Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

Yakima’s CBX Solar Rooftop Cargo Box Features Integrated Solar Charging

Mike Richard
By

Rooftop cargo boxes have changed little in decades. The basic, clamshell designs serve as functional adult-sized toy boxes for skis, hiking gear, groceries, or just about anything else that won’t fit inside a car. This year, however, Yakima is upping the ante with the all-new CBX Solar, an off-grid-friendly cargo box with the ability to power a small campsite almost indefinitely.

Yakima CBX Solar
Yakima

From ground-level, the CBX Solar is clearly different from most other automotive cargo boxes. The 16-cubic-foot storage capacity is ample enough for almost any sort of gear-hauling. The 83-inch by 38-inch by 15-inch form factor will accommodate skis up to 185 centimeters. Visually, the updated design changes are immediately apparent with a silhouette that’s more angular and aerodynamic than traditional cargo boxes. New chrome badging and a premium microtexture elevate the overall look of the box. Also new for 2020, Yakima added removable torque knob installation hardware making it more secure and easier to install. The aluminum access handles are even more intuitive to use and to lock gear inside safely.

Recommended Videos

As the name implies, however, what sets the CBX Solar roof box aside is the addition of integrated solar charging. With the help of Sunflare, Yakima incorporated a thin, flexible CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) top-mounted panel that’s 75% lighter and 95% thinner than typical C-SI solar panels. The ultra-durable design is also impervious to high impact, wind, cold, heat, and is guaranteed never to crack. The 36-watt panel outputs five volts (with a three-amp max) through two USB ports. That’s enough juice to charge most portable batteries or even run a small campsite without draining a car battery.

Related

While rooftop solar panels aren’t a new concept, the idea of integrating one into an existing cargo box is. This first-of-its-kind design helps streamline the limited rooftop space that’s especially valuable to car campers, overlanders, and anyone looking to get far, far off-grid. The CBX Solar won Product of the Year at last month’s Outdoor Retailer. The box debuted alongside the non-solar CBX 16 and CBX 18 cargo boxes, with 16- and 18-cubic-foot capacities, respectively. Yakima claims that all were inspired by recent automotive trends with sleeker, more future-forward aesthetics.

The flagship CBX Solar rooftop cargo box drops in stores this August with a retail price of $1,299.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
Snowboarding tips you didn’t realize you needed: How to ride on ice
Not every day is a powder day so spend time learning to snowboard on ice
Snowboarders walking

OK, I'll admit it, I've become a powder snob. I realized this the other week when I was questioning whether to get on the bus to the hill. It hadn't snowed, so why bother? Well, the reason to bother was twofold. First, I was there on holiday to snowboard, and the alternative was to sit in our budget accommodation that closely resembled a shed. Second — and more importantly — it wasn't exactly bad conditions for snowboarding. OK, so there were some patches of ice, but so what?

Well, if you've ever snowboarded on ice, you know exactly how that feels. It's hard snowboarding on ice. It's even harder falling on ice. But icy patches and icy days are unavoidable if you want to maximize your resort days every winter. What's more, they're good for you. Not every day is lined with freshies — if only, eh? — and knowing how to snowboard in mixed conditions is an important part of progressing as a snowboarder. But just how do you snowboard on ice? Here are some snowboarding tips for those conditions — for veterans and even snowboarding for beginners.

Read more
Bouldering: A beginner’s guide to this full-body workout
Bouldering is a great way to get some exercise and build strength. Here's what you need to know
A man bouldering.

Rock climbing can be a little intimidating, with all the steep inclines, ropes, and requisite knots. But we’re not all trying to free solo El Capitan like Alex Honnold. Many of us just want to get some quality exercise somewhere other than the weight room.
Bouldering is a tremendous full-body workout that’s fun, improves balance and agility, and requires relatively little in terms of gear. It’s a type of rock climbing, but is generally rope-free, meaning you don’t have to learn how to belay. As such, there’s often more lateral movement than vertical, but it’s wonderfully demanding all the same. Keep reading to learn how to boulder.

How to boulder as a beginner
Find a route: Start easy if you’ve never climbed before. At the bouldering gym, getting started is as easy as finding a route. At most bouldering centers, the routes are color-coded by level of difficulty. The easier routes will have larger holds and less demanding aspects. As you work your way up, you’ll notice the holds get smaller, more spread out, and tend to cover trickier rock faces and inclines.
Chalk up: Get comfortable chalking while you’re climbing as you’ll want to keep your palms as blister-free as possible. Practice dunking each hand into the bag, leaving the other hand available for stability.
Rest: Rest is key, especially when you start to take on longer routes that involve 30, 50, or 100 or more holds. Take advantage of spots on said routes where you can relax at least most of your body either by balancing or wedging yourself in position.
Practice routes: Going through a route mentally is a great way to plan your attack at the gym. Imagine where your major limbs will go as you move from hold to hold. Soon, your trained eyes will see the smallest of outcroppings and dents in the rock as places you could clasp onto. And nobody is going to dock you points early on if you don't stick fully to the route map. Use all the holds you need early on until you get a feel for it.

Read more
Snowboard gear 101: Sintered vs extruded – which snowboard base is right for you?
Snowboard buying info you really need to know
Snowboarder making powder turn

Snowboarding is all about the glide. As you gain momentum and rip turns, there's an exhilaration like little else. Add in beautiful mountain surroundings, and sliding on snow is a seminal experience. But what makes a snowboard so slippery? Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has a unique combination of abrasion resistance and low friction. That makes it an ideal material for a snowboard's base, enabling lap after lap of high-speed fun. It just works.

Snowboarders have two base options when picking a new board: sintered and extruded. Each has its pluses and minuses and suits a particular rider. So what's the difference between the two? Let's dive in.

Read more