My first impressions of the Trash-a-roo? Rubbish, it holds lots of it. This ingenious overlanding solution, created by California Tape Products, offers seamless garbage management on the road. Moreover, this is a product with environmental motivations. C.T.P President Dave Druck states: “There isn’t a single one of us who is against the ‘Tread Lightly’ philosophy”, thus enforcing the importance of Leaving No Trace and collecting the trash of others. Now, that is a company ethos I can get behind. I’ve owned my Trasharoo for the best part of five years and love it. This product is a game-changer and has drastically improved my quality of life on the road, not to mention its fantastic value).
Living remotely, I make an active effort to reduce my environmental footprint. This includes avoiding goods wrapped in plastic whenever possible and utilising reusable beeswax wraps to store fresh produce. Nevertheless, I still generate waste, and in a modest-sized vehicle, this can be difficult to store. Moreover, I’d frequently find idyllic camp spots spoilt by trash, and after picking up what I could, I’d stuff bags of smelly, often damp garbage in the footwell of my van until I could find a suitable place to dispose of it. Needless to say, in warm weather, life in the van soon got smelly, and sure, that was me, but I like to think the mountain of trash didn’t help—cue the Trasharoo, my Knight in Shining 900 Denier Canvas.
This spare-wheel-mounted, heavy-duty bag offers a 50-pound capacity, water-resistant interior coating, double-stitched buckles/straps (with nylon covers), a drawstring to prevent trash escaping, flap zipper pocket, drainage holes for unexpected leaks, an exterior mesh pocket, and MOLLE straps for additional storage. The build quality is excellent, and despite fading to the exterior, it hasn’t developed a single issue even after years of heavy usage. I guess its reputation for dependability explains why it’s also used by the emergency services and military.
The Trasharoo is not simply a place for garbage. It can store wet or dirty clothing, firewood, recovery gear, cleaning supplies, canned goods, and anything else you’d rather keep outside. I use heavy-duty dry bags within the Trasharoo to compartmentalise the contents and keep the interior clean. Consequently, I’m able to free up storage inside the van and keep my living space tidy, organised, and odourless.
It’s worth mentioning that whilst this product is designed to mount on the spare wheel, it can fit elsewhere. I have mine secured to a rear-mounted Paulchen bike rack but could even strap it to the roof rack if required. On the company’s site, they demonstrate the product being used as an emergency backpack, strapped to rafts, on pack horses, as ATV storage, and much more. Thus, whatever your setup, there’s probably a way to integrate this overlanding accessory.
Trash-a-roo is a great name but in some respects a disservice to the product. This is so much more than a trash bag, and as someone who lives in their vehicle full-time, I can’t emphasise how useful it is. This is a multi-functional storage compartment that’s practically weightless when empty yet will consume a vast amount of gear when necessary. If you own an adventure vehicle, the Trasharoo is a no-brainer.
$48 | trasharoo.com
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