Roof Basket vs. Luggage Rails vs. Cargo Net?
This is my first Forester and first SUV of any kind.
I'm looking at doing some light camping coming up, and I know I'm not going to have enough space in the trunk for all of my friends' bags, gear, cooler, barbecue, etc.
I plan on putting the heavier stuff like the cooler full of food and ice as well as the barbecue in the trunk and then putting the bags and camping gear (tents / sleeping bags) on the roof.
Just looking for recommendations / votes of what the best option is if I just want to spend money on 1 roof hauling option.
I imagine the main advantage of the basket is being able to chuck anything into it without worrying about scratching the roof? I'm fine with placing a tarp or blanket down first in order to use the rails, and the roof will mostly just be soft suitcases / bags...no hard objects that will scratch the paint.
I'm looking to get the job done for the least amount of money and hassle, although I don't want to invest in cheap crap that will break after a couple years or snap and send my luggage flying on the highway, so whatever is needed to get a quality setup that will last and get the job done is what I'm interested in.
If it's a tie between the two, I imagine that the rails are easier to store in my apartment vs. a basket, so any thoughts from that angle would be appreciated as well.
Or...should I just get a bungie net and just strap everything down tight using the existing side rails?
This seems like the cheapest option, but is it recommended to get the crossbars for added security?
This is my first Forester and first SUV of any kind.
I'm looking at doing some light camping coming up, and I know I'm not going to have enough space in the trunk for all of my friends' bags, gear, cooler, barbecue, etc.
I plan on putting the heavier stuff like the cooler full of food and ice as well as the barbecue in the trunk and then putting the bags and camping gear (tents / sleeping bags) on the roof.
Just looking for recommendations / votes of what the best option is if I just want to spend money on 1 roof hauling option.
I imagine the main advantage of the basket is being able to chuck anything into it without worrying about scratching the roof? I'm fine with placing a tarp or blanket down first in order to use the rails, and the roof will mostly just be soft suitcases / bags...no hard objects that will scratch the paint.
I'm looking to get the job done for the least amount of money and hassle, although I don't want to invest in cheap crap that will break after a couple years or snap and send my luggage flying on the highway, so whatever is needed to get a quality setup that will last and get the job done is what I'm interested in.
If it's a tie between the two, I imagine that the rails are easier to store in my apartment vs. a basket, so any thoughts from that angle would be appreciated as well.
Or...should I just get a bungie net and just strap everything down tight using the existing side rails?
This seems like the cheapest option, but is it recommended to get the crossbars for added security?