Thanks so much Sam, this demo is so useful and helpful! Full rigging videos like this are a rare and precious gem, and I appreciate it even more knowing it's quality expertise that you're sharing with us. 🙂🙏💚 Eva
After about one month, I have just watched your video a 2nd time. In the meanwhile, I had a few highline sessions where I watched my friends rigging, and I also co-rigged. And - surprise, surprise: I think I could follow and understand every single step now! 🙂 I will probably watch your video again in maybe one or two months, just to see if I fully understood the whole rigging setup. Thanks again for this great video, merry christmas and a happy new year!
Really complete guide with lots of insights in that. Huge thumbs up Sam for this tutorial. Really great job! The newcomers will thank you! Keep up the innovations and the developing of our sport. Greets from Greece. 👏👏👏
What a great video! I am just watching this video, being a highline beginner. Even if I do not understand everything yet (it's just too much info for now) I will probably be able to understand the system step by step by watching your video again and again, in combination with rigging real highlines with my experienced friends. Thank you very much for this video, it's great work!
Thank you for a great rigging tutorial. It's so necessary to educate the new commers to our sport. Too bad I didn't have such a great tutorial video when I was starting, so many years ago...
Great video! I wouldn't advise the 5.1 or 9.1 though, considering you use your webbing as tensioning system, and the second it twists in the rolex, it gets seriously damaged and it's done. And it happens all the time at some point, especially since we are rarely rigging with both feet on the ground and easy access to zll part like in this video.
Great video Sam! I think one thing that could have been touched on when choosing trees is to be aware of ground erosion and how it can affect the trees near the edges of gaps. Where I am we tend to use trees that are further back from where we want the master point to be and redirect the anchor off a tree that is closer to the edge of the gap. Curious about what your thoughts might be on this method.
Hi Mat, good input. I've used that method too, specially when there are small trees closer to the gap. Definitely a great method. With well-rooted trees I also meant that the ground is good and not much erosion going on. Even taking into account that for example after heavy rainfall the situation looks different. At one spot we once decided not to rig because the ground was simply too soaked with water and we were scared of erosion on that particular day.
Thank you for this great material, super interesting to watch! I have a question though- whats the advantage of a kingpin shackle over a screw- locked carabiner? Seems to le like its a lot easier to leave a shackle not locked completely with a pin than to leave a binner unsecured. I'm a rope access technician, just started walking on a slackline, and all those rigging techniques that you're using are familiar to me, but with a totally different equipment. I will be super grateful for Your answer!
First big difference is the breaking strength. Even though the weight is similar, the KingPin is 2-3x stronger compared to a carabiner. Also: Carabiners are really prone to cycling loading whereas the KingPin is much more resistent with it. Then a screw gate carabiner can unscrew with vibrations. In climbing this is mostly less of an issue, but in highlining much more so. Once the KingPin is properly locked it is a an extremely strong, safe and light weight option.
Thank you. It is on purpose that we did not give an exact recommendation on that. If there is one party that could come with official recommendations it should be the ISA. But at the same time, the diameter depends on the sort of tree, health, etc. And very importantly on the height of the anchor point. We've had a perma rig anchored in 14m height. At the height of the anchor, the tree still has a diamter of almost 1m. At the same time we've used trees with a diameter of 20cm, but anchored it on 5cm height. We definitely do not recommend to use a tree with 20cm diameter. I think, if you want to go into discussion about it, slackchat could be a good place as long as the comments keep a certain level... Having a tree expert giving insights on the types of trees would be much more valuable than my limited knowledge on trees. Also the direction in which the tree is loaded can be of importance. There are for example pull roots that are much better in stabilizing the tree in that specific direction... You can see, the matter is complex and giving a simple number would just not do the job.
A frost knot can be stronger in certain webbings, but not always. Here you can find a list of webbings tested in different knots: slacktivity.com/webbing-knots/ In avarage the figure-8 had a strength reduction of around 70% - however, there are big differences between webbings! Do not use a figure-8 in a pure Dyneema webbing for example.
Nice phone drop lol. So if you left it up, are you saying keep the backup loops loose when the session is over? I've been pulling my backup tight on my permarig because I thought that would be safest.
A slightly loose backup with strong tapes will break the osciallations better. However, in a really heavy storm there is always a chance of untaping. Last time it happened to us, there were wind gusts of around 100km/h.
The best anchors to reduce surfs are bolted anchors. 2 bolts, placed perfectly horizontal and in a rock face 90° to the line. On trees, using spansets in a basket configuration will be the best to have less surf. Using a perfectly round and vertical tree will also be helpful. Upon that, you can have the line on surf- or bounce tension. Surf tension is pretty loose, bounce tenstion a bit tighter and if you go even tighter you'll end up in circle surf tension which will make the line feel more surfy again...
Hi Sam, I’m curious about your use of the kingpin for the main anchor point. I’ve always been told to only use steel as aluminium doesn’t handle cyclical loading well. What’s your take on this?
Never use an aluminium carabiner in cyclic loading. A carabiner slightly bends under load - the side of the gate engages after 1-2mm. This repetitive bending will kill the carabiner at one point. The kingPin does not bend to engage. And therefore it is fine to use it in the main line. Furthermore, the MBS of the KingPin is 60kN which is also way higher than the MBS of a carabiner.
Thanks so much Sam, this demo is so useful and helpful! Full rigging videos like this are a rare and precious gem, and I appreciate it even more knowing it's quality expertise that you're sharing with us. 🙂🙏💚
Eva
Hi Eva, it is wonderful to read such feedback and it kicks my ass to keep sharing the knowledge that i've collected over the years. Thank you :-)
After about one month, I have just watched your video a 2nd time. In the meanwhile, I had a few highline sessions where I watched my friends rigging, and I also co-rigged. And - surprise, surprise: I think I could follow and understand every single step now! 🙂 I will probably watch your video again in maybe one or two months, just to see if I fully understood the whole rigging setup.
Thanks again for this great video, merry christmas and a happy new year!
New to slacklining and ofc I am already thinking of highlining. By far, the best content on youtube. Thanks, Sam
Really complete guide with lots of insights in that. Huge thumbs up Sam for this tutorial. Really great job! The newcomers will thank you! Keep up the innovations and the developing of our sport. Greets from Greece. 👏👏👏
Thanks so much for this amazing feedback - it is much appreciated and motivates me to keep producing informative videos :-)
Exactly what I needed for my next project :)
What a great video!
I am just watching this video, being a highline beginner. Even if I do not understand everything yet (it's just too much info for now) I will probably be able to understand the system step by step by watching your video again and again, in combination with rigging real highlines with my experienced friends.
Thank you very much for this video, it's great work!
Enjoy the journey of learning this new skill! And thanks for your words that are motivating to create more good content.
Thank you for a great rigging tutorial. It's so necessary to educate the new commers to our sport. Too bad I didn't have such a great tutorial video when I was starting, so many years ago...
Great video!
I wouldn't advise the 5.1 or 9.1 though, considering you use your webbing as tensioning system, and the second it twists in the rolex, it gets seriously damaged and it's done. And it happens all the time at some point, especially since we are rarely rigging with both feet on the ground and easy access to zll part like in this video.
This is it 🔥
This is a great video!!! Thanks so much!!!
Thank you :)
thanks looks fun!!!
Great video Sam! I think one thing that could have been touched on when choosing trees is to be aware of ground erosion and how it can affect the trees near the edges of gaps. Where I am we tend to use trees that are further back from where we want the master point to be and redirect the anchor off a tree that is closer to the edge of the gap. Curious about what your thoughts might be on this method.
Hi Mat, good input. I've used that method too, specially when there are small trees closer to the gap. Definitely a great method. With well-rooted trees I also meant that the ground is good and not much erosion going on. Even taking into account that for example after heavy rainfall the situation looks different. At one spot we once decided not to rig because the ground was simply too soaked with water and we were scared of erosion on that particular day.
Thank you for this great material, super interesting to watch! I have a question though- whats the advantage of a kingpin shackle over a screw- locked carabiner? Seems to le like its a lot easier to leave a shackle not locked completely with a pin than to leave a binner unsecured. I'm a rope access technician, just started walking on a slackline, and all those rigging techniques that you're using are familiar to me, but with a totally different equipment. I will be super grateful for Your answer!
First big difference is the breaking strength. Even though the weight is similar, the KingPin is 2-3x stronger compared to a carabiner. Also: Carabiners are really prone to cycling loading whereas the KingPin is much more resistent with it. Then a screw gate carabiner can unscrew with vibrations. In climbing this is mostly less of an issue, but in highlining much more so. Once the KingPin is properly locked it is a an extremely strong, safe and light weight option.
👍😄😃 Thank You
cool❤
Great video, thank you! What would be the minimum thickness recommendation for the tree anchor?
Thank you. It is on purpose that we did not give an exact recommendation on that. If there is one party that could come with official recommendations it should be the ISA. But at the same time, the diameter depends on the sort of tree, health, etc. And very importantly on the height of the anchor point. We've had a perma rig anchored in 14m height. At the height of the anchor, the tree still has a diamter of almost 1m. At the same time we've used trees with a diameter of 20cm, but anchored it on 5cm height. We definitely do not recommend to use a tree with 20cm diameter. I think, if you want to go into discussion about it, slackchat could be a good place as long as the comments keep a certain level... Having a tree expert giving insights on the types of trees would be much more valuable than my limited knowledge on trees. Also the direction in which the tree is loaded can be of importance. There are for example pull roots that are much better in stabilizing the tree in that specific direction... You can see, the matter is complex and giving a simple number would just not do the job.
Don’t you worry about the reduced strength with the figure 8 knot on the webbing? Wouldn’t a frost not be a stronger option?
A frost knot can be stronger in certain webbings, but not always. Here you can find a list of webbings tested in different knots: slacktivity.com/webbing-knots/ In avarage the figure-8 had a strength reduction of around 70% - however, there are big differences between webbings! Do not use a figure-8 in a pure Dyneema webbing for example.
Nice phone drop lol.
So if you left it up, are you saying keep the backup loops loose when the session is over? I've been pulling my backup tight on my permarig because I thought that would be safest.
A slightly loose backup with strong tapes will break the osciallations better. However, in a really heavy storm there is always a chance of untaping. Last time it happened to us, there were wind gusts of around 100km/h.
any advice on reducing surf?
The best anchors to reduce surfs are bolted anchors. 2 bolts, placed perfectly horizontal and in a rock face 90° to the line. On trees, using spansets in a basket configuration will be the best to have less surf. Using a perfectly round and vertical tree will also be helpful. Upon that, you can have the line on surf- or bounce tension. Surf tension is pretty loose, bounce tenstion a bit tighter and if you go even tighter you'll end up in circle surf tension which will make the line feel more surfy again...
Hi Sam, I’m curious about your use of the kingpin for the main anchor point. I’ve always been told to only use steel as aluminium doesn’t handle cyclical loading well. What’s your take on this?
Never use an aluminium carabiner in cyclic loading. A carabiner slightly bends under load - the side of the gate engages after 1-2mm. This repetitive bending will kill the carabiner at one point. The kingPin does not bend to engage. And therefore it is fine to use it in the main line. Furthermore, the MBS of the KingPin is 60kN which is also way higher than the MBS of a carabiner.