Thread and buckles… where to buy?

I've purchased the thread at Quest which is the same type (Guttemann) available at many stores. The Thru-Hiker is a better thread for outdoor use. Another excellent thread is sold by Ray-Way. Not hydrophobe, it's a bonded polyester, but the larger spool actually fits on the machine's shaft. It's good for most gear projects.

I'll endorse Guttermann thread which is widely available in many colors. In my opinion, Guttermann is stronger and more abrasion resistant than the thru-hiker offering and produces less lint in my machine. I haven't seen any noticeable advantage to the "hydrophobic" tread despite deliberate observation during sewing and in the field.

Seattle Fabrics has a great selection— http://www.seattlefabrics.com

Another source for hardware is to buy thrift store packs and recycle the goodies. There are tons of promotional packs and bags given out at conventions and training sessions with very good hardware on them. I often buy them for $2-$3 each and get about twice that in hardware savings. You could recycle a fair amount of fabric and straps from them too. The waste generated by those promotional bags is terrible.

Not real keen on Gutermann thread myself. A bit clunky.

I have had great joy using Amann Rasant 120 and Rasant 75 thread for the very fine sewing (silnylon). The Amann Serafil 100 is also a good thread, but harder to handle in some ways.

I use a bonded nylon thread for packs, but I don't know the brand.