Yakima. Sounds Japanese, and many people first think of tyres. Both are wrong. Yakima is the name of a city in the US state of Washington, and that’s exactly where it all began. Today Yakima stands for well-thought-out, rugged transport solutions for bikes, boards, boats and camping gear. The brand has long made a name for itself, especially in the outdoor and cycling scene. The history behind Yakima and which new products were presented this year, you’ll read in this article.
What’s behind the brand
From tinkerer to cult brand
When Otto Lagervall, a German engineer and passionate inventor, founded his small company in his workshop in Yakima, Washington in 1972, he surely never would have dreamed that the firm would one day become such a global corporation. With unwavering passion and many a night in the workshop, Lagervall tinkered with a solution for transporting boats and kayaks safely.
Any Load, Any Road
At the end of the seventies he sold the company to two entrepreneurs and adventurers. They doubled the turnover year after year and built the firm from a small brand into a byword for roof racks and outdoor transport solutions. Slogans like Any Load, Any Road shaped the brand’s rebellious and humorous style in the mid-nineties. Yakima became the first choice for cyclists, kayakers and adventurers who wanted to take their passion everywhere.
Back to the roots
In the following years the firm was sold twice more and the product range extended enormously, from snowshoes to baby carriers to trekking poles. In 2010 Yakima changed owners one last time and moved back to its roots: transport solutions for outdoor and off-road trips. Since then the brand has relied on clear principles: the products should be simple and uncomplicated, so that nothing holds you back from your adventure. They’re rugged enough for the toughest tours and are developed by people who are out there themselves, and with a good dose of the rebellion that has accompanied Yakima since the early days.
The mission: simple, rugged, reliable
Yakima’s mission is pretty simple: build gear you can rely on. No gimmicks, no frills, but rugged, well-thought-out solutions that won’t let you down on the road. Whether you’re rolling down the motorway towards adventure or standing somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Yakima makes sure you don’t have to wrestle with the equipment, but can enjoy the drive.
Everything from a single source
And by now there’s everything from a single source, from transport solutions for bikes and sports equipment, through drawer systems for the boot, to roof tents and awnings for your basecamp. Each part is developed so that it works outdoors, in the rain, in the mud, on endless motorway stages or somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
How Yakima develops
Because at Yakima nothing is left to chance. Here industrial designers work with the latest CAD software and simulations that put every component through its paces. And if that’s not enough, prototypes are built, tested, adjusted, until everything fits. There are no theorists sitting here, but people who themselves know what it’s like to be on the road with a loaded car.
Tested to the limit
Before a product gets the Yakima lettering, it has to go through hell: static load tests, city crash simulations, endless laps on the test loop, UV radiation and 6-axis shaker machines that recreate every off-road track. If a part survives that, then it’ll hold up on your tours too.
Own factories in Asia and the USA
Yakima has its own factory in Asia, where everything from the first tool to the finished product happens under one roof. There, injection moulds, stamping tools as well as welding and assembly fixtures are developed and built entirely in-house. The manufacturing ranges from classic injection moulding through precise metalworking to robot-assisted welding. Even the powder coating takes place directly on site. The result: maximum control over every single step, and products that are as rugged as they look.
In the USA too Yakima has its own factory, where the box line in particular is made. The production relies on thermoforming, followed by precise post-processing steps such as special fixtures and CNC machining. The whole thing is complemented by partner firms for aluminium extrusion, die casting and investment casting as well as the manufacturing of hardware components. Even special processes like the hardening of metals, protective coatings and paint finishes are carried out by experienced partners, under Yakima’s quality control, of course. That way the brand makes sure that, in the end, every part withstands what it has to withstand outdoors.
New products 2025
SkyPeak HD, the roof tent for everyone who wants more
The SkyPeak HD is not a tent that you just flip open and crawl into. It’s more of a mobile base camp with the comfort you’d otherwise only expect at home. Thanks to its rugged hardshell and the sturdy T-slots, it can carry up to 136 kilos of additional gear, for example a solar panel or even bikes. Setting it up takes seconds: flip open the lid, pull out the ladder, done. Inside, a cosy retreat awaits, even when the weather outside doesn’t look like adventure at all. With a memory foam mattress, dimmable interior lighting and clever details like cable feed-throughs for power or solar systems, the SkyPeak HD is ready for any weather and any tour.
Yakima – SkyPeak HD hardshell roof tentSkyRise SL, light, compact and with the best view
The SkyRise SL is for everyone who wants to stay flexible on the road. With its light aluminium frame it can be set up quickly and packed away just as fast. Through the large windows you have a clear view of your camp, or a starry sky, even from the roof.
The softshell roof tent is suitable for all seasons and is made of light 210D ripstop polyester with a removable rainfly. Inside, a high-quality memory foam mattress ensures restful sleep, and wide ladder rungs make the climb pleasant. Added to that are practical inner pockets for gear and small bits. A tent for road trippers who value low weight, easy set-up and lots of comfort.
Yakima SkyRise SLSkyRise HD, a soft shell even when it gets really rough
While the SkyRise SL is built for road trips and light luggage, the SkyRise HD is the rugged version for everyone who heads out even when the weather turns. The tent is made of hard-wearing 600D ripstop polyester with a waterproof PU coating and withstands even the most adverse conditions.
The clincher: the extendable porch over the ladder means you get into the tent dry even in the rain. Large doors and windows with a removable rainfly open up the view of the starry sky, while the thick memory foam mattress with an anti-condensation mat ensures restful sleep, wherever you stand.
At 59 kilos in weight and with a static load capacity of 272 kilos, the HD is the workhorse among the Yakima roof tents. Inside there are practical pockets for gear, well-thought-out cable routing for power or accessories and a sturdy ladder with wide, barefoot-friendly steps. Anyone who wants a tent that’s unimpressed by wind or weather goes for the HD.
Here’s the way to the roof tent.
Yakima SkyRise HDOverNOut awnings, shade in seconds
The OverNOut awnings are for everyone who needs quick protection on the road, without lengthy fiddling. Free-standing, rugged and set up in moments, whether the sun is beating down or the rain is coming in sideways. The 420D poly-cotton fabric with PU coating is light, hard-wearing and weatherproof. Thanks to T-slot mounts, the awnings can be fitted directly to Yakima HD Bars, TrimHD, JetStream or the LockNLoad platform, and without any special tools. Included: sturdy support legs for windy days and a high-quality, PVC-free travel cover for safe transport.
The OverNOut 180° is compact and ideal for smaller vehicles or anyone mostly travelling alone or as a pair. It offers 8.73 m² of protected area and can be stabilised with two support legs and guy lines.
The OverNOut 270° XL takes it up a notch: with a hefty 12.26 m², it shades almost the entire side of the vehicle and is perfect for families or longer camps. Three support legs provide a secure hold, even in stronger wind. Both models can be set up and taken down in no time. Just the thing when you want more time for the adventure and less for the set-up.
For both OverNOut models, 180° and 270°, there’s an optional wall kit. With a zip, the wall can be attached to any part of the awning and turns your sun shade into a weatherproof living space. The 300D poly-cotton fabric with PU coating is light, rugged and reliably keeps wind and rain out. Included are side walls and door panels, ideal if you want to make your camp even more sheltered and cosy.
Take a look at the awnings and wall kits on the Yakima site.
Yakima OverNOut awningsMOD drawer system, from boot to camper
With the MOD drawer system, almost any vehicle can be turned into a real camper with plenty of storage in next to no time. The basis is the MOD HomeBase, a sturdy aluminium construction with heavy-duty slides and a bamboo surface. It’s simply attached to the existing lashing points, no drilling, no converting. And the best part: when you’re back in everyday life, it can be taken out again just as quickly, so your boot is free again.
Yakima MOD drawer system for the bootFrom there you can expand the system as you like: with MOD Toppers for additional drawers, the MOD MicroTotes for dividing up the storage, or the MOD GearCrates, which you simply take out and bring straight to the camping table, perfect for cooking utensils or tools. Even a Work Space made of bamboo is available, which fits straight into the HomeBase and gives you a stable work surface on the road.
Yakima MOD drawer system for the bootThe result: a modular system that adapts exactly to your tours. Whether a weekend trip, a longer journey or simply more order in everyday life. With the MOD system you have everything to hand and can turn your vehicle from an everyday car into a basecamp in no time.