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tiptoe
07-15-2009, 22:11
I have a Kelty Illusion, which I'm pretty happy with, except for one thing. The shoulder straps and the load-lifter straps don't hold very well, and I find myself tightening them every 15-20 minutes. I called Kelty and was advised to spray them with hairspray. Tried that, and it helped for a little while. I'm not going to carry hairspray when I hike, so re-spraying every day is not an option.

Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, have you found a remedy?

sticks&stones
07-15-2009, 22:39
tree sap worked for me

jrwiesz
07-16-2009, 02:06
A new pack.:D

Summit
07-16-2009, 06:53
A new pack.:DGregory . . . never had that problem.

Rain Man
07-16-2009, 09:43
I have the same problem with pack belts, no matter the brand. I have Gregory, REI, and Kelty. Every little while I have to stop, bend over and bounce the pack up my back, and tighten the waist belt.

On the Gregory, I finally took off the stock buckle and sewed on a cam-buckle. No slippage.

REI suggested I use a tri-glide to hold the loose ends of the belts. I bought and put on the tri-glides, but haven't been on a hiking trip yet to see if they fix the slippage problem. We'll see. If not, I'm going to cam-buckles for my REI packs.
REI tri-glides (http://www.rei.com/search?query=tri-glides&button.x=0&button.y=0)

You are not alone.

Rain:sunMan

.

Summit
07-16-2009, 10:03
For the waist belt, try folding both adjustable ends at 90* and tuck in up, over, and down behind the belt. Very little slippage for me when I do that.

tiptoe
07-16-2009, 10:04
I just finished a section hike DWG to Duncannon, and someone suggested that I abrade the straps with steel wool to make a rougher surface. I've done that, but like you, Rain Man, I haven't been hiking since. Now that you mention it, my waist belt slips too, but that's less annoying than the other slips.

Tree sap is an interesting idea, and I may try it. Pine sap would smell good, too.

A new pack is always a temptation...

sasquatch2014
07-16-2009, 11:06
I have the same issue with my Kelty. I am always tighting the shoulder straps up. I keep thinking that I will try something like rosen(sp) or I even though about a bit of seam seal rubbed into the strap in that area to almost rubberize it. Most likely I'll be too busy right up to when I get on the trail again and do nothing and just keep yanking on them while I hike.

Heck I yanked on what I though was the shoulder strap and it was the sternum stap and I yanked that right off still havent been able to force that little bugger back on to it's adjustable track.

berninbush
07-16-2009, 11:28
Pin a safety pin on the strap just below where it goes through the buckle. Then it can't slip through.

Colter
07-16-2009, 11:51
I second the tri-glide buckle suggestion.

Tipi Walter
07-16-2009, 12:23
This is a common problem with pack straps, especially the lower shoulder straps and the hipbelt. It usually happens after long wear though, but the pack doesn't need to be dumped. Instead, just replace the straps and plastic buckles and they'll hold like new.

I have an old North Face external Back Magic pack that is 28 years old and was used near daily for 20 years and has several strap replacements. It was easy as the lower straps were held on by a clevis pin and grommet.

On an old 1980 Lowe Backpacker pack I had the same problem and switched out the shoulder straps with some old straps from an Army ALICE pack, the kind with the locking metal-toothed spring-loaded "wheel."

The buckles need to be replaced too since they wear just like the straps. Old straps are easily seen as they are abraded, fuzzy, and slip. If you have a pack that is your favorite, you gotta replace these items periodically or have someone do it for you, like Rainy Pass Repair.com, etc.

Jim Adams
07-16-2009, 13:00
I have the same problem with my Gregory, TNF and Dana. I tried rubbing silicone seal into the straps for a little bit of a rubbery surface and let it dry good before I used it...didn't help at all. sap? really?

geek

Tenderheart
07-16-2009, 16:15
I bounced along from time to time with Harriet Tubman back in 2000. She had a Lowe pack and would actually bend over and tighten her shoulder straps every few steps. No kidding! This had to be very annoying for her, but she kept plodding along. She made it too. I would agree that replacing the straps and buckles would have to solve the problem. At first, try replacing the buckles and just cleaning the straps really well. This is much easier.

litefoot 2000

hoz
07-16-2009, 16:35
If you can bring the loose end of each strap back up and through the bottom of the buckle this usually stops slipping.

Dogwood
07-16-2009, 17:00
I had that problem sometimes when I was carrying a heavy load with my GG Vapor Trail. Called them and they sent me 2 tri-glides; they worked. I also like the safety pin suggestion. Bubble Yum might work too!

Chenango
07-16-2009, 17:36
I have the same issue with my Kelty. I am always tighting the shoulder straps up. I keep thinking that I will try something like rosen(sp) or I even though about a bit of seam seal rubbed into the strap in that area to almost rubberize it. Most likely I'll be too busy right up to when I get on the trail again and do nothing and just keep yanking on them while I hike.

Heck I yanked on what I though was the shoulder strap and it was the sternum stap and I yanked that right off still havent been able to force that little bugger back on to it's adjustable track.

Sasquatch - I know what you mean. My shoulder straps get a tug every 10-15 minutes. Lately I cannot seem to tighten my hip belt. It does not slip like the shoulder strap, but it will not catch when I go to tighten it. Every have this problem on the pack?

I like the idea of replacing buckles. I might give that a try. Yeak. When I get around to it. It never seems to happen. This past weekend I must have pulled on the shoulder straps at least 25 times.

Doctari
07-16-2009, 19:14
Dry wall screws.

If you get them long enough to catch bone they hold better. :p


Sorry, I'm tired so getting silly.

gravy4601
07-16-2009, 19:24
i had a problem like that then at my local outfitter they had clips with a small latch to lock the strap in place they where small and i'm not sure if the make them big enough for the waist strap or not try sanding the edges of the clip where the belt slides to grip the belt better it may have worne down over time from the friction of the belt

as for tree sap on the belt isnt that sticky and get all over your clothes sounds like a real mess

Tipi Walter
07-16-2009, 20:06
Sasquatch - I know what you mean. My shoulder straps get a tug every 10-15 minutes. Lately I cannot seem to tighten my hip belt. It does not slip like the shoulder strap, but it will not catch when I go to tighten it. Every have this problem on the pack?

I like the idea of replacing buckles. I might give that a try. Yeak. When I get around to it. It never seems to happen. This past weekend I must have pulled on the shoulder straps at least 25 times.

It ain't easy sewing on new buckles and shoulder straps, an awl is often needed to punch the needle hole along with pliars, patience and some good thread. Who has a machine that can sew thru mutiple layers of webbing? Not me, so I go for the awl. Getting the old shoulder buckles off can be a real hassle too.

I had an old Kelty Tioga pack that when loaded down with some real world weight would release one half of the hipbelt buckle, the bottom part, and so I swapped out buckles with a Dana. They all are pretty much interchangable. Hip buckles also have a small seam on the outer edge which can crack apart when stepped on, allowing one side of the buckle to release under load. Be careful where you step.

Hip belts can often be replaced in entirety, dump the old one and insert the new, if available. Otherwise, hip buckles are widely available along with the wider webbing. Anything to save a great old pack.

hoz
07-16-2009, 20:09
http://awlforall.com/merchant2/images/awl_1.jpg[/img][img]

The Awl for All

hoz
07-16-2009, 20:11
Lets try that again...


http://awlforall.com/merchant2/images/awl_1.jpg

The Awl for All

Tipi Walter
07-16-2009, 20:18
Lets try that again...


http://awlforall.com/merchant2/images/awl_1.jpg

The Awl for All

I use something similar, a black handled thing for leather holes, and then I thread in artificial sinew(waxed nylon, sort of like thick dental floss), or I just use regular floss.