Curious on what tips y'all have for getting your kayak from storage to your truck (or car). I know the thing I dread the most is loading the kayak up (so much so it makes me question fishing on a day when I'm tired). I hate this and I'm looking for ways to remedy it.

I don't have the luxury of a lift system (no garage). What tips do y'all have? I have an Xsporter...do y'all like the Thule Glide and Set?

I use a bed extender on my truck. It makes for easy loading and unloading. I used to have the Thule Xsporter over the cab rack but i got rid of it because i was tired of lifting it over the top of my truck.

Since you don't have a garage, I'm not sure my solution is relavent, but this past weekend, I built a simple storage rack for our yaks. I used two garage storage shelves from home depot and used PVC piping to connect them and serve as rails to slide the yaks from the rack to my vehicle. Works great, and no more lugging them to to the truck ... plus, until now, I just had them stacked on top of each other, so I would always just take the "yak on top" ... now I can get to all of our yaks easily.

lift with legs

The loading and unloading was a major factor in the the kayak I decided on when I bought mine new.

I have both shoulders that are not 100% but getting there, and I needed a light weight but still a kayak of at least 12' so I chose the Ocean Kayak Caper. Although it's 11' it has all the features of a kayak that is bigger and yet only weighs 45#.

I load my kayak on a yakima roof rack attached to the factory cross bars on my Jeep Grand Cherokee and I do this by placing a blanket just above the doors on the drivers side positioned in between the crossbars of the roof rack so as not to scratch the paint.

I then lift the bow of the kayak and rest it on the edge above the doors and then go to the stern of the kayak and lift it off the ground, and push the kayak onto the top of the Jeep and then position it on the roof rack, both fore and aft. To unload, I just reverse the process.

It takes only seconds and without having to lift the entire weight of the kayak at one time.

I'm a Honda Element owner so it's roof rack and a high roof rack at that for me.

I ordered the Yakima Boatloader from day 1 and it's been a LIFE SAVER.

Boatloader

It's a steel bar that sides into and out of the cross bar and it means that I only ever have to pick up 1/2 of the weight of my boat. Sturdy and works like a champ.

bed extender and get someone to help

I do the same onto my Pontiac Vibe, placing the kayak on two foam v pieces and strap down.

Load with the wind at your back.

I have two choices. Load it in the back of my gas guzzling p/u or put it on top of my old gas sipping Toyota Corolla. I use pool noodles to haul it on the car and I use them for loading it too. I put the noodles on the ground next to the car about two feet apart. I set the Frontier on the noodles and hook them on with bungees. I lift it sideways using my knee like you would a bale of hay and throw it up on the side of the car. Then it's just a matter of pushing it up on top.

Only downside that I can see to our method is if you aren't tall, and have a high vehicle.

Honda accord, 2002, Thule rack system, blanket on the back of car, push yak up onto the rack, 4 straps. I'm in heaven even though it's heavy, but my Dagger Bayou 2 tandem yak is smooth , roomy and been yakking it for 12 years now. Much more the last 2 years since I have been fishing with the bass club i started where I teach high school.

I have a 98 Accord with a Yakima rack. I fold a towel and put it on the trunk. Then I lift the bow onto the trunk, hold it, and walk to the stern and push it up. It's not bad. Now getting it off is crazy. I'm 5'6" at 140lbs. I try to get in the center of the boat, and pull it off the racks sideways. My boat weight 74 lbs, so it's never really a graceful maneuver.

I was having to flip my boat after getting it on the roof. This was a pain. I put some pool noodles on the rack, so hopefully I can now drive with the boat upright.

I'm a little bit stubborn and cheap, and I went with the pool noodles for over two years.

Same thing I had to load my kayak with the bottom up in order for it to lay flat on the rack.

I finally bought a set of the Yakima rooftop kayak carriers for $99.00 and they clamp to my flat factory crossbar rack.

I wonder now why I waited so long, and the boat rides upright and is strapped down solid, with the four pads that flex a little as you tighten down on the strap makes it easy to get the right tension on the strap, unlike before when it was always a chore, and having to constantly check the straps.

After wrestling with that kayak for over two years and dredding it, I have to say the next best investment after the kayak is a decent rack.