Gear on the Wall :: July 02, 2008

My column last month on Thule—“Cargo Box on a Small Car”—covered a rack setup for moving gear around on the go. But what about racking your piles of equipment at home?

Yakima has a unique mount-on-the-wall system called Ground Control (www.yakima.com/groundcontrol). It was made for garages or basements, and the system accommodates gear for cycling, fishing, skiing, snowboarding and camping with shelves, baskets, beds and hooks all available as DIY, custom-configurable options.

Accessories for Ground Control include single and double utility hooks, a vertical bike hanger, a ski/snowboard hanger, a kayak and cargo box holder, loose gear storage, a corner kit, and a horizontal extension kit. The base system is comprised of varying horizontal and vertical round tube lengths made of aluminum that allow for a variety of configurations, including the ability to build around corners. You mount Yakima rack accessories to the system to make a custom garage gear organization shelf.

Another option, Talic Inc. sells assorted racks for boaters. The company has a slogan, “Be Good To Your Toys,” and with products like the Kayak Condo—a wood and webbing boat holder that eliminates pressure points that might dent or scratch your boat—you can be sure that your water craft will rest easy when not in use.

The company (www.talic.com) sells the Kayak Condo in three iterations—holding one to three boats stacked. Thick two-inch-wide webbing conforms to the shape of your boat at rest, and wooden arms provide up to 100 pounds of support, enough to hold any boat.

Beyond the Kayak condo, Talic has canoe racks, kayak stands, and racks for paddles and skis. All Talic products are designed, engineered, and built by a team of kayakers in Rochester, NY.

The Kayak Condo starts at $51.95. Yakima’s Ground Control goes at $225 for the base unit then $16 to $130 for the clip-on components.