How do you anchor a slack line?

Roger Smith · 02-14-2007, 11:07 AM

i saw the pic on the main page. I'd really like to set on up, but can't anchor to the walls in the garage. any ideas. I saw a self standing unit for a tightwire and really liked it. Unfortunately,it was around $600, so it will have to wait for now.

Any ideas?

FYI I have googled, but haven't found anything I can work yet...

(Message edited by rogersmith on February 14, 2007)

Jason McCain · 02-14-2007, 11:20 AM

November 2004 Crossfit Journal. Uses two trees and a couple of other pieces of equipment that escape me now, but certainly cheaper than $600.

Marc Allain · 02-14-2007, 12:07 PM

http://www.slackline.com/howto/Howto.pdf (Work/Family safe)

I started out with this document 4 years ago but have then evolved to crazy techniques with multiple point pulleys, etc.

It's an excellent start for a nice simple slackline.

Jason Steele · 02-14-2007, 05:24 PM

It's be hard to set one up in the garage, but I have seen it done anchored into a wall stud on one end and to one of those tow bars on a truck. Not pretty, but it worked. You don't need the $600 kit, just some carabiners ,etc. Marc's line is a good one.

David Aguasca · 02-14-2007, 05:58 PM

the way i set it up: (i'm going to try to explain this as best i can with only words)

you'll need 5 biners (carabiners) in total. they can be the lowest-end models, usually non-locking ovals. make sure they're climbing rated, and not just cheap quicklinks from home depot. the quicklinks will break...

you'll also need webbing. i have 4 5-ft slings (for the anchors), and a 70 piece of webbing (for the slackline). you can make the slings by taking an 11-foot piece of webbing (for a 5 foot sling) and tying two of the ends together using a water knot or tape knot. google it.

the slackline piece will have a bowline on one end. you will tie an overhand knot on a bight (look that up too, it'll make a loop) partway down the webbing. you'll want to put it about in a place where the distance between the two loops is about 3-4 shorter than the distance between your two anchors-trees, let's say.

loop the slings around the trees. on one tree you'll have sling(s) with a single biner, and on the other tree, you'll have the slings with two biners. attach the bowline end to the single-carabiner. attach your two remaining carabiners to the overhand-on-a-bight.

ok...this is where it gets kind of tricky. the remaining slackline webbing (the tail end that's not between the two anchors) must now be threaded from the overhand biners and the two biners on the anchor in a zig-zag fashion. this will create a mechanical advantage system that will allow you to create enough tension on the line.

so, let's say the biners on the anchor are called 1 and 3. the biners on the overhand knot are called 2 and 4. the tail of the slackline will go from the overhand knot to biner 1, then 2, 3, 4. once this is set up, pull on the webbing that you've just fed through...you'll actually see the amount of webbing between the double biners shorten as the line tightens. once you made it as tight as possible, keep tension on the webbing you've just pulled. walk around the tree with it, wrapping it and locking it down. wrap it two or three times, and the tie it to one of the biners, making sure that the effort you made in pulling isn't lost.

hope that doesn't sound too complicated! and happy slacklining.

Bruce Kocher · 02-17-2007, 02:52 PM

I've been using a 2 1/2 inch wide towing strap. The strap comes with a hook on one end and ratcheting buckle on the other that has it's own hook. Trees are easy, just wrap with chain or good line, hook on and tighten up the strap. Based on the hardware that I've broken I would say the the tension is on the order of 1000#.

The wider line is cheap, easily acquired at most autoparts stores and a little easier to walk. Attaching indoors in a garage is a trick. The best rig that I've seen is a deep anchor in a cement floor with a ring for attaching the line. The line then drapes over a saw horse or equivilant for height. I would not rig to a wall or column unless they were very robust. Again think about over 1000# tension.

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02-14-2007, 11:07 AM	#1
Roger Smith Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Calgary AB Posts: 392	i saw the pic on the main page. I'd really like to set on up, but can't anchor to the walls in the garage. any ideas. I saw a self standing unit for a tightwire and really liked it. Unfortunately,it was around $600, so it will have to wait for now. Any ideas? FYI I have googled, but haven't found anything I can work yet... (Message edited by rogersmith on February 14, 2007)

02-14-2007, 11:20 AM	#2
Jason McCain Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Colorado Springs Colorado Posts: 90	November 2004 Crossfit Journal. Uses two trees and a couple of other pieces of equipment that escape me now, but certainly cheaper than $600.

02-14-2007, 12:07 PM	#3
Marc Allain Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ottawa Ontario Posts: 94	http://www.slackline.com/howto/Howto.pdf (Work/Family safe) I started out with this document 4 years ago but have then evolved to crazy techniques with multiple point pulleys, etc. It's an excellent start for a nice simple slackline.

02-14-2007, 05:24 PM	#4
Jason Steele Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Radford VA Posts: 335	It's be hard to set one up in the garage, but I have seen it done anchored into a wall stud on one end and to one of those tow bars on a truck. Not pretty, but it worked. You don't need the $600 kit, just some carabiners ,etc. Marc's line is a good one.

02-14-2007, 05:58 PM	#5
David Aguasca Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Nyack NY Posts: 828	the way i set it up: (i'm going to try to explain this as best i can with only words) you'll need 5 biners (carabiners) in total. they can be the lowest-end models, usually non-locking ovals. make sure they're climbing rated, and not just cheap quicklinks from home depot. the quicklinks will break... you'll also need webbing. i have 4 5-ft slings (for the anchors), and a 70 piece of webbing (for the slackline). you can make the slings by taking an 11-foot piece of webbing (for a 5 foot sling) and tying two of the ends together using a water knot or tape knot. google it. the slackline piece will have a bowline on one end. you will tie an overhand knot on a bight (look that up too, it'll make a loop) partway down the webbing. you'll want to put it about in a place where the distance between the two loops is about 3-4 shorter than the distance between your two anchors-trees, let's say. loop the slings around the trees. on one tree you'll have sling(s) with a single biner, and on the other tree, you'll have the slings with two biners. attach the bowline end to the single-carabiner. attach your two remaining carabiners to the overhand-on-a-bight. ok...this is where it gets kind of tricky. the remaining slackline webbing (the tail end that's not between the two anchors) must now be threaded from the overhand biners and the two biners on the anchor in a zig-zag fashion. this will create a mechanical advantage system that will allow you to create enough tension on the line. so, let's say the biners on the anchor are called 1 and 3. the biners on the overhand knot are called 2 and 4. the tail of the slackline will go from the overhand knot to biner 1, then 2, 3, 4. once this is set up, pull on the webbing that you've just fed through...you'll actually see the amount of webbing between the double biners shorten as the line tightens. once you made it as tight as possible, keep tension on the webbing you've just pulled. walk around the tree with it, wrapping it and locking it down. wrap it two or three times, and the tie it to one of the biners, making sure that the effort you made in pulling isn't lost. hope that doesn't sound too complicated! and happy slacklining.

02-17-2007, 02:52 PM	#6
Bruce Kocher Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Philly PA Posts: 92	I've been using a 2 1/2 inch wide towing strap. The strap comes with a hook on one end and ratcheting buckle on the other that has it's own hook. Trees are easy, just wrap with chain or good line, hook on and tighten up the strap. Based on the hardware that I've broken I would say the the tension is on the order of 1000#. The wider line is cheap, easily acquired at most autoparts stores and a little easier to walk. Attaching indoors in a garage is a trick. The best rig that I've seen is a deep anchor in a cement floor with a ring for attaching the line. The line then drapes over a saw horse or equivilant for height. I would not rig to a wall or column unless they were very robust. Again think about over 1000# tension.