straps slipping in ladderlock buckles

[WV]

I am replacing some of the straps and adding some new ones to produce a more comfortable and secure pack for my dog. The original Granite Gear bags are quite good, but the straps left much to be desired. I now have a good design from the point of view of comfort and load control, but the ladderlock adjustments for the buckles tend to slip because of the low (and intermittent) tensions on them. I replaced some thinner and more slippery straps with thicker ones, but that has not entirely solved the problem. Some of the buckles seem to be of better design than others (sharper edges on the bar that is supposed to grip the fabric), and some have strap clips to hold the loose ends, but even the best of them aren't perfect.

I'm sewing all this by hand with heavy thread and a sewing machine needle used as a lockstitch awl, so I'd rather not start over with new straps and buckles. Is there a way to improve the friction of a ladderlock connection? I have thought of sewing a second layer of some lightweight grippy material onto the straps to make them thicker and less slippery. I think I could do that with a machine instead of by hand, but have no idea what additional material would work. I have also thought of filing the ladderlock edges to make them sharper. Another idea was coating the straps with diluted silicone seam sealer. Yet another was using a better design of strap clip for the ends. I don't know if there is one. Anybody coped with this problem?

[Knotty]

Could you rough up the surface of the ladderlock buckles to increase the friction?

[gargoyle]

Some ladder locks have a wider guage for thicker webbing. If you're slipping, try sewing a layer of grosgrain to the webbing to essentially thicken it. It might be the ticket?

[Alamosa]

It is basically the friction of the strap trying to move in opposite directions that holds it in place, so maybe making the straps more "sticky" may help. What about working a very light layer of silicon into the inner side of the strap?

Thinking of my dog, she is basically a circle which would lessen the bind of the buckle and therefore the friction on the webbing. Is there a way to change the alignment of the buckle to create a tighter bend in the webbing (more webbing surface area to lock with)?

[gmcttr]

...Another idea was coating the straps with diluted silicone seam sealer...

I used flowable silicone to add "gripper dots" to cycling leg warmers a few years ago. I simply laid down a thin bead straight from the tube and did not smooth it out. The first coat soaked in and the second layer formed a thin bead that worked very well for what I needed. My impression is that the flowable silicone is softer (think grippier) than silicone caulk. Try it on a scrap first.

Camlock buckles may be needed.

[XTrekker]

I have had issues like this with similar scenarios and I tried to modifiy the buckles by ruffing them up and even creating a sharper edge with teeth but end the end the problem still remained that if you dont have a decent tension on the strap, they tend to slip loose. I was able to solve my problem by adding Tri-glides to the straps. The drawback to tri-glides is they are harder to adjust when used in conjunction with ladder locks so the best setup I have found for loose straps is to use a buckle and tri-glides together. Before you decide to change out any hardware, try and create some teeth on the upper-sides of the center bar of the ladder locks. This may be enough for them to dig into the webbing and hook. Easiest way to do this is with a thin coping saw blade.

[Dutch]

I have found webbing with a herring bone weave to be more prone to slippage with hardware.

[Ramblinrev]

My experience with ladderlock buckles is there seems to be a somewhat counter-intuitive pattern to threading them which increases the tension on the layers of webbing. I frequently have to look up the pattern on the occasion I use them. Make sure you thread them correctly so the webbing pinches together properly.

http://www.sailrite.com/Ladderlock-B...ing-of-Webbing

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

I use sniper tape. It works well but has a tendency to get overly sticky[IMG][/IMG]

[WV]

Holy smoke! I've got a dog pack brain trust! Thanks for all these good suggestions, friends. I just got back from a walk on the river trail to test the pack again. I slipped 6" pieces of lightweight webbing into the ladderlocks along with the pack straps to make them thicker. No sewing or anything, so I was watching to see if they came out along the way. The added straps loosened and slipped a little, but the pack straps stayed in place. This is a big improvement. I'll sew some in place next time, but I think I'll also roughen the ladderlock bars and apply silicone, as suggested. A mile along the river isn't a long enough test.

Oh yeah. I shot some video so I could show you how the pack moves when Freia walks. Will edit and post tomorrow.