both of these are smaller, do not have the top strap adjustment like the Highland so they flap in the wind, plus read their reviews - they are not water tight. I guess if you have the $200-300 for a hard card carrier, go for it, but what do these people do with these when they are not using them? This Highland carrier folds back down to a shoebox size...you can't beat that either.

You really do not need to read anymore reviews, take my word, buy this carrier if you need extra space at an wickedly affordable price, that is secure on your car, keeps your stuff dry, and folds aways for easy storage.

 "Excellent Carrier and superb price." 2006-12-03
By Kurtis Maximus (L.A., CA)

Took this on a 800 mile road trip, going 70-75 MPH without a need for adjustment. Drove to AZ, so of course there was not a rain issue, but the bag outer is very sturdy and kinda rubbery, so I would think it would stand up to any rain.

As others stated, I too thought that an additional 3rd zipper would have been good for packing, but I have rethought that issue and the carrier is Perfect as it is.

If you have 3 zippers there is a high danger of "over loading" the carrier and not being able to close the carrier with all your gear in it.

Get a stepladder, load the "far zipperless bottom corner" first on top of your SUV and there are NO issues at all. On my return trip I loaded too much and couldn't zip the carrier and that is when the realization set in that the 2 zipper configuration was a good idea. You know more what you can and can not cram onto your roof.

Set up on your roof rack really couldn't be easier.

Make sure you tie off any extra slack or you are going to get a nice "drum beat" rolling down the highway.

I couldn't recommend this more highly.

Rugged, stable, simple to use and a great price, let me take my dog in the back without chewing luggage, you know the usual stuff!

I would recommend this if it was $70 instead of $45.

 "Highland Car Carrier" 2006-07-19
By C. Ellis (Gaithersburg, MD)

I purchased this car carrier for an upcoming vacation to GA and I must say this was a great buy. We have a Ford Focus Stationwagon and the topper fit perfectly. We had room for 1 set of golf clubs, 4 duffle bags, beach toys, 2 chairs and a stroller and still some room left. It kept everything dry when it was raining. You do have to keep the zipper part along the back of the car and make sure that the zipper flap is covering the zipper. I know that other reviews stated that their items got wet but we followed the directions and it worked well for us.

Hope this review helps!!

 "Great product, great price!" 2007-03-08
By Doreen Woffinden

We needed a car top carrier for a drive from Arizona to Utah. After much research, we decided to give the Kar Pak a try. It worked wonderfully! We fit two suitcases, a duffle bag, and some random stuff in garbage bags on top of our minivan. During the drive, we weathered snow, sun, and rain. We were on the road for a total of 13 hours. By the time we reached our destination, everything inside the Kar Pak was dry and perfect. The Kar Pak itself was easily washed off, folded up in it's box, and put into storage. This is a great option for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a car top carrier. It's easy to install, doesn't budge (we checked the straps several times during the trip, they never loosened or anything), and it keeps everything inside dry if it rains or snows.

Allen Tension Bar Bicycle Cross-Bar Adaptor Review.

 "Robust and functional" 2008-05-02
By J. Riquelme (Space Coast, Florida)

This bar is very stout and capable of staying in place. I use it to mount two expensive Treks and feel confident the bikes will stay in place at 70mph on highway. When I picked up my new Treks, the service tech commented on the quality of the bar and asked who makes it, where I got it etc...he was impresssed of it's quality. The rubber end coatings interface well and won't harm bikes' finishes. Both my treks have different frame configurations, the bar adjusted easily.

 "Good product, but online description needs details" 2008-07-20
By Andrea L. Vanleer

The bar does exactly what it is intended for. However, on the packaging of the bar it specifically says the distance from the seat post to handle bar post needs to be at least 18 inches, no where does it say that on the online write up. So, it doesn't work for my daughters' bikes. Something to be aware of.

 "Allen Tension Bar Bicycle Cross-Bar Adaptor" 2007-07-07
By Susan (Champlin, Minnesota)

This adaptor is easy to use and worked well to keep the bike level. It also is made well because we were rear-ended with our bikes on the back of our car. The bikes were all bent up but the bar was perfectly OK. We saved the bar and had to trash the bikes.

 "Great solution!" 2009-07-10
By Asaph (Whittier, CA)

This is the one you want. For about $20, you can attach a woman's, child's, or youth's bike onto a standard hitchmount bike rack - and effectively place it on the rack as if it were a men's bike. We just used two of these on a 3000+ mile trip. Worked flawlessly. Without these, mounting my wife's and son's bikes would have been impossible on our Yakima rack. When I needed a 3rd, I had to pick one up locally. Unfortunately, the Allen model wasn't available and I paid 50% more for another brand that works half as well.

Highest recommendation.

 "Excellent for any full suspension" 2008-12-22
By B. Lee (Austin)

Perfect for hanging and model full suspension bike on any of the two arm carriers. I have a $4500 bike and have no qualms about relying on the Allen Tension Bar being fully dependable. Is is a 29er and it has room to spare. I had to open up the hook on the seatpost side a little for easier use.

Case Logic GPSP-2 Professional GPS Case for 4.3-Inch Flatscreen GPS Navigators Review.

 "Great Case, Not too small!" 2008-05-29
By Archtop

I purchased this case for the Garmin 760. I'm not sure why the other reviewer mentioned it did not fit the 760

but my brand new Garmin 760 fits perfectly inside with extra space! There is 1 inch of extra room on the top and 1/4" on each side. and plenty of room on top to close the zippered lid. All this while slipped into the mesh screened pocket inside.

It came with a soft cloth and wrist strap with a swivel clasp to connect to the case.

This is an awesome case with a little extra room for a memory card and protective shields.

 "Great little case!" 2008-12-01
By V. Robinson (McDonough, Georgia United States)

I'm very pleased with my choice. I wanted something that would protect our new gps and this does the job very well. The case is very hard and zippers the gps screen in. Eliminating the possibility of it sliding out of it's case. A lot of the cases I looked at didn't mention the exact gps model we purchased, which has the larger 4.3 inch screen (garmin nuvi, 255W). This case does the job, very well. I looked at purchasing a case that would hold everything, but each one I found wasn't large enough. So,I decided to get this small case, which can also be carried in one's purse. When we get to our destination, we place the screen in the case and everything else (friction stand and connection cord) in a tote bag I already had, which keeps everything together. This has worked out great and a lot cheaper too!

 "Economical and just enough storage!" 2009-01-21
By Stephen Thorud (Portland, OR)

This product has a few negative reviews and after receiving it from Amazon I have no idea why. First of all it is a stiff case. It's slightly flexible but still rigid enough to provide good protection for the GPS unit and everything else inside. I was amazed that I was able to fit the GPS unit, the car charger cord, the suction mount and the adapter for my Nuvi 760 all in the bag and it zipped up easily! It's just big enough to fit everything required for the GPS without any extra bulk to take up space in your suit case, laptop bag, glove box, etc.

The GPS unit slips out of the inside pocket easily and there is a bit extra padding next to the pocket to keep the screen on the GPS from getting crushed.

Excellent product and I'm glad I didn't let the negative reviews sway me from purchasing it!

 "Good-looking and Useful Accessory" 2008-11-25
By Donald C. Thompson (Miami, Florida, USA)

This case is a useful accessory for any 4.3-inch, flat-screen GPS unit like my Garmin Nuvi 760. The price at $20 may be higher than some, but it is much more secure and protective than the Garmin cases, which are more like wallet/sleeves than cases. It also has an attractive, modern look to it.

Inside, there is a web netting dividing the interior, which could be used to carry notes, cash or the micro-fiber cloth that comes with it. The case is semi-rigid, and has two substantial stainless-steel zippers to secure it closed. This case will not pop upon and expell your GPS. A wrist strap is attached with a stainless-steel clasp; also an aid to preventing accidental damage by dropping the unit.

Highly recommended. Remember, it's only 4% of the cost of a $250 GPS

 "Great case for Tomtom Go x20 and x30 series, and more. VIDEO REVIEW" 2010-01-27
By George W. Klepacz (Ohio)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AX77I8XYUXI1 Hi there, I am including a video review so you can see what the product looks like, what it comes with, and you can see a portable GPS in it. I've done one other video review here at Amazon, which didn't work for some odd reason, so if this one doesn't either I'll paste in the Youtube address. The video works! I uploaded in 720p, but it didn't process that way, so if you'd rather see the HD version of this, check out Youtube and look up Case Logic GPSP-2. User namer geocab123. Otherwise, enjoy and I hope this review helps you in your purchasing decision.

Also, to be thorough I'm inlcuding a brief write-up:

I just bought a new Tomtom Go 930 and since it didn't come with a case, I had to buy one separate. I chose this Case Logic GPSP-2 and I'm glad I did. My Go 930 fits inside the case almost perfectly. There is a little bit of play, but not enough for me to worry about any damage to my GPS unit. This case wasn't designed for a specific brand or model so having a bit of play is to be expected. However, there isn't a ton of play and don't expect to really fit anything else inside the case with your GPS. You may fit in you chargning cord, but if you want to carry around everything together, I suggest getting a bigger case.

This case has a stiff construction that gives your GPS unit very adequate protection against normal everyday handling, like putting it in a purse or bag, tossing it in the back seat, bumping your leg as it swings from the wrist strap, etc. The inner walls are lined with a soft felt like material, not with extra padding, but I feel confident that it is enough protection. Trust me, I'm not going to spend a few hundred dollars and skimp out on its protection.

Looks are subjective, but I like the way it looks. :)

If you're looking for a case to haul your GPS around with you so you don't have to leave it in the car where it can be stolen, or you're just looking for a protective case when it's not in use, this is a very good choice. It's affordable, well built, looks nice, and works great.

It fits my Tomtom Go 930, so it'll fit any of the Go x20 and x30 series. I'm not familiar with all the other Tomtom lines, or with Garmin's (although I'll try my buddy's Nuvi when I get a chance and I'll edit this review when I do) but I'm pretty sure if you have a 4.3" screen GPS, you'll be good to go.

EDIT added 2/1/2010: Tried my case with a friend's Garmin Nuvi 750 and it fits with more room than my Tomtom. It probably has enough room for a chargning cord no problem. Part of the reason I won't put anything else in the case with my Tomtom is because of it's shape, I have to face the screen where it would be against anything else I put in the case and I wouldn't trust that. You can see how my Tomtom looks inside in my video. :) The Garmin 750 has more of a square shape so you can face it backwards in the net allowing you to put the other stuff in which will only rub against the back of the device.

Cobra CPI 480 400 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter with 5 Volt USB output Review.

 "Extra info for potential buyers" 2009-12-17
By G. Meloy (Allen, TX United States)

I just opened the package and haven't used this thing yet - so I can't comment on functionality - but I wanted to let others know that this unit DOES come with a cigarette lighter plug (as well as a set of alligator clips) that you can attach to the screw posts.

I wasted a couple bucks on a separate cigarette lighter plug when I ordered because the product information says nothing about coming with the cigarette lighter plug.

Oh - There is also a sticker on the cigarette lighter cable warning not to draw more than 150 watts when using it plugged into a lighter socket (use the alligator clips or your own custom wires to connect straight to the battery for full power)

 "Great Power Inverter!" 2009-09-12
By Benjamin D. Hann (Austin, TX)

The power inverter works great. I used it on a 5000 mile road trip powering a PS3 and iPhone and another cell phone along the way, in addition to other small electronics. To get the most power out of the unit, you need to hard wire it directly to the battery. I mounted it under the passenger seat and ran some 8 gauge wire. Very easy installation. I looked at several inverters before purchasing this one. The usb connection was what sold me on the unit. I now have an easy way to charge my iPhone without having to buy a car charger or taking up one of the regular power outlet slots. Well worth the money. The only thing to note for Amazon is that the product listing advertises that it comes with a carry case. It does not. No problem for me because I don't really care, but it may matter to you. I believe the CPI 475 does include the case.

 "Does it's job with no complaints." 2010-01-17
By M. Garske (Indianapolis, IN)

I has been on ever since I put it in my semi. I have a laptop, a printer, and four chargers for cordless devices hooked to it on a power strip. The fan will come on if I'm watching a movie on the laptop but that is the only time I have ever heard the fan come on. It is exposed to temps from below 0 to 80+ and hasn't complained yet.

 "Cobra 400 Watt Power Inverter" 2009-11-09
By Vick H (Madison, TN United States)

Had been using a Black & Decker 100 Watt power inverter for my laptop on the road. It is really slow and makes a LOT of NOISE. Researched 400 Watt power inverters and chose the Cobra! LOVE IT!! Makes almost no noise and has given great power for my laptop. No problems very happy with this choice.

 "A Great little AC inverter!" 2009-11-02
By Crackadawn (Maryland, USA)

This is an excellent product. I used it to power an Asus netbook and a GPS receiver on a recent trip from Florida to Philly and back. It stayed cool to the touch and was completely silent, in fact the fan never even came on that I could tell. I don't know why people are saying it doesn't come with a carrying case, because the one I received did. It has a very handy 5 volt USB outlet and it packs neatly into it's own sturdy plastic case. And Amazon sells this model (the CPI 480) for about twenty bucks less than the model without a five volt USB jack (the CPI 475).

Keeper 07203 Waterproof Roof Top Cargo Bag - 15 Cubic Feet Review.

 "Better than expected" 2009-10-11
By PJ (Union, KY)

WOW - this holds alot - we even had extra room. We will pack more in the carrier next time. We are using this on camping trips. It rained and everything stated 100% dry. The straps work wonderful. I can't stay enough about this product!

 "worked well!" 2009-04-22
By Sleepless in Seattle

This arrived in time for a big trip, and we were able to fit so much into the cargo bag. I don't know what we would have done without it. It worked great thru a long trip and lots of tough weather.

 "Cargo bag" 2009-10-15
By Paul Andreasen (N.Y.)

This product held two large suitcases similar to ones purchased at Wal-Mart and two small bags. Drove from Jupiter, Florida to Utica New York. I used two ratchet tie downs in an "X" shape across the bag to be sure of nothing coming loose. At speeds as high as 87 m.p.h., none of the straps were loose upon arrival. Hit lots of bugs and minimal rain, suitcases were clean and dry!

 "Excellent Overhead Cargo Bag" 2009-09-03
By Jaideep Ganguly (VA)

I was skeptical buying a cheap soft rooftop bag like this one, but after reading the reviews, I decided to take a chance. I am not much of a rooftop-cargo carrier myself, but had to carry a lot of things from VA to IL and back. That's almost 650 miles one way, with official highway speeds of 70 miles/hr. (Needless to say, I did a little over that).

This bag was pretty easy to place and secure on the roof, could carry an unbelievable amount of cargo, and held up extremely well throughout the trip. I did encounter a couple of hours of pouring rain, and upon arriving home, was surprised to find the contents dry!

If you are the occassional cargo carrier, look no further. This is a great bag, and will do as good as any other $200 bag.

 "Great Product - Put to the Test" 2009-11-02
By Zag

Arrived quickly, no problems.

Worked great. Super value for the money.

We drove about 500 miles through sideways blowing snow and rain and everything was completely dry when we got home.

Very pleased, would reccommend to everyone.

Tim