Gear – Page 3 – Slacklining Tips

When choosing a slackline kit, you have a number of decisions to make in terms of which one makes sense for you. Your slackline purchase decisions will be largely determined by your budget, slacklining goals, level of expertise and your personal preference as to what form(s) of slacklining you'll take part in. The webbing of your slackline may be made of nylon or polyester and you can choose the type of weaving from tubular, flat or threaded. The width of the slackline is generally 1" or 2" and there are numerous styles to choose from depending on the type of slacklining you will participate in. Let's take a closer look at slacklines and the webbing you can consider. Slackline webbing material Here are the most common and popular choices for slackline material that you have to choose from depending on what type of slacklining you're planning. Nylon A nylon slackline gives the most stretchability of any available materials. Purported to stretch up to 50% more than polyester, nylon is very elastic. Nylon combines strength with a lightweight design and can be used even for long distances and tricklining. They also have superior bounce to polyester lines. Nylon slacklines are also good to practice highlining and waterlining. Polyester Polyester slacklines tend not to elongate as much as nylon which among other things means they are typically easier to set up. Not as much guessing and figuring out how slack to make them so they don't sag more than you need. Longline slacklines tend to be made of polyester due to the ease of tension offered and lack of stretch. So is a nylon slackline better than a polyester one? It depends on what type of slacklining you'll be doing, not to mention a few other factors you should consider other than just webbing material. How is slackline webbing rated? When looking for a slackline, you are going to have different options available to you and may be overwhelmed if you're new. When looking specifically at the webbing, understand that it is rated on the following: Breaking Strength: The stronger the webbing, the safer it will be. Clearly this is of paramount important especially when it comes to highlining and tricklining. A rule of thumb is to choose a breaking strength that is at least 3 times stronger than the maximum tension that would break the line. So if your line is set up with a calculated tension of 2,000 lbs, your breaking strength should be 2,000 lbs x 3 = 6,000 lbs minimum. Stretch: Different styles of slacklining require varying levels of stretch and different line materials offer different degrees of stretch as we'll see below. Stretch not only impacts safety but the degree to which you can perform tricks and can bounce i.e. more stretch = more tricks and more bounce. Also, the more your line stretches, the more slack needs to be pulled out during line setup which will increase your setup time.Weight: The weight of your slackline impacts the difficulty of walking on it. A lightweight slackline is generally easier to walk on than a heavier line because it's easier to control the movements than a heavier one. Having said that, a heavy slackline can be used successfully to learn slacklining as can a lighter one.Thickness: The thickness of a slackline largely impacts the locking mechanism that you utilize along with the stretch of the line. A thinner slackline is normally easier when working with your webbing anchors.A thicker slackline does however tend to be less sharp on the skin than a thinner one.Feel: This refers to how the webbing feels on your hands, feet and body in general. Some are harsher than others which will impact your experience. The feel of your slackline is largely determined by the pattern of the weave and the fiber size. The tighter the weave and the smaller the fibers, the softer the feel. The looser the weave and larger the fibers the harsher the feel.The feel of a slackline impacts how comfortable it will be to walk (and fall) upon so take this into consideration when making your purchase. Being able to touch each slackline with your hands is of great benefit before buying. It's good to note that each aspect of slackline webbing is important and should be considered in totality when making your purchase as it's dependent on you personally and the type of slacklining uses you have planned. Slackline webbing weaving Slackline webbing is weaved or patterned in different ways so you have several options to choose from. Let's take a closer look: Flat A slackline with flat webbing is just like it sounds: The slackline is flat and thus feels that way on your feet when traversing it. Flat webbing tends to be lighter weight than other options and offers a bouncier option when jumping in case you're planning to do so. It also uses up less space than say a tubular option when it's rolled up in case storage is a concern for you. It's easier than the tubular design to get tension on. A flat slackline is the most common and is a great option for beginners and experienced slackliners alike. It's a great option for tricklining and those who want extra bounce too. Tubular A tubular slackline is oval and almost looks a bit like a hose as it's hollow inside. It looks like a rope when coiled up and is softer to the touch on the one hand but more difficult than a flat slackline to get tension on. Tubular webbing is thicker since it's effectively two-ply and has more flex and slack when jumping. It's ideally suited for barefoot slacklining if that's your preference. The tubular design makes it more durable and comfortable than a flat design but it's also less desirable for tricklining than flat as a result. Tubular webbing also sags more and given the rounded edges, offers more flexibility. Threaded A threaded slackline is one that combines different materials and has one or more webs threaded inside each other which among other things, provides incredible strength. This is a popular option for highlining and other slackline styles that are more dangerous than others. Slackline types you can choose from Beginner line What to look for: A beginner slackline that is 2" in width is a good choice to help you get started. While many experienced slackliners tell you to go straight to the 1" line and forget about using an overhead line for support, they seem to forget that learning anything is a personal situation. We all have different levels of skill and may learn at a different pace. Get a beginner line that will enable you to learn slacklining without causing you to give up from frustration. A line that is 30' - 100' (10m - 30m) long and 2" (50mm) wide is a great start. It's short enough in length to not overwhelm you but long enough that you can grow into it a bit as you get comfortable. Plus the 2" width gives you more space to grip on your feet as you learn. Check out my page called Beginner Tips For Slacklining to learn more if you're just starting out. Trickline What to look for: A trickliner needs a set up with as much tension as possible for bounce. Most tricklines are 2" (50mm) in width. If you're into gymnastics and jumping or just looking to take your slacklining up a notch, tricklining is one such option. Longline What to look for: A longline is typically one that is longer than 100' - 130' (≈30m - 40m) in length. Quality slacklines for longline usage will have several options for tensioning including tie down ratchet, carabiner & webbing combo or a rope pulley system among other popular choices. Given the potential danger of longlining, care needs to be taken when setting up the line and actually using it. It's a combination of choosing the correct location, using tree protection, properly rigging the line and actually walking safely. It's recommended to set up the longline with the help of an experienced longliner. Highline What to look for: Safety. A highline slackline must be very safe given what it entails. Highlining is often performed between mountains, buildings, bridges and in other locales. Given that highlining takes place at a great height, care must be taken and safety is of paramount importance. A typical highline set up involves the slackliner being secured by a harness that is attached to the slackline line and also to a lifeline, to slackline webbing, rope or other safety harness. The International Slackline Association has provided injury information statistics on highlining as it tends to be a popular topic for people to learn more about given the inherent danger involved. Yoga What to look for: What should a yoga slackline kit contain? For performing yoga on a slackline, you need good grip and a comfortable surface among other features. You'll typically see yoga slacklining kits that refer to the softness of the webbing for comfort given your body's direct exposure to the line. For yoga slacklining, I've read that a tension with about 10% sag is ideal so you'll need a kit that enables you to achieve this. Waterline What to look for: As the name suggests, this is slacklining that over water, namely setting up your slackline over a body of water such as a lake, bay or stream or even around a beach area. How high do you set up a waterline slackline? You can set it up so that it's just under or above the water line or as high as 15' (4.5 m) if you like. It's what you feel comfortable with and within reason of course. What is the appeal of waterlining? The idea of slacklining over water has a visual appeal but there's also the excitement of knowing that if you fall off the line, you're getting wet. Keep in mind that the higher up your water line is set, the harder the fall on water if you land flat on your back or stomach. Rodeoline What to look for: Rodeolining refers to slacklining when the line is very loose and the only tension on it is from the slackliner's weight pressing down on it. A rodeoline set up basically looks like a skipping rope that has been tied to both ends of a tree. How do you accomplish this? Take an existing slackline and set it up with at least 6.5' (2m) of height depending on how long your line is and fasten it so that there is no tension. It'll swing pretty much like a hammock once you're trying to climb on. https://youtu.be/XUpSZUfQx0E Check out my article called 13 Important Slacklining Questions Answered (Q&A) to keep learning!