Dagney mentioned roof racks in her Lifepod post. I pass a lot of them on the road, and most of them don't look very useful. They look like they could hold a couple of suitcases, but not much more. And it appears that the cargo sits directly on the roof of the vehicle and the rack is nothing more than a fence that you could attach a strap to. I would think that this would limit their usefulness.

Are there some decent, sturdy racks out there, maybe with their own metal mesh rack affixed to the frame that would hold a useful amount of weight?

Any good tips on types or brands?