Before you buy your slackline kit there are some things you should know about the different Slackline Kits that are available.
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What is it made of?????
This is probably the the first question you should be asking, because it is the material that it is made of which gives the slackline its dynamic qualities. A Slackline should be made of 100% Nylon. The Nylon is what bounces and stretches giving the Slackline its responsive qualities, which is what slacklining is all about.
2. The difference between a Slackline and a JIBLINE.
There are many Slackline Kits being sold which are actually not slacklines at all but known as JIBLINES. A JIBLINE is a line which is 50mm wide and usually made of a Polyester material, which doesn't stretch like Nylon. The reason they are usually made of polyester is that is is hard to get 50mm Nylon at a tension which does not bottom out ( hit the ground when standing in the middle). They can be good to learn on but its more a psychological advantage than anything, if you learned on a 25mm Nylon Line there is no way you would use one of these lines. They are great for kids to learn on as they can be set very low to the ground.
3. How do I best choose a Slackline Kit???
There are a number of factors you should be looking at when choosing a slackline. some decisions that should be made include
- Tensioning method, do you want to tension with a ratchet so you can set tight lines by yourself or would you like to use the carabiner method and physically pull the line tight.
- Length, when learning to slackline, you should learn at about 5-7 meters but you can quickly outgrow this distance if you are slacklining regularly. 15m Lines are about the threshold of starting to go into Longlining which is another kettle of fish.
- Portability, while all slacklines are portable you may want to take it backpacking, climbing or just carry it around with you. In this case you don't want to be carrying a ratchet around with you, so a carabiner Kit is probably more suitable
- Price, Is always important and has to be taken into consideration. The thing to remember is that a Slackline Kit is an investment and you dont want to go cheap only to find you have to buy another in 6 months time to keep up with you.
4. Are the Tree Slings Adjustable???
This is quite important as not all trees are the same size and its important to get the anchors as close to the tree as possible. This not only saves both your line and the tree from friction but also gives the line two sturdy points to anchor to.
5. Are you buying Local???
In todays economy it is important to keep your money in the country, that's why we make 100% Australian owned and manufactured Slacklines, and keep it local. We employ Australia Slackliners to manufacture our Slacklines so our enthusiasm for this sport comes free with every Kit you buy. We also sponsor and promote Australian Slackliners and are the HUB for Slacklining in this Country.
Now you have a little bit better understanding of what to look for in a Slackline Kit. We at Slackline Australia are passionate about Slackining and have made our Slackline Kits to suit everybody with easy to use set ups and DVD Instructions available.