First impression
When I received the SNOWbag, I was initially surprised by the many different individual parts. However, the stable and robust impression of the SNOWbag and the holders immediately made a good impression, so I was sure that my skis would be reliably protected from wind and weather.
Then I set about assembling it and luckily had some help, as I'm not sure how well the SNOWbag would have be attached to my car on my own. But first things first. The assembly is not based on written instructions, but on a QR code that leads to a video in which all the steps are demonstrated and explained. Personally, I'm more of a fan of written instructions (I must be getting old), but the video is of course helpful - you just have to fast-forward and rewind often enough, as a lot of information is given in a short period of time.
Tester and test conditions
I am 1.70 m tall, which is only relevant for assembly and mounting, and I ski and snowboard. Before the SNOWbag, I had already used the PUSHrack ski and bike mounts for my bus, so I was already familiar with the setup. As I have more skis and boards than fit in the SNOWbag, I also have a relatively oversized roof box on my vehicle. This is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4×4 H1.
Here comes the first trick: the SNOWbag is actually designed for H2 and H3 models, i.e. vans with standing height, as the bag would otherwise protrude over the roof due to the length of the skis. In my case, however, this is not a problem, as the roof box compensates for the lack of height and provides wind protection for the SNOWbag.