6 Things To Cram Into Your Rooftop Cargo Box

Are you like me? Did you get a new Yakima CBX 18 rooftop cargo box this season? Have you also been wondering how best to utilize the additional 18 cubic feet of storage you added to your daily driver? Here are six things that came to mind. Some of them have already been put to the test, others will have to wait for just the right moment.

Ski Boots

Warning: Do NOT Attempt! In winter, they’ll freeze up overnight and you’ll never get them back on your feet the next day. In summer, as someone I know regrettably found out, they will melt into shapes that in no way resemble a human foot and you’ll be scouring the bargain basement of your local ski swap for new foot coffins when the snow starts flying.

Drunk Friend

When your buddy sends it too hard at après and just won’t shut up, you have a place for him to ride so his incessant yapping won’t annoy you on the way home. Just repeat the magic words: “Yeah man, I love you too, now climb up into your cozy little penthouse. I’ll have you back to your place in no time.”

Seafood Raw Bar

Imagine raising the lid on your roof box to reveal a delicious assortment of cocktail shrimp, king crab legs, lobster claws and oysters waiting to be shucked. Move on over St. Regis, there’s a new seafood smorgasbord in town, and it’s located in the free parking lot behind all those Subarus.

Yoga Mat

A buddy of mine “borrowed” a yoga mat from his girlfriend to help keep his skis from sliding around when he took corners a little too fast on the way to the hill. If you don’t have a girlfriend, no problem, just head to your local yoga studio and you’ll probably find an old mat in the corner that you too can “borrow“. Careful though, you might end up with a girlfriend by the time you leave.

Beer!

Me: “How many beers do you think I could fit up there? 1,000?”

Friend: “No, there’s no way you get that many in there.”

Me: “You don’t think so? I’ll bet you 1,000 beers that I can!”

Now that I just won a 1,000 crispy bois, I just need to decide between Colorado Kool-Aid or the locally-crafted, artisanal juicy, hazy, hoppy, malty ale only available in limited edition, hand-numbered crowlers. Hmmm, I wonder what it’ll be?!

Skis. Duh.

Yep, just go ahead and put your skis in there. All of them. When the cloud seeding takes hold part way through an icy groomer kind of day, take a quick stop back in the lot and grab your powder boards. You’ll be floating in the fresh until last chair instead of bottom feeding on the frozen coral like the rest of the sucker(fish).

So whether you’re still exploring the various items to meticulously place atop your gleaming Porsche Panamera or have been chuckin’ s--- up on the Tercel for decades, I hope this carefully curated list provides some direction when exploring the plethora of ways to best utilize your rooftop box.