So, you are new to the whole overlanding thing. You’re just getting your feet wet. You are thinking about investing in some equipment, but you don’t know what to buy. You do know for sure that a lot of the overlanders you talk to seem to have a thing for cam straps. Do you know what they are? Do you know why overlanders love them so much?

Overlanders spend a lot of time off road. As a result, their gear tends to jostle around quite a bit. They use cam straps, or other types of tie-downs, to secure their gear for off road travel. It just so happens that a lot of overlanders prefer cam straps because they are the best tool for the job.

A Simple but Brilliant Design

The cam strap represents a simple but brilliant design in cargo securement. It is essentially a webbing strap secured by a cam buckle. As for the cam buckle, think of a device similar to a traditional belt buckle but without the eye-and-tooth closing mechanism. Instead, the strap is held firmly in place by a spring-loaded plate with teeth that dig into the webbing.

To secure a cam strap, you slip the open end through the cam buckle and gently pull it tightly. When you release, the spring-loaded plate digs in and catches the webbing. It is pretty simple. No ratchets to worry about and no knots to tie.

As a side note, Rollercam has an interesting take on the cam strap. Their patented design utilizes a rotating cam rather than a stationary one. The rotating cam reduces friction so that you need less force to pull the strap tight.

They Are Ideal for Overlanding

Now that you know what a cam strap is, let’s talk about why overlanders love them so much. In a nutshell, cam straps are ideal for overlanding.

First and foremost, they are strong but still flexible. The secret to their strength is the woven nature of the strap material itself. Webbing straps are so tightly woven that they can withstand weather extremes, heavy loads, high winds, and more. Cam straps are also:

• Durable – A good cam strap will provide many years of reliable service.
• Easy-to-Use – Cam straps are much easier to use compared to ropes and ratchet straps.
• Configurable – Different lengths and end hardware make cam straps highly configurable.
• Inexpensive – Overlanders don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on camp straps; they are quite affordable.

Personally, one of my favorite things about cam straps (at least the nylon ones) is that they are waterproof. They just don’t soak up and hold water. I do not have to worry about a waterlogged cam strap growing mold because I didn’t dry it out prior to storage.

A Wide Variety of Uses

All of this leads to the inevitable question of whether overlanders use cam straps for anything other than securing gear. After all, securing gear is the low hanging fruit here. It turns out that overlanders do have plenty of other applications. They include things like:

• Supporting tarps, tents, and lean-tos.
• Emergency repairs when zippers, clips, or gears break.
• Drying the laundry at the campsite.
• Improvising temporary belts.

Cam straps are ideal for just about every application an overlander might otherwise choose rope or bungee cords for. They can even replace consumer-grade ratchet straps for most applications. They are not suitable as a replacement for commercial-grade ratchet straps, though. Just bear that in mind when you are investing in new equipment for your overlanding journeys.