Zip Lining

[bonner1040]

I did a tower job once, replacing a 350' 1/4" steel safety cabe with an updated 3/8" one. As usual I was instructed to take all the scrap material to the scrap yard and bring the boss back the money. Lucky for me @ $.10/pound no one missed that 350' cable.

I have put it to good use a few times. My buddy has been hounding me to send him the video from the time we used it at his parents house. I dont have any professional experience setting zip lines but I have done my share of recreational ones.

I know, I know, this and most of my zip setups are fraught with danger and things I could do better/safer. I am lucky to have not broken my damn neck though this day. Although I guess the car (double sheave pulley) could have slipped under the rope the first time and Nick (my friend, not me) could have gone splat on the termination tree! Now I use a wood block with a hole drilled in it that the cable runs through, anchored to a similar, but improved brake system. The cable for this one is terminated at one end with cable clamps and just wrapped around a tree a bunch of times at the bottom! More recently I have been using preforms which is a way better solution.

Watch it in 720!
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XoZQaJNAA-c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Filmed with Contour Roam 1, swivel mount, and Kask Super Plasma Helmet.

 

[thattreeguy]

anyone, is there a chiropractor in the audience, cause damn...that made my neck hurt.......looks like good fun though

 

[dcoffey]

Do you work for a company that installs ziplines?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Haha, don't kill yourself!

 

[bonner1040]

No... I work for the big green tree company!

Luckily the masses are safe from my recklessness! A good friend of mine used to work for Universal Ropes, I have gotten lots of tips and such from him though. Designing, building and training on challenge course elements has always been a dream of mine.

We didnt use any protractors to put this one up, if you get my meaning Donny. I understand that there is a more scientific approach though. If an opportunity ever presented itself to work in the recreational rigging industry that might be the only thing that could tear me away from full time tree work.

I went to this camp as a kid, http://redoakcamp.org/page11.html, and was one of the few campers to make it through the challenge course. I would give it all to build things like the tension traverse, or the giants ladder!

 

[stig]

Looks like somebody might easily stick a leg too far out and have it broken by a tree?

I love speedlines. We have a group of arbos and rec climbing instructors that get together a couple of times each year for play and practice. We've done some good ones

 

[bonner1040]

Looks like somebody might easily stick a leg too far out and have it broken by a tree?

Yeah, don't do that! Is was taken down that day.

 

[pantheraba]

hahaha...crazy zip line..glad y'all are still alive and in one piece.

 

[gf beranek]

I think the whole idea is about a zip line is keeping it safe.

We made one when I was a kid, in the 50's. No PPE in those days. And yeah, there were some scrapes and bruises had before it was perfected. Ha!

 

[Adam_P]

Dude, your buddy must hate you that looked like it HURT. I did laugh pretty hard though

The video looks great in 720p!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I say I say always... ummmm noooooo
Never ever use that guy as a groundy on rope

 

[dcoffey]

Hey,
I worked with Matt, Mark and those guys from Universal Ropes. Great bunch of guys. I also work for an ACCT Professional Vendor Member and I inspect, build, and train on every structure imaginable. It is a great gig. Gives me a break from full time treework and I get to have a little fun while I'm at it. We built some pretty cool canopy tours that last up to 3 hours. It's great to take the knowledge from treework and bring it to the challenge course industry. The forces, loads, and vectors that these courses/structures put on the trees is amazing. There is a need for quilified arborists in this field for sure.

Donny

 

[sotc]

For the newbies. Butch, does the zipfest thread need to be in the elders?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QMRsHwlDBFI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2bb8sYorStY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[MasterBlaster]

I don't know - does it? Why?

 

[rumination]

That looks like so much fun. Are there any good tutorials or how tos on setting up zip lines? I'd like to try it sometime, but want to make sure I don't do something stupid.

 

[bonner1040]

NO more than a 5 degree drop, which is my problem most of the time! Use steel, have something other than your arms to pull it tight aka comealong etc.. Start low, no foot loops. over water or wear a harness.

 

[rumination]

Thanks for the tips Nick. I don't have any steel cable, so will have to make do with some static rope. I'd like to do one from tree to tree, probably use a fiddle block to tighten it up. Is the trolley necessary, or is it ok to use a regular pulley?

 

[sotc]

So other folks can view the thread, sorry if that wasn't plain.

We used fiber for a mainline and another as a back up. Fiddle string tight if you don't have good drop.... I think the trolly is better as the pulley will drag on the rope with any swinging.

 

[sotc]

Some pictures in the thread Leon

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/s...-Get-Together-Attendance-Poll&highlight=video

 

[bonner1040]

I have always had trouble tightening rope enough, even with a 5:1. It can be done though I guess. I like my trolley but if its steep enough you can just use a carabiner!!!

 

[stig]

We usually terminate the high end through a block and use the GRCS to tighten it with.
That way if it ends really high up, we can simply lower the line to let the passenger off, instead of having them rappell out.

When you say: " Use steel", do you mean steel wire, Nick?

If so, why?

We have a 600 foot bullrope that is designated for zipline, that means it has never been used for anything else. I feel perfectly safe with that.

 

[tntree]

I use a GRCS also Stig - set one up each year at the MNTCC
I have a line of thirty kids at times


found this looking for mine

 

[bonner1040]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R62yKADkE98" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5a64ZTj-nYQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[tntree]

thanks bonner

 

[bonner1040]

No problem Dave. I talked to my boss about demoing that mini (remember talking to me on the phone, the trimmer who works for Big Green), we arent aloud any more capital expenses until 2014 or some bull....BUT we are buying our 2nd new spray truck in 2 years!