Category: Yakima

By James Riswick From AutoBlog.com

Yakima’s Fit Team scouts car news and dealers to get settings and instructions on its site ASAP

As I’m writing this, Autoblog won’t get its first drive of the all-new 2021 Mercedes GLA-Class for another 11 days. It’s as new as a new car can get. And yet, I already know that my Yakima FullBack bike rack will fit on the liftgate. I even know that I’ll need to use hub setting 5 and will be limited to 60 pounds of bike. There are pictures, too.

That’s because Yakima’s Fit Team is seriously on top of things. Although they can coordinate with manufacturers ahead of time, such as with the 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport, most of their “fits” are determined by simply getting access to the cars at dealerships and determining which of Yakima’s products will fit and, if they do, identify instructions for customers of the car and product alike.

“We follow new releases,” said Yakima fit technician Taylor Thompson. “We’re looking at all the (sites) for news about the upcoming vehicles that are coming out. Part of our job is knowing when those vehicles are going to be hitting the lots, because we’ve got to get our hands on it and be able to tell people where to place (the products) on their car.”

Sure enough, a new GLA recently arrived at Mercedes-Benz of Wilsonville near Yakima’s headquarters in Lake Oswego, Ore. As one of the Portland-area dealers Yakima has a relationship with, the Fit Team was soon on the scene to size up the redesigned subcompact crossover.

“We could look at a car yesterday on the lot, and we’ll come and get that fit entered in, and our website is populated with information the next day,” Thompson said. “So you have close to real-time information. It makes us very nimble and quick to the consumer.”

The site in question is yakimatech.com, and it’s not just for the newest cars for sale. They have fits going back decades, with a 1976 Porsche 924 the oldest one listed on the site. More helpfully, it makes it very easy to see which of Yakima’s products will fit a car you already own and then provide the appropriate product settings for your car if necessary. In many cases, there are diagrams provided (usually for roof racks and rails) or pictures of cars on dealer lots (usually bike racks like my FullBack). The latter is a terrific idea to make sure that what you accomplished by following the instructions matches what the Fit Team managed with the same car.

After all, getting the right fit is paramount.

For as long as she can remember, Kayla Lockhart has always been drawn to the water. Born and raised in Minnesota, she was the only one of seven sisters to gravitate towards the hunting and fishing her dad loved. “I didn’t have the easiest childhood, and I would use the outdoors as a tool for healing,” she says. “When things were tough, I would seek out water and walk to the lake. Luckily, in Minnesota there’s always a lake nearby.”

A committed angler, Kayla is constantly on the move in search of new water and new challenges. In 2019, she got a lot of both. “Last year I experienced some intense highs, and some serious lows,” she says. “I got married, fished incredible water in Colombia, and caught my Holy Grail of fish in Mexico. But I was also in a serious car accident and went through some really down days. Now I’m looking forward to a slightly less crazy year.” Knowing her, it may be less crazy, but probably not less busy.

A Year of Gear

Going through a few vehicles in one year, Kayla definitely put her Yakima set-up to the test with her on-the-road lifestyle. “We road trip every year to Jackson, WY, and last year on the way home our brand-new van broke down—like all the way broke. We had to buy a new van to get home,” she says. “Then a few months later, we were hit by another driver and that van was totaled.” Luckily, the van suffered the worst of the accident.

“Honestly, I was dreading the transfer of our rack system,” recalls Kayla, “But it was so easy! We just unlocked the racks and switched it all over to the new vehicle.” Kayla uses a combo of a SkyBox 16, SlimShady Awning, and LoadWarrior cargo basket to carry her gear and keep her camp dialed, but she’s most fired up about her newest Yakima addition: the DoubleHaul. “I’m super excited about the DoubleHaul rod carrier!” says Kayla. “It’s so nice to be on the river and when you’re ready to check out a new spot, just slide your rod in and move on.”

Fishing Line = Lifeline

There’s plenty on the list for her in 2020, including another trip to Mexico, but it’s a project closer to home that she’s really excited about. “In the summer of 2020 I’ll be helping launch the Portland, OR chapter of the Mayfly Project,” Kayla says. Founded in 2015 in Arkansas, The Mayfly Project is a non-profit organization that uses fly fishing as a catalyst to mentor children in foster care and give them tools to manage their mental and emotional health. “I grew up as a foster child, with some challenging family circumstances,” says Kayla. “I didn’t start fly fishing until I was in my 20s, and I fully believe if I’d discovered it when I was 10, it would have helped so much.”

Kayla knows firsthand the positive impact of holding a rod, and the power of community to help people navigate challenges, both of which have guided her to a life connected to the water. And she’s committed to expanding that community, to help protect the outdoors she loves. “The more people fly fishing and caring about the waters, the more people who can give a voice to the fight to protect our watersheds and our natural resources,” she says. Spoken like someone who knows how to read the water.

From Men’s Journal by The Editors

Every January, the companies that make winter gear, including skis, boots, jackets, and more, gather in Denver at Outdoor RetailerOpens in a new Window. to show off their latest technology and designs. Gear will hit shelves at your local retailer between the day the show doors open and next fall and winter. We combed the aisles for the latest and greatest, and this is a sneak peek at the gear we’re most excited to put to the test for ourselves.

Yakima CBX SOLAR

Designed in conjunction with Sunflare, this is the first commercially available cargo box to hold your skis and other gear that can also power your campsite. The box has an integrated 36 Watt 5 Volt (3 amp) solar panel that’s permanently affixed to the box lid and powers two USB connections. Other innovations include the removable torque tool that eliminates knobs, clicks when the box is properly installed, and that stows out of the way of gear storage. A new open/close lever features a handle that’s easy to grab even with gloves on. The glossy anthracite box has a matte micro-texture and streamlined shape.

Available later this year – $1299

For those who like to travel in style, GrandTour elevates cargo box design with a premium, sleek look that doesn’t sacrifice superior functionality or exceptional capacity. It offers best-in-class features like a torque knob that takes the guesswork out of a safe and secure attachment to your vehicle. That same knob is also fully removable, helping to take full advantage of the flattened interior floor for maximum internal usable space. The beautiful shape and automotive finish that compliments your vehicle make GrandTour the perfect addition to your next grand tour.

Grand Tour will be available at your local Yakima dealer this month.

PRODUCT DETAILS

• Removable torque limiting knob ensures a safe and secure installation
• Market-leading internal usable space with an unobstructed flattened floor provides more space for your gear
• Optimized hatch clearance for better vehicle fit
• Internal lid stiffeners for durability and easy open and close
• Dual-sided opening for easy access on either side of your vehicle
• Integrated interior tie-down points
• SKS Locks included for added security
• Distinctive automotive badging
• Made in the USA
  

Grand Tour 18 Specs:

• 18 cubic feet of cargo space
• Weight: 58.00 lbs
• Dimensions: L 91.00in x W 37.00in x H 17.00in
• Minimum Crossbar Spread: 24in
• Maximum Crossbar Spread: 38in

Grand Tour 16 Specs:

• 16 cubic feet of cargo space
• Weight: 51.00 lbs
• Dimensions: L 79.00in x W 35.00in x H 18.00in
• Minimum Crossbar Spread: 24in
• Maximum Crossbar Spread: 36in

From Outside Online by The Editors

We know winter is well underway when the Outside gear team heads to Denver for the Outdoor Retailer Winter Show. Here, the outdoor industry—retailers, media, and brands—is already hyping up products for winter 2021. Our editors are on the show floor this week, sifting through thousands of items to bring you the highlights, starting with our picks for Gear of Show. Here’s what we’re most excited to test out.  

Yakima CBX Solar Cargo Box ($1,299)

For serious outdoor aficionados who inevitably load up their car with gear, rooftop boxes come with some serious pros and cons. Namely: you get more storage space but lose valuable real estate for heavy-hitting upgrades like solar panels. Yakima solved that issue with the CBX Solar, the first mass-produced cargo box with an integrated sun-powered sheet on top. 

Its lightweight Sunflare panel is 36 watts (five watts of power with a three-amp max), enough to power your spare batteries and electronics from two USB ports (there is no built-in battery to store the charge). Yakima claims the panel works great in low-light situations but exact charge times have yet to be determined. And there’s no loss of space in the carrier: it features 16 cubic feet of cargo room, comparable to its non-powered boxes, and is long enough to hold up to 185-centimeter skis. Plus, it opens from both sides and is easy to install on any type of crossbar. 

There are plenty of car-rooftop solar options out there, but if you want simple installation, added storage, and a tidy little amount of juice for life on the road, the CBX Solar is a smart solution. We can’t believe no company made this sooner. 

Our story is more of a journey, because we’ve never been good at sitting still. After all, we don’t have wild sides; we have wild souls. For four decades, our trusted solutions have transformed the way people travel. We’re leaders in our category, packing heritage, safety, design sensibility, and street smarts into every product. Based in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve got the great outdoors at our doorstep. From valleys and peaks to banks and backlands, the grounds we roam make us feel at home. We give everyone the freedom to wander, the right to be unruly, and the confidence to go more rogue.

Yakima & Northwest River Supplies

Whether to stream, river, lake, or ocean, Yakima has easily and safely been getting people to the water going on five wild, original decades. To celebrate our 40th year, we talked with legendary river runner Bill Parks, founder of NRS (Northwest River Supplies).

A Longtime Water Lover & Yakima Customer

Passionate about helping others enjoy the sport he’d come to love so much as a river runner guide, in 1972 Bill started NRS with $2,000 from his savings, stocked an inventory of boating gear in his garage, and typed up his first product catalog.

“You can see the original Yakima Rack (known as ‘gold bars’) in this photo of a mistreated 1950s station wagon that I restored in the early 1970s,” Bill boasts. “And I still own a prototype of the BasketCase, Yakima’s first wire-mesh luggage carrier.”

Remembering Yakima’s First Founders

As a fellow entrepreneur in the early days of water sports, Bill knew the humble folks who ran a small machine stop in the town of Yakima, Washington, Otto and Jeanne Lagervall.

“Otto was exceptional,” Bill recalls. “He started out as a trumpet player with the New York Philharmonic and invented the folding music stand. As an engineer, he later designed a rack (the first of its kind) to get his touring kayak to the water, along with foot braces and a rudder.” Today, Otto’s rack still helps water-lovers navigate hard crosswinds and surf today.

Bill remembers Otto as honest and conscientious to a fault. “He didn’t raise prices and didn’t make much money because there was quite a bit of inflation. Otto was so dedicated, he slept in an easy chair that he kept in his shop.”

Moving Forward While Honoring Tradition

When the time came to sell, the Lagervalls chose outdoor fanatics who shared Otto’s vision and would take the company further: kayakers Don Banducci and Steve Cole, who brought the renamed Yakima Products to Arcata, California, in 1979. The rest became our proud, multi-sport history.

Likewise, NRS has thrived after its original founder passed the baton. Recently retired as he approached his 80th birthday, Bill Parks sold NRS to nearly 100 employee-owners who share his singular vision. Like Yakima, NRS continues building on a heritage of innovating solutions for adventurers who are drawn to the water.