Buckles - why they slip and how to fix them

Send any comments to the maintainer Roger Caffin

Do you find that after half an hour some of the straps on your pack are nowhere near the lengths you set them too? Do you find that the webbing seems to slowly slip through the buckles as you walk? Well, there are ways of fixing this, and we detail them here. First we need to distinguish between several sorts of buckles and how they are used.

This is a fixed TriGlide	This is an adjustable LadderLock	A common buckle arrangement looks like this

Yes, these LadderLock buckles are known to slip when the webbing is wrong. You will notice that the webbing I have in the picture has pronounced ribs across it: these are necessary to help the webbing lock in the buckle. I will explain.
What is actually happening with your webbing is that it is moving in the buckle as you walk, and every little wiggle is letting the webbing creep slowly through the buckle. The movement may be only 0.1 mm each time, but that is enough to let the webbing creep. There is nothing in the webbing to give a real locking point for the buckle to hang onto.
What you have to do is persuade the webbing to NOT want to move with each bounce. This can be done in three main ways:

1. Good ribbed webbing takes a bend and has the ribs lock against the buckle edges. This is the best, but it may not be an option for you if you don't want to rebuild the straps on your pack.
2. Anchor the webbing below the buckle with a TriGlide, thus Now the webbing is held in one position with just enough force that it does not spring open in the LadderLock and creep. However, when this is done the adjustment becomes much more difficult: you have to create slack, adjust the length, then tighten the webbing so there is no slack left. I have used this at times, and it does work, although it is a bit inconvenient. You can't adjust it while the pack is on your back. This method has the distinct merit that NO real changes are required to the pack at all, which meets your requirements if you are not sure about the following version. Me, I would only use it in emergencies, but it does work.
3. Alter the surface of the webbing to be softer and ribby: thus Here I have put a second bit of yellow tape on top of the webbing already in place. The yellow tape would not be suitable as it is too thin, but the colour stands out for the photo. You should choose a soft webbing for this: nylon or polyester, but not polypropylene (that's too stiff). Pick a webbing which has a soft weave, preferably with distinct ribs across, and which has the same width. Be fussy with what you choose: there is no use buying something which is not going to work. Then sew it onto the original webbing, either to go on the outside of the webbing/buckle as shown, or on the inside, against the hidden bar the webbing is wrapped around. The idea is to give the edges on the buckle something they can indent or bite into, which will provide the locking action to stop slip. This technique has the advantage that it leaves the strap fully adjustable, especially if the added webbing is on the outside as shown.

You can get webbing and TriGlides at good bushwalking shops, or at one of the American shops such as www.owfinc.com if really desperate. make sure it is fairly soft. The tubular webbing used for rock-climbing may be too thick for this. If sewing, use a heavy synthetic button thread rather than the light clothing thread.