A good set of cam straps lives in every 4WD. The Sea to Summit Heavy Duty Tie Downs are long 5.5 m straps rated to 300 kg, with a soft silicone cover over the metal cam so it doesn’t scratch what you’re tying down. They come with us by default on every trip. We don’t use them every day, but they come in handy often: to strap something to the roof, like dead wood we bring into camp, or to secure a load in the back of the car.
What’s in the box
A pair of 5.5 m cam straps in UV-protected 28 mm polyester webbing, with a lashing capacity of 300 kg (AS/NZS 4380). Each strap has a corrosion-resistant alloy cam buckle covered in blue silicone, so they stand up to sun and saltwater, and an elastic loop that keeps it rolled up between uses. Sea to Summit colour codes the straps by length, so you can grab the right one from the bag. We paid $40 for the pair.
What we like
- Silicone cam covers protect paint
- Cam won't crush fragile hulls
- 300 kg lashing capacity
- UV-stable webbing, alloy buckles
- Elastic keeper, no tangles
- Colour coded by length
What we don’t
- Tension depends on arm strength
- Can hum at highway speeds
- No lock against theft
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sea to Summit |
| Weight | 234 ga strap (our scale) |
| Length | 5.5 m |
| Webbing | 28 mm UV-protected polyester |
| Pack | Pair |
| Lashing capacity | 300 kgAS/NZS 4380 |
| Buckle | Corrosion-resistant alloy camSilicone cover |
The silicone cam cover
The blue silicone cover is what sets these apart from plain cam straps. It wraps the metal cam, so the buckle doesn’t scratch or dent the load, the roof rack or the paintwork. The webbing feeds easily through the cam, and you pull it tight and press the cam to release it. We really like that protection: the silicone pads keep the metal off the car, the roof rack and the load.
A cam buckle also holds tight without the crushing force of a ratchet, so there’s less risk of cracking a fibreglass or plastic kayak hull. The flip side is that you tension it by hand: how tight it gets depends on how hard you pull.
On the roof rack
We use them to strap the awning bag down on the roof rack. At 5.5 m, each strap is long enough to go around a bulky load and back to the rack, and with 300 kg of lashing capacity there’s plenty in reserve. They’re just as handy for strapping dead wood to the roof on the way into camp. The long length is what we like most: there’s always enough strap to go around whatever we need to tie down.
Two things to know. Like most flat webbing straps, they can hum or vibrate at highway speeds; a twist in the strap breaks up the airflow and stops it. And the cam is a quick release with no lock, so don’t rely on them to stop anyone taking your gear.
Packing them away
The elastic loop holds each strap rolled up, so they don’t tangle with the rest of our straps and ropes. We keep them in a Kaon storage bag on the roof shelf, and rolled up they don’t take much room in it. One strap weighs 234 g.
Heavy Duty or Bomber?
We’ve also reviewed the Sea to Summit Bomber Tie Downs, shorter 2 m straps with the same idea of a silicone-protected buckle and an elastic keeper. The Heavy Duty straps are longer, wider and rated to more weight.
This review Heavy Duty |  Bomber | |
|---|---|---|
| Webbing width | 28 mm | 25 mm |
| Length | 5.5 m | 2 m |
| Lashing capacity | 300 kg | 250 kg |
| Weight | 234 g | 110 g |
| Our score | 8.8 | 8.0 |
Conclusion: Sea to Summit Heavy Duty Tie DownsConclusion
The Sea to Summit Heavy Duty Tie Downs are long 5.5 m cam straps in UV-protected 28 mm webbing, rated to 300 kg, with a silicone cover over the metal cam and an elastic loop to keep each strap rolled up. They come with us by default on every trip, and they’re often handy for strapping dead wood to the roof or securing a load in the back of the car. The long length and the silicone pads are what we like most. Tension is by hand, they can hum at speed without a twist in the strap, and there’s no lock. For $40 a pair, they suit 4WD tourers, car campers and paddlers who strap loads to a roof rack, a trailer or a kayak.
Heavy duty 5.5 m cam straps with a silicone cam cover and a 300 kg lashing capacity.
They come on every trip, and the long length and silicone pads are what we like most.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Paddlers
Yes. I paid $40 for a pair, and they come with us on every trip, ready for whenever something needs strapping to the roof or in the back of the car.
