Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Topic Options
#190303 - 12/09/09 01:06 PM Keeping straps and zippers quiet
dweste Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 2463
Loc: Central California
Modern packs, with all their zippered compartments and adjustment straps, are wonderful. But all those zipper slides and pulls, and all those strap ends, can sound like a symphony of small chimes and slaps coming throught the woods.

How do you quiet down your gear so you, the wildlife, and your neighbors are less disturbed / aware of your presence?

Top
#190308 - 12/09/09 02:00 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: dweste]
SwampDonkey Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/08/07
Posts: 1268
Loc: Northeastern Ontario, Canada
Good question.

I often wrap metal zipper tabs in tape to quiet them, or take them off and replace with fabric or a ziptie.

Zippers can be lubed, I rub an old white candle on them.

Velco I do not know how to quiet, I try to avoid it. I prefer snaps on tactical pouches because it alerts the suspect less than the tearing sound of velcro does.

Clips, I guess you just keep them done up, you could even tape or glue closed the ones you do not use?

Mike

Top
#190309 - 12/09/09 02:15 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: dweste]
DesertFox Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 01/04/07
Posts: 339
Loc: New York, NY
No velcro. I usually tie off straps. Ask your drycleaner for zipper lube. Many of them will give you one free. It is basically a hard wax in the shape of a pencil. Pretty high melting point so you can get away with keeping it in your pack unless you are hiking in extreme heat. Haven't experimented with it as a fire starter, but looking at the wax bullet thread gives me an idea.

Top
#190312 - 12/09/09 02:25 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: DesertFox]
thseng Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/24/06
Posts: 900
Loc: NW NJ
Seems to be common practice with tactical gear to remove the metal zipper pulls and replace with a loop of cord.

I like to load up my gear and then test it by jumping up and down. Nothing should shake, rattle, flop or shift.
_________________________
- Tom S.

"Never trust and engineer who doesn't carry a pocketknife."

Top
#190314 - 12/09/09 02:33 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: dweste]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
There are still packs available without a proliferation of zippers and do-dads, particularly those marketed to the ultra light crowd. One of my favorites has exactly one zipper, on a small, rarely used compartment. The main compartment is closed by a friction clamp on a cord - quite silent in operation. Many accessory bags use the same kind of closure.

I often will replace metal pulls on zippers with cord. This also will lighten your pack by, say, 0.2 oz, as well. Operating a well lubricated zipper slowly will minimize noise. Velcro is incurable.

In real life, my klutzy movements, belching, etc., drown out the sounds of operating zippers and velcro.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top
#190322 - 12/09/09 03:16 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: hikermor]
Jakam
Unregistered


I recently removed the traditional zipper pulls on several items and replaced them with either paracord or kevlar shoe lace material and heat shrink over the knots.


Top
#190448 - 12/10/09 11:41 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: ]
akabu Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 10/23/02
Posts: 97
Loc: Brooklyn NY
How to keep Zipper & Zipper Pulls , Straps quite.

Straps roll them tight and either tape the strap tight or cut a section of bicycle inner tube and put over the rolled strap.
Wax or rub a bar of soap along the length also lubricates it.
Zipper pull if you look at it has a opening on it you can gently pry it open and pull the Pull of or just cut it off and replace with 550 Parachute cord.

Top
#190499 - 12/11/09 01:08 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: akabu]
KenK Offline
"Be Prepared"
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 06/26/04
Posts: 2208
Loc: NE Wisconsin
Huh ... most places I know of that are remote enough to backpack support a sufficient bear population such that backpackers are told to NOT walk in silence, but rather to make sufficient noise to let the bears know you're coming - so they (the bears) have an opportunity to walk away from you. People have been known to clip bells to their packs.

Top
#190534 - 12/11/09 05:02 PM Re: Keeping straps and zippers quiet [Re: KenK]
dweste Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 2463
Loc: Central California
Originally Posted By: KenK
Huh ... most places I know of that are remote enough to backpack support a sufficient bear population such that backpackers are told to NOT walk in silence, but rather to make sufficient noise to let the bears know you're coming - so they (the bears) have an opportunity to walk away from you. People have been known to clip bells to their packs.


The idea is to control the choice to be noisy or quiet.

Top



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, chaosmagnet, cliff 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 253 Guests and 6 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.