Check your straps!

[nigel_b]

Wandering down to the hide yesterday I felt something sharp dig into my arm. Looking down I saw a broken clip on my Nikon strap. The only thing stopping the strap parting company with the camera was the little box thing and the strap was quickly passing through that

I have no idea how the clip got broken, probably in the boot of the car, but cringed to think that if I hadn't spotted it possibly £1500 quid's worth of gear could have gone crashing down onto the road!

Check your straps!

[Gaza]

Very lucky for you, that your reactions were fast.
You are absolutely right, about keeping an eye on straps.
I always check mine, as it has always been a concern, that this could and does happen.
Straps wear out, the same as anything else.
I tend to always have one hand on my camera, while walking, just in case, of such an occurrence.
Although this isn't always possible or practical, if I am carrying a lot of gear.

Glad to hear, that no damage was done !

[slimrbp]

Sage advice, glad no damage was done.

I have one of the op-tech straps that also has a quick release so you can shorten the strap when using the camera on a tripod. My rucksack has a chest strap which also has a quick release...

So one day I reached up to my chest without looking found what I thought was the clip and unclipped it and suddenly realised a great weight had just been released from my neck.
Down plummeted my camera with my 300mm F4 L attached, I managed to get my foot under it to cushion the blow, the built in lens hood took the full impact and split along it's length. Fortunately this acted as a shock absorber and there didn't appear to be too much damage to the outside apart from a cracked hood.
However later down the line the IS started to play up now and again so of it went to the shop to have a new lens hood fitted and a new IS gyroscope.
Needless to say I super glued the clips up!