Are you tired of your ratchet straps and tie-down straps being a tangled mess in your vehicle or garage? In this article we’ll look at 13 ratchet strap storage ideas to help get you organized.
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How to store ratchet straps – List of Ratchet Strap Storage Ideas
Below I’ll highlight several ways you can store ratchet straps. And whether you call them cargo straps or tie-down straps, these storage solutions should help you.
Some of them will work for bungee cords too.
I store most of my ratchet straps and tie downs in my truck. If I’m hauling heavy loads or bulky items, I want my straps with me and not forgotten at home. They won’t do me any good there. There are also options to store them in your garage too.
I personally don’t attach the long strap to the ratchet mechanism when I’m storing my straps, but if you want to learn how to do this, skip ahead to #13 on this list.
1) Wrap-It Straps
These Wrap-It velcro straps are usually thought of as extension cord hangers or hose holders, but you can use them for large, heavy duty ratchet straps too.
You can buy the straps in a multi-pack featuring different lengths of straps to contain different sizes of ratchet straps.
Wrapping these velcro holders around the ratchet straps is one of the simplest ways to contain your tie downs.
You can get these at most local hardware stores, or you can click here to see the price on Amazon.
2) Rubber Bands
Using rubber bands to contain spooled ratchet straps is a simple and cost-effective solution.
Many people like this idea because rubber bands are easy to find and can be wrapped around coiled straps to keep them neatly bundled.
However, there are some downsides to consider. Rubber bands can stretch over time and lose their grip. You’ll want to store them out of the direct sunlight because the UV light can degrade the rubber over time. (Reference)
Also, they might not be suitable for large, heavy-duty straps, as they may snap if you stretch them too much.
Many of the best-selling sets of ratchet straps on Amazon come with their own carrying bag (like the set below).
But if you just toss all your straps in there, it’ll be a tangled mess.
Wrapping the coiled straps in a rubber band first will help keep things contained.
3) Wall-mounted Ratchet Strap Hanger
This aluminum, wall-mounted storage rack is a popular way to store ratchet straps inside an enclosed trailer or cargo vehicle. It would work well on your garage wall too.
It is made by the company Black Boar and is available on Amazon.
4) Ratchet Strap Hanger with Storage Shelf
This is similar to the hanger above, but this one from the company Extreme Max features a shelf to hold small bottles of fluids and spray cans.
It is another good option for an enclosed cargo trailer or garage.
5) Ratchet Straps hung from a towel bar
You could purchase dedicated storage racks like the ones above.
Or you could mount a towel bar to your garage wall and hang your ratchet straps from that.
6) Hang your Strap Clamp on wall hooks
Most of the options on this list involve storing the type of ratchet straps you’d use in your pickup truck bed to secure loads.
But what about strap clamps that you have in your garage for woodworking?
You can store strap clamps (like the one above) by hanging them from their loop onto a garage wall hook.
7) Reusable Zip Ties
Zip ties, also known as cable ties, are a good option for ratchet strap storage. They can effectively hold coiled straps together and are available in various sizes and strengths. Long zip ties can even contain heavy-duty straps.
But since most zip ties are single-use they’re wasteful.
Thankfully, they now make reusable zip ties.
I haven’t personally tried these yet but the company Helonge makes these well-rated reusable zip ties that are available in four different lengths.
This should help keep your straps together.
8) Repurpose an old zippered lunch bag
What I use to store my ratchet straps
This is a DIY option that I use to store my ratchet straps under the rear seat of my truck.
Coiling up the straps is a bit time consuming but it is worth it to have them all nicely organized and in one location. (I could invest in a tie-down strap winder like the one below, but I don’t use them enough to make it worthwhile for me.)
I’ve found this to be the perfect solution for my smaller ratchet straps and the repurposed, soft-sided lunch cooler fits well under the flip-up seat in my Dodge Dakota.
9) Tie-down Strap Winder
Do you have to use and then store ratchet straps several times a day?
If so, coiling them up by hand could be time-consuming.
This strap winder helps speed up the process.
Attach it to your cordless electric drill to help making winding up your straps quick and easy.
I personally don’t use tie-downs enough for this to be worthwhile for me, but if you work with ratchet straps daily, you may want to check this out.
10) Store your tie-downs in low profile plastic container
I learned about this storage option from someone who left a comment on my YouTube video about ratchet strap storage.
They said large Tupperware-style of containers works well to store their ratchet straps.
11) Repurpose a Fishing Tackle Box, Tool box or Craft Organizer Box
If you have an old tackle box, toolbox or plastic organizer with dividers, then you could use it to store your wound-up ratchet straps.
I don’t personally use this option, but I put my ratchet straps inside my old toolbox so you could see this option “in action.”
It made me realize it is a nice and tidy solution.
If I regularly had my truck canopy on my truck (so the box was out of the elements), I would use this option.
Will it work for you?
12) Milk Crate
Repurposing a milk crate for ratchet strap storage is a creative idea.
Storing your ratchet straps inside a milk crate provides you easy access to them, and you can store your truck’s fluids like oil and antifreeze inside the crate too.
Plus, you can strap bungee cords to the exterior of the crate to keep them organized too.
However, the downside is that milk crates are bulky and might not fit into the interior of your truck. If you have a cargo van, this probably won’t be a big deal, but if you have a truck you may need to strap the crate into the bed of your truck so it doesn’t slide around.
13) Store your strap and ratchet mechanism together
There are a lot of ways to keep your strap and the ratchet mechanism end attached together.
Below are two short YouTube videos where the YouTubers describe how they attach them together.
And below is another video where the YouTuber shows how he bundles together a large ratchet strap.
One of the YouTubers brings up a good point. Once the strap and ratchet are attached together, you could put the bundle into a garage drawer, some baskets or even on a shelf.
If I buy more ratchet straps or need them more frequently, I’m going to learn a method like this. (I think until then I’ll stick to my lunch bag.)
Remember, the best storage idea for ratchet straps depends on your preferences, the amount of space you have, and the types of straps you need to store (small ones or large, heavy duty straps).
Each of these options has its benefits and drawbacks, so consider your specific needs before deciding which method works best for you.
But I hope at least one of these ratchet strap storage ideas will help you out.
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