Bunji's: Carrying Unwieldy Loads

Carrying small stuff on a bike is peanuts: all you needs is a rack, some basic panniers, or maybe just a bag to throw over your back.
But what if you need a bag of kitty litter, or (as my husband recently requested for a mid-summer barbeque) a bag of natural charcoal, or a sack of potatoes, flat of nursery plants, power tool, case of beer, bag of cement?.... You get the point.
I do realize that some items are too large to carry on a bike, at least without a trailer. However, any and all items mentioned above -- and many others you can think of -- can be carried on your bike with what your already have, and a pair of bunji cords.
Bunji cords are absolutely indispensible. For urban cyclists, they beat duct tape hands down.
If you are shopping, or otherwise foraging by bike, and find yourself with an oddly shaped item you simply must take home, Lay the item flat across your rack and whatever panniers or baskets you have, and fasten to the rack with two bunji cords, crossing them diagonally over the item, as shown (center).

The more widely you can space the bunji's the more stable your load will be. Stiff baskets definitely have an advantage here over soft-sided panniers, because you can hook bunji's directly to baskets. However, though panniers or baskets can help to stabilize whatever you are carrying on top of the rack (left), they are not strictly necessary. The load will balance on the rack alone, but may droop a bit.

If your panniers are fully loaded, and extend up over the top of the rack, you can slip your odd-shaped item lengthwise in between the tops of the panniers, and secure with bunji's (right). Even if your load is a little tall, the height of the panniers will help to hold it in place.

Bunji's can be somewhat dangerous due to their inherent springiness. Please use common sense. Make sure the bunji's are in good condition, not frayed, not in danger of getting caught in your bike wheel, or whacking any part of your body.