Adjustable Stretch Straps: One of the Most Useful Pieces of Kit You'll Carry
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Some bits of equipment only have one job.
A good stretch strap isn't one of them.
We originally started using adjustable stretch straps for securing luggage to motorcycles, but over the years we've used them for far more than that.
Camping gear.
Dry bags.
Roof racks.
Surfboards.
Duffels.
Equipment in vans and 4x4s.
Sometimes simply holding awkward bits of kit together until you get where you're going.
That's what makes a good pair of adjustable stretch straps worth keeping around.
What Is an Adjustable Stretch Strap?
An adjustable stretch strap sits somewhere between a traditional luggage strap and a bungee cord.
A standard webbing strap can secure a load but doesn't stretch. As luggage moves or settles, the tension can change.
A traditional bungee cord stretches, but its fixed length gives you limited adjustment and the metal hooks found on many designs aren't always something you want flying around your motorcycle, vehicle or equipment (or your eyes!).
An adjustable stretch strap combines both ideas.
One section provides controlled elasticity while the webbing section allows the overall length and tension to be adjusted to suit the load.
Simple.
But extremely useful.
More Than a Motorcycle Luggage Strap
Motorcycles are an obvious use.
Space is limited, luggage is exposed to the weather and whatever you're carrying needs to stay exactly where you put it.
Loop a stretch strap through a suitable luggage or mounting point, adjust the length and apply tension.
But there's no reason to stop at motorcycles.
The same principle works anywhere something needs securing.
Securing Camping Equipment
Camping equipment rarely packs into convenient shapes.
Tents, sleeping equipment, chairs, dry bags and duffels all need to be carried somehow.
Adjustable luggage straps can help secure equipment to suitable racks and luggage systems, or simply hold several pieces of kit together.
Because the length can be changed, the same strap can work with a small dry bag one day and considerably bulkier camping equipment the next.
Securing a Surfboard to a Roof Rack
We've even used ours to lash surfboards to roof racks.
The loop-through ends provide an alternative to straps with exposed hooks, while the adjustable length makes it possible to tension the strap around larger equipment.
As with anything carried externally on a vehicle, the load needs to be properly secured using suitable mounting points and checked regularly during the journey.
But it demonstrates why we like carrying equipment that can do more than one job.
A motorcycle luggage strap on Friday can quite happily become a surfboard strap on Saturday.
Roof Racks, Vans and 4x4s
The same applies to general travel.
Keep a pair in a van and sooner or later they'll probably get used.
They can help secure luggage, camping equipment, dry bags and other suitable loads.
For overlanding and 4x4 travel, where equipment regularly gets moved between the vehicle and camp, having an adjustable strap that can work across different load sizes is particularly useful.
You don't necessarily know what you'll need it for until you need it.
Why Not Just Use a Bungee Cord?
Bungee cords are cheap, simple and useful.
But they have limitations.
Most have a fixed length, which means the amount of tension depends largely on how far you can stretch them.
Many also use exposed metal hooks.
An adjustable stretch strap gives you much more control over both the length and the tension, while a loop-through design removes the need for exposed hooks.
That doesn't make the humble bungee useless.
It simply means there are jobs where an adjustable strap is the better tool.
Why We Built the ADV 1500 Differently
We didn't invent the adjustable stretch strap.
It's already a very good idea.
We simply wanted our version to be a little more substantial.
The ADV 1500 uses a 27mm wide strap, with a rubber elastic core covered by a polyester weave and reflective stitching incorporated into the elasticated section.
The adjustable webbing is made from 100% high-tenacity polyester yarn, with a quick-release nylon buckle and loop-through attachment at both ends.
Most importantly, the length adjusts from approximately 35cm to 1.5 metres.
That range is what makes them so useful.
One pair of straps can secure relatively small pieces of luggage and then adjust for considerably larger equipment when needed.
They're supplied as a pair because, in the real world, that's generally how we use them.
One Pair. Plenty of Jobs.
We could have called the ADV 1500 a motorcycle luggage strap.
And it is.
But that doesn't really tell the whole story.
It's also a camping strap.
A roof rack strap.
A useful way of securing a surfboard.
A way of holding luggage together.
And one of those pieces of equipment that tends to find new jobs every time you take it away.
That's exactly the sort of kit we like.
Simple enough that it doesn't need explaining.
Versatile enough that you keep finding reasons to use it.
Strap it. Forget it. Go anywhere.
