Headlamp straps keep loosening

[Arden]

Hey guys;
I have a Diamond Icon headlamp, purchased in 2012. The light has performed flawless for me all of those years, except for one aspect: The headband.
After about five years, when the headband appeared to have lost its 'stretchiness', I purchased a replacement strap from Black Diamond.
The new strap solved my problem for a while, but now I am having a similar issue: The headstrap always loosens up after every use, requiring me to re-adjust the straps.
My current problem does not appear to be lack of stretchiness in the straps (as it was last time), but that the little plastic tension lock / strap slider - whatever you want to call them - are not able to secure the straps properly. Looking at them, I see there is no 'toothed' slot where the strap would pass and be caught by the teeth. While these devices are not always effective regardless of their design, I can see that the ones on the BD headlmap were not a good choice for this product.
Checking Amazon, I find similar devices - some of which do have the narrow toothed slot - they all seem to be for a 1" strap. The straps on the BD Icon are not a full inch, so I do not think the stran sliders I found on Amazon will work. Besides the width of the strap, there is the width of the toothed slot. If it is too wide, then the thin strap will slip right through without being restricted by the teeth.

Perhaps I am getting too technical here, but I don't know of any other way to describe my problem.
I am hoping that someone here will have had the same issue and found a better solution than replacing the headband every few years.
If I were good at sewing, I might think about fabricating my own straps.

Thanks for your help
Arden

[Leo L.]

I'm seeing similar issues (the sliding of straps) on many devices and one solution I found for a device that always needs the same adjustment: I just fix the double part of the strap wit a few stitches.

Another solution for devices that would need an occassional adjustment is, to add a second slider.
Unfortunately this solution needs some enhanced sewing skills.

[Arden]

I thought of stitching the straps, but in the winter I wear the headlamp over a wool hat. I don't think I would want to stretch the straps that much. They're 4yrs old now and are probably losing much of their elasticity.
One thing I just realized is that it would be impossible to replace the sliders with the 'normal' type that don't have the split underneath - which allows them to be installed without ripping the stitches out of the straps. So I guess I'm just going to have to reach out to BD and buy another one. I believe they gave me free shipping on the last one - which costs only about $5; otherwise shipping would be more than the cost of the part!

[Alligator]

How about roughing up the slider some using sandpaper?

Clean it up with some rubbing alcohol might help a little.

If you can't take the strap off to wash you can hand wash it, dry in the sun or blow dry maybe to tighten it up a little.

Maybe sew a strip of fabric or strap to double up the strap near the slider.

I've go one really old one I use at home that is super stretched out myself and I know it can be aggravating.

[Slo-go'en]

A small safety pin could be used to secure the strap in place and easy to move when you need to re-adjust.

[Leo L.]

...One thing I just realized is that it would be impossible to replace the sliders with the 'normal' type that don't have the split underneath - which allows them to be installed without ripping the stitches out of the straps.
...

True, there are sliders out there which have a small gap in the middle bar, which allows the slider to get assembled onto a strap without any cutting/sewing.
Maybe you can get one such slider, or cut this small gap into an existing slider w/out a gap.

I'm actually collecting lots of such stuff (esp. sliders and buckles) and this box full of items comes in handy many times, when doing repairs or enhancements.

[One Half]

A small safety pin could be used to secure the strap in place and easy to move when you need to re-adjust.

right?

KISS

[Arden]

Thanks guys; I'll try some of those fixes. Maybe I could get a family member who is good with sewing to help me.

[Coffee]

I've had trouble with headlamp bands as well, but found one that works really well on Amazon. You might want to give this one a try since it is also inexpensive. I use a headlamp to run before sunrise on most weekdays. It's much less of an issue backpacking since there is less extreme motion.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Alligator]

I've had trouble with headlamp bands as well, but found one that works really well on Amazon. You might want to give this one a try since it is also inexpensive. I use a headlamp to run before sunrise on most weekdays. It's much less of an issue backpacking since there is less extreme motion.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the link, I saved it on my Amazon account. I liked when headlamps got light enough that the top strap wasn't needed but for running definitely a plus. It's removable on its own as well but the company should work on their pricing!

There's also some suggestions about how to deal with headlamps with nonremovable straps but I was just skimming the reviews. 95% rated it 4 or 5.

Have you tried making it into a slingshot? Could be fun to pass the time in camp...

[Alligator]

Q:Can I use this as a slingshot as shown in the photos?
A:When your slingshot breaks outdoors, this headlamps belt can be used as a temporary emergency slingshot, but its elasticity is not as good as a professional slingshot.
By Weltool on March 30, 2021