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areyoumydude
Apr 5, 2006, 5:21 PM
Post #1 of 21
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Registered: Dec 28, 2003
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I was wondering how many slackers out there are using ratchets to set up their slacklines.
What do you like about them?
What do you not like about them?
Do you remove the ratchet after you tension your slackline?
Have you used other methods to set up a slackline?
How long have you been slacklining?
Joe, unc, and V please keep your arguments in the other thread.
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veganboyjosh
Apr 5, 2006, 5:30 PM
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good post, larry.
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dahoobit
Apr 5, 2006, 6:24 PM
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I do not use a ratchet to tighten my line. my good friend sometimes uses one. I have walked his lines, it seemed to work really well. he would tighten it and just leave the ratchet on. recently he had an accident where his webbing around the tree broke and the ratchet caught him in the hand and shattered his thumb. I guess the main lesson is to always check your webbing no matter what set up you use.
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watchme
Apr 5, 2006, 7:02 PM
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Registered: Jun 26, 2003
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I just use the cheap, basic carabiner setup. I don't know what it's called. It doesn't create too much mechanical advantage, but enough for shorter lines.
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45h
Apr 5, 2006, 7:09 PM
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I use a ratchet based slackline, however, I wouldn't classify myself as a ratchet lover!
I like the fact that it is very easy to set up. I've never rock climbed and currently I'm not very concerned about proper rigging technique AKA "slackline etiquette". However, this may change in the future and I will make the proper adjustments if/when the time comes.
What do I not like about them: The ratchet can be quite cumbersome. And I read on these forums that I am not practicing 'proper slackline etiquette' and I feel like a total n00b for that. :(
Do you remove the ratchet after you tension your slackline? I haven't done that yet but I've thought about it. To be honest, I really haven't slacked that much.
Have you used other methods to set up a slackline? No. I don't use the slackline I have all that much so there is no need to purchase other systems.
How long have you been slacklining? I bought mine from Joe sometime in '03', I think.
I do think that I represent the demographic that Joe is marketing to, but since I don't know him I can't say for sure. I think each slackline system has its place and they all serve different purposes. I know I wouldn't set up a highline with a ratchet!
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surferbigwave
Apr 5, 2006, 7:29 PM
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I got into slacking to help with surfing. It is great stuff. I picked up how to rig with 4 biners and 40 feet of webbing down in the Valley. The pulleys are trick though, i got some once I knew i was hooked on slackin.
Two water buds started using ratchets, but whenever I was around with my pulleys we used em.
I skipped ratchets altogether, and have been quite happy. I have seen ratchet lines on a windy day at the beach though, and they seemed to vibe strangely in the wind for sure.
It seems to me that biners are the competition for ratchets because they are cheaper than ratchets and setup the same type short lowlines without any problem and with less line weight than a ratchet..
Pulleys are a step up for sure, and were worth it to me for a variety of beach and other setups.
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jeremy11
Apr 5, 2006, 7:49 PM
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Registered: May 28, 2004
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Biners, Brains, and Brawn:
biners: 4:1 on smooth oval biners minus friction
brain (technique): get behind anchor tree and use hip belay to hold webbing, then push off the tree with a leg, simultaneously dropping my weight to really yank it hard. dont just use your arms! pushing off the tree is a huge advantage, and I have tensioned solo up to 75 feet and walked it, anchors about 7 feet up. I tried it on a 90 footer, but that was just way too loose so I could barely control the wobble and so I jumped after 15 feet...
brawn: the aforementioned push off the tree really hard with the legs.
slacking off for about 2.5 years 8^)
I can set up in just a few minutes solo - always think how you can refine your systems!!
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snailian
Apr 10, 2006, 1:57 PM
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Registered: Mar 20, 2006
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What do you like about them?
I feel that I can trust the ratchet more than I could a knot. I understand that ratchets are not perfect and that a proper knot can be trusted. They are convenient
What do you not like about them?
If something were to break, that's alot of weight suddenly flying at me while I'm falling towards the ground.
Do you remove the ratchet after you tension your slackline?
No, not usually. It doesn't effect the feel of the line as much as I had thought it would.
Have you used other methods to set up a slackline?
No, though I'd like to experience other lines.
How long have you been slacklining?
About 5 months.
I have a dedicated backpack for my slackline. It doesn't need an entire backpack, but I've always had a backpack for whatever activity I was doing at the time. This makes it easy to store, transport and it keeps everything together. The ratchet definately is the heaviest of the objects in the backpack, but it isn't really that heavy. I think it would be good for slackliners to know how to setup a line w/o a ratchet, just in case. Not every slackliner is a rockclimber anymore.
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lidosis
Apr 11, 2006, 6:41 PM
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Registered: Sep 8, 2003
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So yes I too was using a ratchet for a while, no I did no buy it from Joe, I got mine at Wal-Mart, then I found the primitive system. But the ratchet was not what I wanted to get, I was looking for a come-along but those were a bit expensive and well since a ratchet was in the same dept. at the wal-mart store and the fact it was way cheaper i got one of those.
What do you like about them?
Ah... well I guess I could get short lines really tight
What do you not like about them?
releasing them, well with the one I picked up you had to pull this trigger on the ratchet really hard for the thing to release, and then in less than a second the whole line would become loose. I was always afraid I was going to get hurt so where my buddies so we always made the newest person release it for us.
Additionally, like others have mentioned the line always got a little crazy with wind, weird re-verb.
Oh yeah and when traveling I always wanted to take a line with me and that ratchet is one heavy mother, and well I liked to have my line with me as carry on, it was a short line, but I always was a little weird having a ratchet in your carry on bag, I don't know if that would even be allowed anymore.
Do you remove the ratchet after you tension your slackline?
After a while I figured out how to do this mostly out of necessity. I was working to set up longer lines and I would run out of space to ratchet in more line but my long line would still touch in the middle. So I figured out how to remove this and after that would never leave it one the line when I was walking.
Have you used other methods to set up a slackline?
Yes, ever since I discovered them! I was at a climbing gym and saw someone using the ethos line thought that was a good idea and took a real good look at it and then began using the primitive set-up.
Shorty after I was checking out Ric's setup down at the PBC and discovered pulleys. I already had a gri-gri so I figured I did not need to buy his setup but would instead just buy a handful of pulleys instead because I already had all the biners I needed, being a climber.
I had been on RC.com here for a bit but and still not really active on it and saw a thread talking about multipliers, in pulley system. The thread discussion made no sense to me, so I did a little reading online about MA and figured out what these people were talking about, and I started using those, I already had a set of ascenders so I didn't need any more gear to start using these.
So now I am using the pulley system with multipliers and when that won't do the job, I place a prusik on the pull line and attach a primitive system on to that, so I add the primitive to my pulley system at the end past the multipliers to get my line tighter. I am also using steel biners and shackles and removing the system from my line when I am done. Currently I am looking to get some span-sets as well as some more pulleys, just to make my life a little easier.
How long have you been slacklining?
I have been slaking for a few year I would guess since '98 so like 8 years. I have really made progress since I moved to Denver and found other people who were into slacking, and moved away from the ratchet, found multiplies, and better rigging equipment, shackles and hopefully soon, span-sets.
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outsider0409
Apr 17, 2006, 9:16 PM
Post #10 of 21
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Registered: Jul 27, 2005
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All my friends here at school use ratchets for our longer lines. We use biners for the shorter ones.
What do you like about them?
They make set up real easy. They don't affect walking on the line as much as I thought it would. My ratchet was way cheaper at the hardware store than any pulleys or whatnot.
What do you not like about them?
My slackline used to fit easily into a bookbag.
Do you remove the ratchet after you tension your slackline?
No, I usually backup the ratchet to the tree though so that if any part of the slackline breaks the ratchet won't come flying at the person slacking.
Have you used other methods to set up a slackline?
Yes, I used to use a biner set up. I got a ratchet for longer lines.
How long have you been slacklining?
A year
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areyoumydude
Apr 20, 2006, 7:10 PM
Post #11 of 21
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In reply to: All my friends here at school use ratchets for our longer lines. We use biners for the shorter ones. What do you like about them? They make set up real easy. They don't affect walking on the line as much as I thought it would. My ratchet was way cheaper at the hardware store than any pulleys or whatnot. What do you not like about them? My slackline used to fit easily into a bookbag. Do you remove the ratchet after you tension your slackline? No, I usually backup the ratchet to the tree though so that if any part of the slackline breaks the ratchet won't come flying at the person slacking. Have you used other methods to set up a slackline? Yes, I used to use a biner set up. I got a ratchet for longer lines. How long have you been slacklining? A year
So how long are your longer lines?
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outsider0409
Apr 21, 2006, 1:31 AM
Post #12 of 21
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Registered: Jul 27, 2005
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80 to 150 feet
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chalkfree
Apr 21, 2006, 2:26 AM
Post #13 of 21
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Registered: Dec 27, 2004
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I find it hard to buy that you can tension 150 ft with a ratchet alone without removing it from the line at least once.
As to the op:
I haven't ever used a ratchet and I'm not sure I'd really care to, I had a 70ft line tight today that was setup with a 3:1 like this.
If I'm by myself, or I want to set a longer line I use a girda hitch and another pulley on the pull strand from the first. I might like to use a ratchet just in place of the second pulley system.
I've been walking for a bit more than a year.
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outsider0409
Apr 21, 2006, 2:34 AM
Post #14 of 21
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Registered: Jul 27, 2005
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Actually, yea it was super loose and I would like to find a way to make it tighter. How do you remove the ratchet while under tension? We set it up real high over a pond and people were just about to touch water in the middle.
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slackinjacklyn
Apr 21, 2006, 10:42 PM
Post #15 of 21
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Registered: Nov 2, 2005
Posts: 26
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I tension my 130' line with a ratchet at each end left in the system.
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chalkfree
Apr 21, 2006, 11:32 PM
Post #16 of 21
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I've never had to do it with a ratchet, but sometimes I end up tightening my 3:1 with another 3:1. You could just make a tension blocked pulley system and tighten it with the ratchet...
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fishbelly
Apr 22, 2006, 3:02 PM
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Registered: Oct 31, 2004
Posts: 273
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I am too old . Every time I see this thread. I think its about ratchets for placing ice scews. They were only slightly better then using your pick.
Can't imagine anyone actually loving them.
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outsider0409
Apr 23, 2006, 1:03 AM
Post #19 of 21
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That was my next plan, but the place we set up would make it quite difficult put a ratchet at the far end. I wonder if two ratchets right next to each other would really screw things up?
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lidosis
Apr 24, 2006, 3:09 AM
Post #21 of 21
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Registered: Sep 8, 2003
Posts: 112
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I just remembered another thing with those ratchets, to get my line as tight as I wanted I would move it but I would always loose skin tightening thing
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