Always wanted to try it, so picked one up for christmas…roll on 4 months later and I finally get out on it. Talk about being the most unstable thing in the world. Took about 10mins before I would let go of my partners shoulder and be capable of balancing a bit.
45mins later, and I’m able to step up onto it without any help and take two steps. We only had it strung about 6m between two trees, but this is going to be an adictive evening pursuit I think 🙂

So, what to do? Just keep trying to walk along it? Any hints and tips?

Shoes off?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UumeMB2eBKc[/video]

Gibbon Slackline Basics
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TzERkdNoyw[/video]

OK, the having one leg on the line at a time thing makes sense. Guess we’ll have to go play with that tonight 🙂

Just play! Starting in the middle is generally easier I find. What’re you using to tension it? Looks like a Gibbon type with a ratchet – as I progressed I found the ratchet really annoying, so I ended up with a skinnier line that I can tension just using karabiners – I could feel the ratchet making the line move oddly.

From the pic, the best tip I could give is to look up! I always try to find a spot on the far tree and focus on that, looking at your feet makes it harder to balance. Once you can walk the full length, you then need to learn to turn around (really hard), walk backwards (less hard) and do tricks. I got to that level, fell off and buggered my foot up and haven’t had it out since 🙁

We’ve got a slackline we keep in the car boot, and string it up in random places with soft ground, and close trees.

It’s great fun, very tiring, and almost like meditation (as I’m focusing so much on balance).

And I’m still useless at it 🙂

i thought this post was going to be about a Slackline Stanton 😳

well done though I wouldn’t last an inch on it

Gregmay,Where did you get the slackline from and how much?

Cheers

i thought this post was going to be about a Slackline Stanton

I think that was the joke.

Here you go, so your time isn’t completely wasted;

don’t forget to wrap something around the tree to protect it, and your kit…

ooh nice build timmys

Gregmay,Where did you get the slackline from and how much?

It was a present for christmas – but you can get them off the folks at Bannanafingers

Don’t rush it, it will suddenly become easier… But for me the most important things were bare feet, single leg balancing, focusing on a spot at eye level (knot on a tree), not rushing along the line and being very deliberate when placing feet. Not that this has made me an expert, far from it, but went on mine recently after a break of a more than a few months and can still balance and walk ok but turning is still an issue !

Practice, practice and more practice. I found 10 minutes on an eve built it up nicely without overdoing.