Straps with ladder lock buckles are used in tying up loads in a vehicle or in camping gear and backpacks. The webbing on your ladder lock buckle may start to slip under load, and the primary reason for this is a poor threading technique. One factor is that the webbing on the buckle has to have pronounced ridges that will help hold the buckle in place as you move. In straps with smooth webbing, the buckle tends to creep as you move. An unreliable buckle could cause problems, which can be avoided through proper threading.

Lay out the webbing straps and the buckle on the table in front of you. Make sure that the buckle is facing up. Take one strap and pull it from below and through the gap between the two bars inside the buckle, on the left side.

Take the other webbing strap and pull it from below and through the two bars on the right side. The buckle should still be facing up. The right side of the buckle has teeth on the upper side of the buckle bar, to hold the webbing in place.

Sew the left webbing loop into place once you have determined the desired length of the webbing.

Lift the tabbed side of the buckle in order to release more of the webbing strap. Press it down to hold it in place again. Pull the webbing tight.