MOLLE Attachments

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

Buddhism says that attachment is the root of all suffering. Be that as it may, sometimes attachment is good, especially when you want to secure loose gear to MOLLE straps. I certainly fall into that category, and this 30-pack of attachment hardware -- 10 each of Strap Management Tool Buckles, D-Ring Grimloc Locking Gear Clips, and Web Dominator Elastic Strings -- is very useful for making my Get Home Bag more accessible and less rattle-y. Each has its own purpose, and each has found its way onto my gear. 

From top to bottom:
Strap Management Tool Buckles,
D-Ring Grimloc Locking Gear Clips,
Web Dominator Elastic Strings

Strap Management Tool Buckles

To my great surprise, these have been the most useful and versatile of the three types. Not only can they used to police the loose ends of straps as their name suggests, but they also hold the straps with enough friction that if you have a cinch buckle which is not doing its job and is allowing a strap to work loose, a single application of one of these will lock it into place. 

https://amzn.to/3R9zS4I

Moreover, these buckles can also be used to fasten two sets of MOLLE loops together in a manner that is both secure and quick to unlock. 

I ended up buying a second package just because I had used all of these and wanted more. 

D-Ring Locking Clips

https://amzn.to/3R9zS4I

Strangely enough, I found these the least useful of the three and I'm not entirely sure why. As you can see they have big D-shaped loops which will attach to a variety of objects, and you can either thread them onto a MOLLE strap or just daisy-chain them together. 

I think the fact that they are so large is what turns me off, because whatever you hook onto them can still shift and twist, and that gives the illusion of insecurity. That said, I still use them, and if nothing else they make marvelous (if large) pull tabs for zippers. 

Web Dominator  

The Web Dominator shines at attaching odd or awkwardly-shaped objects to MOLLE straps. It's a glorified bungee cord, so it doesn't hold things with any particular strength and there's always the possibility the object could wiggle out the ends. However, there are times when nothing else will do the job. 

I couldn't fit this Israeli Bandage into my first aid bag, so since it's vacuum-sealed into a thick plastic package I decided to let it ride outside. This also allows me to get to it quickly, which is a definite bonus. 

I had to link two pairs of them to reach around the tent, but they hold it well enough, and the tent itself is long enough that I think it's unlikely to work its way out. 

The kukri machete is a very odd shape that, due to its weight, needed to be secured in multiple places. I have a MOLLE strap on one end and a Grimloc securing the belt loop on the other; the Web Dominators are there mainly to keep it snug against the pack so it doesn't swing while moving. 

I am a big fan of all three of these connectors, and if you have MOLLE gear I am certain you will find them useful. You can buy them on Amazon for $13 with Prime shipping and they come in black, foliage green, olive drab, brown, coyote tan, and gray. 

https://amzn.to/3R9zS4I