We’d already be colonizing Mars if Bjorn Ericsson had invented the Voile Strap instead of the Bungee Cord. Bungee cords, if you follow the lead of my dad, are for sketchily strapping up the broken tailgate of an old Ford Ranger, gathering things into bundles that you want to fall all over the place when you pick the bundle up, securing basketballs into Wald baskets and riding really slowly so that the bungee doesn’t have to do anything, because if called upon, it wouldn’t do anything anyway. Ropes and knots are great, notwithstanding the fact that the average American barely knows how to tie their shoe. A good truckers hitch is great for securing a load, but time consuming to tie in a jiffy. Enter the venerable Voile strap. Originally invented to subdue Mark Wariakois’s kids when he wanted to go out on a date with his wife*, the Voile strap has found new use amongst bike packers seeking to find a quick way to strap Bedrock sandals to their saddlebags, lash inner tubes pointlessly seat tubes, and bind sagging sacks of damp lumpy clothing to handlebars. They work a treat. Less stretchy than a bungee, less gougy too. Faster to set up than a rope. We stock ‘em in a few different lengths, with the aluminum buckle (less breaky). These straps are tough, and don’t mind cold weather. I always pack 1-2 extras on any bike packing trip, because you always end up lending them to James Joiner so his Fabio’s Chest doesn’t drag on his front tire. *I don’t know if Mark Wariakois is married, has kids, or has ever subdued them with Voile straps. Probably not. He probably invented them for binding skis together, or something innocuous like that.
