Review on Keeper 07203 Waterproof Cargo Cubic by Tim Surridge

IMPORTANT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY: The dimensions in the product description correspond to the dimensions of the box in which the bag is packed. The actual dimensions of the bag are 44 inches long, 34 inches wide and 17 inches high. The instructions state that the bag should not be used if your vehicle does not have a 'roof rack'. "Roof Rack" means different things to different people. In this case, that means you need raised side rails AND rungs; You don't really need a wicker stand; The bag can sit right on the roof. The product description states that the bag has "four buckle straps". As you can see from the photos there are eight straps, two at each corner (hence the need for side rails AND crossbars). Check your harnesses to make sure the buckles were properly adjusted at the factory. One of me stayed behind; it was easy to take off and flip over. CHECK NOW: I've tried enough products that have been labeled waterproof to know that not everything lives up to that claim. This bag fits. I used it on a Jeep Liberty trip from Southern California to the Grand Canyon and back. I have a Yakima MegaWarrior roof rack with a basket that attaches to Yakima's factory side rails and cross rails so the backpack was in the roof rack and not directly on top of the jeep. The straps are long enough to easily thread the side straps through the factory rails and roof rack. (Not wanting to move the Yakima cross rails, which are sized to accommodate the frame for my basket, I attached the front and rear straps to the basket itself, not the cross rails. The side straps passed through both of the Yakima's Luggage rack and the roof rails.) Unlike some other reviewers, I found the straps very easy to adjust and very quiet. They have sliding buckles that prevent the ends of the straps from flapping in the wind. My roof rack has a wind deflector and I haven't noticed any extra noise. I think some people have a problem with dangling straps as most of the pictures on the box only show the loose ends of the strap. Use sliding buckles to hold the ends of the straps. You should get a very clean look and almost no noise. With the correct use of the sliding buckles, there is no need to tie the ends of the straps. It rained almost the entire 7+ hours to the gorge where we arrived, just in time for a blizzard and single digit overnight temperatures. The next morning, two plastic water bottles I accidentally left in the jeep were frozen and the bag was covered in snow. Since the daytime temperatures never rose above 20 degrees, they stayed that way for two days. Even after a rainy ride at 75 kilometers an hour over long stretches and then the snow that finally melted on the way back, not a drop. water has ever entered the bag. I had to open it multiple times (once to release the tow strap to get another rider out of the ditch) and the bag stayed flexible even in freezing temperatures. The bag has a flap that zips up and closes with Velcro. Make sure this flap is closed and covers the zipper. The zipper never got stuck and opened easily. There is a lot of space in the bag. Since I didn't want to rely on the waterproofness of the bag at the beginning of the trip, I mainly packed things that wouldn't be damaged if it got a little wet: a towing strap, a bucket with the essentials, anti-slip mats, a large outside pocket and a blanket. and many other little things. It wasn't nearly full. After seeing how well the bag is waterproof, I would have no hesitation in putting shoes, a coat or anything else in it. Sleeping bags, boots and other bulky items fit in easily. One inconvenience of the bag is that to open it you have to unfasten at least two rear straps, sometimes four (the instructions recommend attaching the zipper to the back of the car, although in fact the zipper twists far on each side). But that's to be expected with a zippered bag. All you have to do is open the clips and then connect them together when you're done. I am very happy with how this product works.