We spotted this upgrade to the classic Strap Wheel Hack last spring, and this version of the old "extension cord reel for your boat straps" pretty slickly fits right on the boat racks of your trailer.

Why reel up your straps? Well, as any coach who has switched over to Strap Wheel-ing can tell you, storing them this way takes a lot less time than rolling each one up individually; you can easily spool off only as many as you need for a given load; and you never have to worry about straps getting trampled on the ground or lost under a pile of oars in the bed of the trailer.

We also have yet to meet a coach who really prefers a tangled pile of boat straps, and that may well be the main reason we see this rowing hack in use maybe more than any other.

This coach's version shown above--hacked up pretty easily by just buying a different and maybe better-for-this-hack kind of extension cord reel--can hang on an empty boat rack all regatta long, staying near to hand, ready to use, and out of any regatta day mud that might be underfoot around the trailer.

We even learned that this model is about a buck cheaper than the other version you see a lot, the one that stands on its own:

True Rowing Hack devotees may remember that the Strap Wheel--or Strap-o-matic, as it is also known--was the very first column in this series and we dare you to wander amongst the trailers at any regatta without spotting at least one Strap Wheel in action.

So when it comes to storing your straps, whether you use something like the original or have found a better version like this one, keep on reeling, Rowing Hackers.

Do you have a travel hack or trailer trick that makes transporting your fleet simpler? If so, share your tips--and hacks--in the comments below.

If you have a great rowing hack to suggest for future inclusion, then please send it to us and we will feature your idea in a future column.