 The fabric manufacturers use on pack straps varies a lot - some of it is very smooth and kind to clothing, while at the other extreme, some packs use a highly abrasive mesh-type finish that may be durable, but is brutal on fabrics. Try running the inside of your wrist over a few pack straps - preferably while no-one else is watching - and you'll see what I mean. I'm still slightly perplexed that none of the pack brands have launched a clothing-friendly pack, particularly as stuff is getting lighter. As far as baselayers go, Haglöfs do, or at least did, produce a baselayer tee which featured harder wearing fabric on the back and shoulders to cope with pack use, I can't find it on the Haglöfs web site, so it may well be discontinued. Erm, this thing. Deja vu or what... http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/gear-news/gearblog---20-september-2007/4901.html
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Isn't the mesh designed to make it more breathable? I guess you could always improvise and try adding some softer material on the inside of your straps where its most likely to come in contact with your jacket or clothing and cause abrasion? It's not always possible to get your rucksack on so tighly that it doesn't move around much, there is always going to be small movements. The solution may lie with the outdoors clothing manufacturers to just provide more abrasion resistant fabric in those areas or to try find a rucksack that doesn't cause as much damage.
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If you're talking baselayers, you're better off seeking out low-abrasion straps since no-one - to the best of my knowlege - makes abrasion-resistant base layers...
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 JD, I'm not sure that it's a 'selling point' of Subzero factor 1 but it is 1) Nylon (which is tough stuff) and 2) tight-woven as mentioned above. The result is that it is extraordinarily abrasion resistant and doesn't seem to snag on velcro either. I've got longsleeve tops that I bought in the mid '90s, use regularly, wash regularly, wear alone under packs, lifting boats around and use for rock-climbing. It still has fewer bobbles and abrasion marks than a Helly Hansen LIFA that I've owned for a year or so....
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 Its not always obvious when you're in the store if the pack will rub or not. I have one pack it felt smooth running my hands over the the straps and the hip belt but it still rubbed my baselayers. In summer, a bumbag can be all you'll need for a day walk, in winter you can have a slidey smooth windproof on. A pack which is smooth is only 16L which challenges me to be minimalist! JB - I chuckled at Parky's comment, you are Mr SZ!
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 as a tangential thought. does the baselayer just bobble anyway or only when worn outside rather than tucked in your trews. if when outside then choice of or type of belt/waist coul dbe causing the layer to presse more firmly in a bobbly manner. belts and the like certainly cause bobbling on the inside.
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Polypropylene can smell quite  interesting after a couple of days to.
Yep but so can you underneath it. A lot is made of that smelly Helly thing but TBH I have never thought it too much of a problem since if the base layer worn for a few days smells then the person under it will too. Also fter a long hard day of sweating into other synthetic fabrics I have found they hum too so although it is worse with PP it is not as bad as a lot make out when knocking it as a fabric. PP is still the best wicking material, that is down to the properties of the material.
There is not question that Polypro Helly Hansen lifa tops are durable. I have one that is in excess of 20 years old and as good as new. I have used it whitewater kayaking, walking and many other uses like sleeping in. I have used it directly under rucksack straps in the past and I haven't noticed bobbling. Perhaps it is dfown to the brand and not the fabric as such. What I mean is the way the polypro is put together into the fabric and the garmant. The knit or weave? All I know is the way my smelly helly is going it will outlast me. Perhaps they will become heirloom pieces?!! 
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BTW I bought a Helly prowool with the merino wool on the outside not the inside like most wool / synthetic combined base layers. I reckon it is the better way as the ploypro wicks the sweat away from the skin faster than anything else and the wool absorbs it. It was the best winter top I have had in terms of keeping my skin dry. Wet on the outside but dry on the inside layer. It does bobble and wear away but only as far as the polypro layer. The wool is not as durable as the polypro.
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 Deja-vu... Thank goodness for older versions of Firefox... My Peter Storm CoolMax base layers are now 9 years old. And, apart from a few thorn snags, seem unperturbed by wear. Quite remarkable, considering that they're my daily summer cycle tops, worn with a 20l rucksack. Granted, the particular rucksack straps are pretty soft. They're so old, one of them is made in the UK! (They're the 'hard' type of CoolMax, with a 'dimpled' outer face and smooth inner face, rather than the softer CoolMax, which does tend to pill).
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They're so old, one of them is made in the UK!
A good portion of Subzero stuff still is! Certainly all my factor1 has Made In England on the label.
They make the All Active range in Turkey due to some machinery needs that were too costly to implement in the UK. But as far as I know they are one of the only (if not only???) flat-lock seam manufacturers in the UK. For comparison, I have baselayer from Helly Hansen (LIFA, Prowool and LIFA Versa plus all the silly new names for the same stuff), Odlo, Decathlon and Patagonia and SZ is the toughest of these by far.
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ttg. oft ignored with merino. the merino may not smell but you do. horribly.
and as if by magic and free advertising, the excellent sub zero gear may be purchased online with a nice 12% discount by using the code cold12 (lower case)
http://www.subzerostore.co.uk/
the email says it can be used on any product so possibly the clearance/bargain bin has got even better value.
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In terms of performance though I actually like odlo tops. Bought simple crewtop, long sleeves for winter paddling and it is warm enough for that no matter what the weather. On top of that it wicks very well and out of all my base layers I'd say its is one of the few to keep me dry after a walk. Although I have now got a montane tshirt that feels dry on the inside and wet on the outside when I felt it, after the rain had stopped and I could open my waterproof up. I had mistakenly put on my VR jacket under a waterproof and turned my event jacket into a sauna. However the tshirt seemed to wick straight out the sweat on my skin. Not felt that on base layers before.
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