There are times when outdoor sports call for rope or bungee cords to keep things secure. But in many cases, there is a better alternative: the cam strap. If you have never used cam straps before, you don’t know what you’re missing. They are superior to rope and bungee cords more often than not.

Cam Straps in Outdoor Sports

For those who are new to the whole cam strap thing, the Rollercam brand describes a cam strap as a webbing strap with a cam buckle on one end. You wrap the strap around the object being secured, thread it through the buckle, and pull it tight. Cam straps are easy to use and incredibly versatile.

That being the case, they are ideal for these five outdoor sports:

1. Kayaking/Canoeing

Both kayaking and canoeing come with specific cargo securement responsibilities. You have to get your kayak or canoe to the water, right? And to do that, you need to put it on the top of your car or carry it on a trailer. Cam straps will hold it securely in place regardless of your vehicle choice.

Modern kayaks and canoes are light enough that you don’t need a whole lot of straps to get the job done. Two or three should do the trick, most of the time. If you know what you’re doing, you can strap a boat down securely in a matter of minutes.

2. White Water Rafting

White water rafting comes with cargo securement requirements similar to canoeing and kayaking. But there is another reason cam straps are ideal for this particular sport. Rafts are often fitted with ropes around the perimeter to give passengers something to hold on to. Cargo can be tied to the ropes as well.

Rope is adequate, but cam straps are better. They are more easily deployed and do a better job of securing light cargo. They also aren’t bothered by the water. They will not shrink or loosen up when they get wet.

3. Tent Camping

Tent camping is a far cry from RVing and clamping. When camping in a tent, you’re dealing with a whole host of considerations including tent placement and keeping things dry with a tarp. The beauty of cam straps for camping is that they can be utilized for multiple purposes.

Two straps can secure a large cooler to the back of your truck. Once you arrive at the campsite, you can string them between two tent poles and hang a tarp over the top. Two birds with one stone.

4. RV Camping

There’s no need to leave RV camping out of the equation. Though some might not consider it a sport, RVing is a popular outdoor activity. It’s also an activity for which cam straps are ideal. Cam straps can be used to secure all sorts of things to the outside of an RV. They aren’t bad for keeping things secure down in the storage bays, either.

5. Cycling and Mountain Biking

Last but not least are cycling and mountain biking. They are combined as one here because they both utilize bikes. Carrying the bikes on car carriers is a given, but not all carriers have straps or other securement options built in. No worries. Cam straps fit the bill. Nothing keeps an expensive bike more secure than a couple of well-placed straps.

Just about any application for which you would reach for rope or bungee cords can be handled with cam straps. With very few exceptions, cam straps are a better alternative to all your other options. Definitely check them out before you buy anything else.