check your straps

Just a friendly reminder to check your straps, at least it snapped while loading and not driving, Cameron

Thank God not while driving, thats why it better to have some of those locking chain, just in case it happen while driving.

Just curious...how old is that strap?

I have had straps fray from being tied in a knot the stop any sliding through the buckle.  The material abrades against itself and it doesn't take long for it to look too worn to trust.  Is there another way of securing the strap ends so they can't slide back through the tension buckle and loosen?  I always carry extra straps in the spare tire well.

I had that happen with one of my oldest straps last December, loading up for a crab trip. To be fair, that strap was probably 15 years old.
I just picked two new straps from NRS for the coming season.

What did the wife say ??
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=27668.msg295829#msg295829

Good advise, and thanks for the reminder. I noticed a few of mine are looking kind of old.

Al

I use NRS straps that I bought last June but this afternoon after crabbing at Bodega Bay about 10 minutes into the drive home I heard something knocking intermittently.  When it persisted I looked in the rear view mirror and saw that the buckle on one of the straps was banging against the rear window of my station wagon.  I always put a knot in the straps to keep them from loosening on the rack so I don't know how this happened, especially so quickly.  I had stopped using a bow line because I thought it was unnecessary but I will use one from now on.  Luckily for me the strap that came loose was the back one; if it had been the front one I probably would have lost the yak.

Thanks for the reminder Cam. I need to pick up some new straps myself.

Thanks! I often run a small cable lock thru the hull to a cross bar as an insurance policy, if the straps go it ain't gonna be pretty at 70mph but at least it will still be attached and not in the grill of a 2014 BMW...hopefully

I always run a bow strap just in case.

Eh NCKA Bruddahs,

I have Yakima racks because I needed the Hully Rollers and Front Mako Saddles to load my heavy Hobie Oasis Tandem. When traveling longer distances when I have to drive on the feeway most of the way, I use 2 sets of straps in the front and back bars. I rig the first strap going over the top of the kayak and under through the front saddles and through the Hully Rollers metal frame. I the use the second strap and wrap around once on the cross bars on both sides going the other direction (through the bottom and over the top.  I get the front and rear tie downs tightend down first and then strap the kayak to the racks. Yakima has a rachet type tie down mechanism that makes you really able to pull the kayak firm on the mako saddles and hully rollers.
I can take off down the freeway knowing that my heavy kayak is really tight as a clam and solid on the racks.

Cool Runnnings,

Michael (Da Bruddah)

What did the wife say ??
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=27668.msg295829#msg295829

yeah mike, had some serious flash backs and was glad she wasnt home when it happened

Just curious...how old is that strap?

2 seasons sonny, been trying to remember to change them out for the last few months

Thanks for the reminder.  I always use a bowline if going on the freeway, as a safety line and also to more easily see if something is going weird.  Straps are about the cheapest piece of equipment we use so I guess it's not a bad idea to swap em out every few years.

Thanks! I often run a small cable lock thru the hull to a cross bar as an insurance policy, if the straps go it ain't gonna be pretty at 70mph but at least it will still be attached and not in the grill of a 2014 BMW...hopefully

+1, and it keeps my kayak locked to the car, which might dissuade the opportunistic theft. I'm with RacinRob on the bowstraps.  They have saved my a$$ a number of times.