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Summer Road Trips Essential Packing Tips

pack it up, pack it in It’s summer – You’re ready for that perfect road trip you have planned. Your packing list is long and as it grows your car seems to be shrinking. Overpacking + small cars is a never-ending story we hear at Yakima. Our products are designed to help you take it easy. So, let’s dive into some essential packing tips for summer road trips. The Duffle Bags – You should probably bring some clothes. It’s 2023, we all have smart devices available with ways of checking the weather forecast. Pack according to the climate you’ll be in and what the weather is calling for. Fill the duffle bags with what you need and maybe pack an

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Border Lines

Baja Mexico – rugged landscapes, breathtaking coastlines, and amazing culture make it a must go destination for any Overlander. Also, non-stop tacos. With never ending coastlines riddled with perfect waves, Baja has a rich surf history dating back to the early 60s. Back then, small groups of American surfers would head south with their boards, which soon inspired locals to start their own Mexican surf clubs. In the 70’s, replacing the dirt roads with paved highways made accessing Baja beaches much easier and since has created a culture of camping and surfing along the coastal highway. Today, the goal isn’t just about finding the perfect camp spot, its about a journey to find surfing, camping and culture – overlanding through

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Wild River Life

Wild River Life – Roaming Free to Celebrate Our Rivers

The Wild & Scenic River Act is having its 50th anniversary, so Susan and Adam Elliot loaded up their ’91 Coachman RV and set out to paddle, float, and experience 50 of these pristine rivers. After two years and 19 states, they ticked off 47. Now they are off the road full-time, but still roaming to tick off those final three – and they won’t stop there. “Oh, we’re eager to paddle more and more Wild and Scenic all over the country,” says Susan. “We have yet to visit the Northeast, the Delaware, Westfield, Mississiquoi, and Allagash Rivers, for example. Or Alaska. Those are both high on the list for us.”  Two years on the road roaming from river to river

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Unracked: Kayaking with Tex Alexander

Tex Alexander – Fit and Technical Training Lead Tex makes sure your rack is gonna fit. “My job is to go out to auto dealers, or customers who are willing to let us use their brand new cars, and assess the auto/rack interface. We have a network of car dealers in Portland, so we have access to new vehicles once they come to the market. We look them over, take measurements, check structural integrity, gather all the data. Say a new Ford Fusion comes out, we’ll go out and test it in the field, relate that to our internal testing, measure everything, then post the info up for consumers.” Tex loves racks. But his true love is paddling. He’s so

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Unracked: Paddleboarding with Jenna Fallon

Jenna Fallon – Digital Director Jenna loves to stand-up paddle. “Every moment in the sunshine makes me do a happy dance.” And she makes it a point – even living in the rainy Pacific Northwest – to do her SUP and sun inspired happy dancing as often as possible.   But she does have a day job. Jenna is our Digital Director. “I manage the yakima.com user experience. My job is to help consumers find what they need on our website to create their first-ever roof rack system by setting up the online process that helps you figure out how to find the right one for your car as simply and easily as possible.” But when she gets the time, she loads up her husband, their kids

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5 Outstanding National Parks for Paddling

There is something about being on the waters of America’s national parks that nourishes the soul. On the water, the wilderness and your boat meld into one, letting you connect to nature in ways not possible in the city. So, it’s no surprise that paddling in national parks is quickly gaining popularity, from sea to shining sea. From the sea stacks and crashing waves on both coasts, to marshes and lakes around the nation, the wonders of the waters are stunning millions of visitors each year. And why not? With each dip of the oar, new memories are created, and fresh images of the great outdoors replace unwanted stress. Paddling in the national parks is unique and special, and an

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Nikki Gregg: Professional Paddler

Meet Nikki Gregg: professional stand up paddler, whitewater racer, surfer, mountain biker, kayaker, fitness instructor, and former snowboarder. If her list of daily activities wasn’t enough to exhaust you, Nikki also runs her own appropriately named business—NRG Life—which is modeled after her energetic and enthusiastic approach to outdoor fitness. It all began after a trip during college to New River Gorge in West Virginia to go whitewater rafting. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t know what to wear, what to do, or what to expect and I had no idea know we would be tackling class V rapids. It was intense! I got thrown from the boat, then got hypothermia, but in the end

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