Tuesday 1 October 2013

Lockable straps

Securing loads on a vehicle is an essential part of  driving safely. Both for the occupants of the vehicle and everything thing and everybody nearby. However straps are only good in keeping items in/on a vehicle when driving. They do not keep the load safe from theft. Straps can easily be opened and removed and/or cut with a knife.  Locking a load to a car with chains or cables are problematic. They can cause damage to the car or the load.

A very good solution are lockable straps. These are straps with lockable buckles and equipped with nylon straps with steel cables reinforcement. They work just like regular tie down straps, but with a lock. three main brands of these are:

Thule
Kanulock
Yakima

All three brands sell them in pairs and are available in various lengths. The Thule and Yakima uses one steel cable in the middle of the straps, The Kanulocks uses two steel cables, one on each side. Steel cables are generally relatively easy to cut with the right tools. The combination of nylon and cables does make it harder to cut for tools made to only cut steel. So they will not stop the determined thief, but will deter the opportunity thieves. 

No comments: