Where can I get one of those gear carriers that go on the car's roof? I've seen a lot of the Thule brand on cars, but my guess is that they are probably pretty espensive. Does anyone know how much? I may only need it for one trip. Are there other less expensive brands? Where might I find them?

Does anyone know if they rent them? Thanks a lot!

I don't know what a Thule carrier is. But Sears did have a brand called X-Cargo. I think they were about $100. They came in two sizes.

Also try Pep Boys (if you have these stores in your area).

Thanks! I'll try those 2. Maybe they have websites. Any one else have any suggestions?

Where are you?...I'll sell you my used X-cargo for $35.00

Oops...

Did I just break the rules?

They have the soft carriers at Target for about $25. Used one this summer with no problems.

REI stores have them. Try the website (REI.com).

The nice thing about the soft carriers is that you can fold them for storage. Storing an X-cargo is a pain in the butt.

If you get a soft carrier make sure it's waterproof.

Wow, that soft carrier sounds perfect! Especially since I need it for only one trip! This site is the greatest, thanks a lot fodorites!

Now, if I can just find a Target, there aren't any where I live. I think they have a website.

GC is right. I hated storing that thing. I tried selling it, but no go. Finally at my last garage sale, I put it in my yard with a "free" sign on it. Thankfully someone came by and picked it up.
I wish I would have known about the soft ones. Maybe next time.

KC, they don't sell it on Target's website, but I found a few others that are about $ 60-$ 90 but say they are waterproof, which is worth it.

I have a question though, My car only has the side rails on the roof, not the horizontal ones. Can I still attach a soft carrier? Also, was it difficult to access the carrier? Do you have to unstrap the thing to get into it? Thanks so much for your help!

To use the carrier we had, you basically just tied/bungeed it onto the roof racks so I think it would work with only side rails. We did basically have to untie it all to access it. We used it for a beach trip and only put the things in it that we wouldn't need until we got there.

We have a soft carrier, but it is not reallly waterproof. Has anyone really tested the soft ones in the rain? I was thinking of getting the hard one, Sears has a large one for $179, but I didn't think about the storage....

I bought one of the soft carriers from Target or Wallmart last summer to be used for a week camping. We only put soft stuff in it - sleping bags, etc. It tore on the highway home. We stopped in a hardware store and duct taped it so it would hold the rest of the trip. We had no extra room in our car for all that was on the roof. When I got home I brought it back to the store for a credit. So it didn't even last me both ways. I would probably look for a better quality one next time. The soft ones are great though.

We have a hard shelled cargo carrier. I got it at a garage sale for $20. It worked great taking my son to college & on ling trips to family when you haul too much junk with you both ways! As for storage... I hang mine inside (suspended by chains) from the workshop roof.It is overhead & out of the way. If you have a garage you might could rig something up for it.

We are the cartop kings. We own an X-cargo (which will disappear at the next yard sale), a Thule Mountaineer and an LL Bean soft carrier.

The Thule is great...but expensive. $350 or so for the box, $55 for the rails. I jury rigged the rails to my car instead of paying the extra $125 for the custom aero kit. On the minivan, the Thule hooks up nicely. Pro's...big, lots of room, holds 7-8 pairs of skis. Cons...it stays on the car or the van year-round, as I don't have the energy to drag it into the attic.

The LLBean carrier holds a lot...I don't remember how much. It is waterproof, and folds for storage. It is an effort to put on the car, load and unload.

My impression is that the tradeoff is convenience. The Thule is always on one of the cars, and we don't think about it.

When we really can't figure out how to pack lightly...we use the Bean bag.

And one other note...none of these things is parking garage friendly.