Gotta put a zip line in for my kids. My lot’s dead flat & the area it will go allows about 75′ worth. Questions:
Do I keep it level & let momentum carry them, or slope it & let gravity work?
If I slope it, how do they get the handle back to the top & hold it there until they climb onto the platform? I hesitate to have a piece of rope dangling down from it. My oldest narrowly missed a tragedy several years back involving rope & play equipment. Seeing a rope burn on your kid’s neck sort of shakes you up. No lasting harm though.
I had an impoverished childhood & have never seen one installed. If you guys have any good ideas, let me hear ’em.
Tks
Al
Replies
Don't forget to arrange for a way for them to stop at the other end.
Remeber the "George of the jungle" cartoon ?
"Watch out for that treeeeeeeeee..........
When you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. But I'm calorie free.
Think about that.
There are days I'd like to make the thing one way & just let them keep on going right on down the road!!! Better not though as my wife might suggest I try it out first!!!
Al
Had one at camp as a kid. The wheel with handles was a "U" shape, with straps around the wrist, in case you let go by mistake. When you got to the end, you would slip your wrist out of the strap, lift the "U" off of the line, and carry it back to the top.
Ours was a line into a lake, so the splash would stop you. But tragedy struck, the line broke (after maybe 5 years of thousands and thousands of "zips") and a kid fell to his death to the rocks on the lake shore. Just something to think about.
Just installed one for a gung-ho dad and terrified mom. They had a platform type tree fort already at about 10-12' off the ground. We just went to about 6-8' off the ground of another tree that was up hill from the fort. There's actually only a foot or so drop because of the slope. We tied a rope to the bottom of the unit so they could pull it back to the start with it. I have to go back and put a little bit lower platform for them to step out onto when getting in the rig. Also, they are complaining it's too slow so I am going to lower the bottom end a couple feet the so it will speed up and have them "feet on the ground" about 4-5' from the ending tree. Worst they can do then is belly flop right in front of the ending tree. I'll talk dad into putting some soft stuff there, maybe that fake rubber mulch from old shredded tires.
In your case, a short site-built ladder up to a small platform on a tree and then just plan for the impact if they drop out near the end.
Edited 10/3/2002 11:56:36 AM ET by Wilburn Hancock