That's Fit In The Field - Yakima Cargo Box

by Bev Sklar (Subscribe to Bev Sklar's posts)
Jan 24th 2009 6:00PM

That's Fit In The Field -- where gearheads test health and fitness products under real conditions. We'll grub up the stuff, run the trails, jump on a rock wall, backpack, canoe and hit the gym -- putting gear to the F.I.T. Challenge to rate Fit, Innovation and Toughness.

That's Fit In The Field recently tested yet another cool offering by Yakima -- the SkyBox Pro 18 cargo box. There it sits atop our mini-van, its sleek automotive pro series finish a dead-on match. Here's this skinny on this behemoth cargo box:

Pro 18 = 18 Cubic Feet -- Yup, this 92"x36"x16" vessel holds a ton of gear. From luggage, skis, boots, poles, paddles and footballs, you can stuff it all, leaving space inside your car for dancing, sleeping or three sets of ab crunches.
Adjustable Mounting Hardware is ready out-of-the-box, clips over round or square rails in seconds, and slides easily to fit crossbar spreads as short as 24".
SkyBox Lid -- aerodynamic, easy-to-grab and 50 percent stiffer than Yakima's other boxes, the SkyBox is extremely durable in my husband's particular opinion. Also features a Super Latch Security system with SKS Locks included to keep your outdoor treasures safe.
Where Do I Store It? -- Important question to ask, this box is big. We couldn't fit it in our crawl space, so we installed a metal bar to our garage wall and hooked the SkyBox right on over. Yakima sells a cargo box hanger exclusively for this purpose, and an LED light, utility mat and cargo net, too.

Yakima has a wide-offering of cargo boxes, bags and baskets beyond the SkyBox Pro 18. Their RocketBox 16 is quite popular, the SpaceBooster 11 is perfect for ski bums and the SkyBox LoPro features a lower profile and a solar lighting system.

The SkyBox Pro 18 receives a 5-Star Rating for Fit, Innovation and Toughness. In these days of wild gas prices, 18 extra cubic feet of space will allow us to bring along two extra car riders and their gear. Check out up close pics in the gallery below. I highly recommend Yakima if you're considering a box up top.

Yakima SkyBox Pro 18(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Comments (3)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ben 1-25-2009 @ 12:02AM

Yes, an extra 18 cubic feet of space, but putting things like this can pretty seriously drop your gas mileage, meaning you pay for it whenever you use it in increased fuel costs. Helpful, sure, but maybe not deserving of your 5 star rating, especially when gas hits $4 a gallon again, which it will.

Bev Sklar 1-25-2009 @ 8:22AM

Ben, thanks for your feedback on the gas issue. I would be interested to know exactly how much mileage is lost with a cargo box, it's definitely something to consider. Next time we use it, we'll test that aspect. Again, for Fit, Innovation and Toughness, the SkyBox was easily 5 stars.

Bev