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Slacklining is a fun and challenging activity that can provide many benefits for your physical and mental health. Here are 10 reasons why you should start slacklining today:

1. Slacklining improves balance and coordination

Slacklining requires you to balance on a narrow line, which can help improve your balance and coordination skills.

2. Slacklining strengthens core muscles

Balancing on a slackline engages your core muscles, which can help strengthen them over time.

3. Slacklining boosts focus and concentration

Slacklining requires you to focus on your movements and balance, which can help improve your concentration skills.

4. Slacklining reduces stress

Engaging in physical activity like slacklining can help reduce stress levels and improve your mood.

5. Slacklining increases flexibility

Balancing on a slackline requires you to use your whole body, which can help increase your flexibility over time.

6. Slacklining improves posture

Slacklining can help improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your back and core.

7. Slacklining provides a full-body workout

Slacklining engages multiple muscle groups in your body, providing a full-body workout.

8. Slacklining boosts confidence

Successfully balancing on a slackline can be challenging, but it can also be very rewarding and boost your confidence.

9. Slacklining encourages social interaction

Slacklining is often done in groups, which can provide opportunities for social interaction and community building.

10. Bonus reason! Slacklining is accessible to all ages and ability levels

Slacklining is an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and ability levels.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a slackline and start reaping the benefits today!

If you’re in South Africa you can get yourself a complete starter slackline kit from Viper Slacklines or pick up the items you need from our online shop.

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What is the best slackline for kids and beginners

Viper Slacklines Primitive 20m Kit

This kit is designed for people who specifically need a light slackline kit for travelling, backpacking, camping etc. and for anyone training to eventually get into longlining or highlining since they both require a 25mm wide webbing.

This is a very versatile kit that can be used for setting up a rodeoline or surfline as well as walking training.

Pros:

• lightweight and compact
• Can be used as rodeoline, surfline or walking line
  
• Great for practicing to highline
• Great for walking practice
• Great for practicing static slackline tricks
• Cheaper than a ratchet set

 

Cons:

• More complex to set up
• 25mm wide slackline webbing can be intimidating for first time slackliners
• 25mm can be sharper on the skin
• Steeper learning curve for walking

 

 

Viper Slacklines 23m Active Kit

This kit is a lot easier to set up and has a wider and softer 50mm that is a lot more approachable for beginners and kids.

 

This slackline kit allows you to practice your slackline walking skills but also allows you to do more things on the line as you progress including jumps, yogalining, tricklining.

 

Overall both kits are great beginner friendly slacklines and you will enjoy either one.  The 23m Active slackline kit is generally more suited for permanent or semi permanent slacklines as well as kids.

 

This is the best slackline for anyone getting into slacklining without a specific discipline in mind.

 

Pros:

• Wider 50mm slackline webbing is very approachable for beginners
• Easier to learn to walk on
• Softer slackline webbing which is nicer for tricks and yoga slacklining
• Easier and quicker to set up
• Requires less components

 

Cons:

• A lot bigger and heavier than the lightweight kit (not an issue if you’re not planning to carry it around a lot)
• Slightly more expensive

 

The best slackline kits compared

Ultimately both of these kits are fantastic for both beginner and experienced slackliners.

For kids and beginners we would recommend getting the Active Slackline kit.

The best slackline for adults would be the Primitive Slackline kit if you’re planning to get into highlining or longlining and the Active kit if you’re slacklining recreationally or would like to get into doing tricks and yoga slacklining. 

Title	20m Lightweight Primitive Slackline	23m Active Slackline
Price	R1,350.00	R1,950.00
Add to cart	Read more	Read more

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carabiners

Steel oval carabiner

The most commonly used and versatile carabiner in slacklining and highlining

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You can use steel oval carabiners to rig primitive slacklines or connect your slackline sewn loop to your anchor slings on short slacklines. You can also use an oval carabiner in combination with a chainlink to make a webbing linelock.

Aluminium carabiners can be used for slacklining but only if they are not used in the system as this would subject them to cyclic loads which they are not designed for.

Shackles

Slackline Bow Shackle

The most commonly used shackle for slacklining and highlining

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The most common shackles used in slacklining, tricklining and highlining are 12mm Stainless steel bow shackles with a 25mm opening width.

You can use the bow shackle to connect your slackline sewn loop, weblock or soft release to your anchor.

The bow shackles are also designed to be used in combination with the Viper Slacklines Constrictor.

Soft Shackles

Soft Shackle

Example slackline soft shackle available from Balance Community, click to view it on their website

View on Balance Community

The most common soft shackles used in slacklining, midlining and highlining are 5mm-8mm button knot soft shackles.

You can use the soft shackles to connect your slackline sewn loop or weblock to your anchor or connect segmented highlines using an Inov-Split, W-method or Schroggi Split.

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The Used gear listings group is for you to buy and sell slackline gear in South Africa.

Buy and sell Slackline Gear rules

• This group is for SECOND HAND slackline gear only. If you post pictures of new items or spam on this group your post will be removed and you will be kicked from the group.
• Please include the price & specs of the gear as well as your city/suburb in your post and mention a little bit about the use and condition of your gear.
• Once you agree to sell an item to someone at a set price, you may not go back on that deal for a higher price.
• If you want people to bid for your item please say so in your post and make a starting price.
• When you upload a photo of an item and someone comments on it please try to reply ASAP, no ones like to linger on “is it still available”
• Please make an effort to comment, edit or in another make it clear when your item has been sold.
• Only repost the same item once a week on Slackline South Africa: Used Gear Listings . Slackline South Africa will not be held responsible for any sales made on this group. Be smart, be safe and let’s make this a place for people to buy, sell and swap good used slackline gear.

Visit the Slackline South Africa: Used Gear Listings page to get some cash for old gear or upgrade to some new-to-you slackline equipment or check out our shop for a massive selection of the best slackline gear.

If you’re completely new to slacklining I recommend getting this beginner kit.

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Why is highlining so scary? We know how to slackline, we can do it for hours, and our technique is on point. So why is it so difficult to do in the sky? Well, there’s only one thing that a slackline can’t prepare us for, and that’s fear. Let’s explore 3 ways to manage fear on a highline.

1.Trust the gear

Yes, we’ve all heard this one before. This is probably the most common advice we’ll hear when we start to highline. To trust the gear, we have to figure out why we DON’T trust the gear. For me, there are two reasons.

// I don't trust the people who are in charge of gear (the riggers)

Personally, I’m more comfortable getting on the line when I’m not involved in the rigging. I simply have faith that the riggers did a proper job. After all, ignorance is bliss. Think about it. Why do we happily get on a rollercoaster without asking who designed it, how often it’s maintained, when it was last serviced, what is the likelihood of failure etc. Well, it’s because we believe that it must be safe seeing as it’s open to the public. It’s the same for other things like shark cage diving, skydiving or bungee jumping.

Ok, so what if you’re not like me, ignorance is not bliss and you don’t have faith in the riggers? Well, either you can get involved in the rigging process yourself, or you should know the riggers well. Do you trust them, are they competent, do they prefer small or large safety margins, ask them how and why they rigged the way they did.

// I have limited knowledge of the gear

Ok so now we trust that the riggers did a proper job, or we were involved in rigging and know for sure that we did a proper job. But are you sure that soft shackle will hold? And what if my harness breaks? Oh and what if those bolts pop out? So here we have fear from a lack of knowledge of the gear. We’ve written a separate article that explains that highline gear is super safe. Check it out if you want to get to know your gear so that you can trust it 100%.

2. Leave your fear behind or turn it into excitement

I have to give my friend, Laurence Garrett, creds for this tip. This one is self explanatory and there’s not much to elaborate on, so I’ll give you an anecdote. Laurence scooted out onto the line and I think I remarked on how scary it looked, and he replied “good thing I left my fear behind”. I loved that and it’s stuck with me ever since. I imagine fear as something tangible that I can either put in my pocket and bring with me onto the line, or I can choose to leave at the anchor. Once I’ve consciously decided to leave it behind, that’s where it stays.

But what if you forgot to leave it at the anchor? You checked your pockets for phones, wallets, keys etc but you didn’t spot the fear and now it’s out on the line with you. Again in the words of Laurence, turn your fear into excitement. Laurence is one of those guys who’s always super stoked to be there and get on the line. He’s the first to volunteer to get on, he has multiple sessions, he’s cheering after he falls and grinning from ear to ear while he walks. It wasn’t fair. How on earth isn’t he scared, why is it so easy for him, why can’t I be like that? Spending more time with Loz, chatting to him and overhearing his conversations, I realized that he feels exactly the same as me. I learnt that when he feels fear, he chooses to think of it as excitement instead. Change the knots in your stomach into butterflies, the shaking into buzzing, the sweating into glowing, the doubts into possibilities. Take that fear and consciously choose to turn it into excitement!

3. Five minutes of fear

I’ve watched my friends cross monster lines within 10 minutes but I can easily spend hours on a short line. Sound familiar? Obviously they are more experienced and their technique is better, but the point is that it is possible to walk a long distance within a short time.

I say a little sentence to myself over and over when I sit on the line which goes “The quicker you do it, the quicker it’ll be done.” Just think about it for a second, it’s so true. Once I’ve said that to myself, I’m ready to take my line buggy off, get in chonga pose, lift my leg on and either fall or take a few steps. Then it’s done. Boom. 5 minutes. The other option is to sit on the line for 10 minutes before even unclipping your buggy, another 10 minutes to get into a starting position, another 10 minutes to psyche yourself up to try stand and… REPEAT (because often we get to the last step and then back out and start the process all over again). That means you can easily spend over 30 minutes doing, well, nothing really. Plus the longer you spend psyching yourself up, you’re also psyching yourself out.

Something I also like to imagine is what could I be doing in those 5 minutes? That’s the same amount of time as making a cup of coffee, going to the toilet or parking your car. Basically, it’s just a blip of time compared to the rest of your daily routine. When I think of it this way, I’m like “Oh yeah, it’s such a short amount of time to be fearful of.”

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