If you are eager to try longlining (walking slacklines longer than 100 feet), here you’ll find everything you need to get started – videos and tutorials, recommended kits and a lot of other useful advice. Enjoy!

For better orientation, I have divided this guide into three main parts:

Setting up and walking longlines takes a lot of commitment as the extra length presents many challenges for the slackliner.

And once the length gets over 330 ft (100m), both rigging and walking becomes really hard.

Eric on the 331 foot Slackline (101 Meters)

Watch this video on YouTube

1. Rigging

Setting up a 50ft slackline using a ratchet system is really easy.

But as the length increases, ratchets become useless – even at 100 feet (30m) it already takes a good deal of strength to get the right tension.

So it’s necessary to get some mechanical advantage from pulleys, for example a 5:1 or 9:1.

The bad news is that they are quite expensive (the price ranges from $300 for a beginner kit to as high as $4,000 for professional setups) and more difficult to use.

2. Balance skills and physical condition

Walking a longline presents a real challenge for your body – even on a 50′ (15m) line you’ve probably felt the difference between the firm ends and looser middle part.

Now imagine what the difference is at a 300′ or 400′ monster and add also the fact that the entire mass of the line swings and there is a large sag in the middle!

Also there is no rest available, you have to be 100% focused all the time, your arms, shoulders, core muscles and legs all working hard to retain balance.

And if you are used to walking on the 2" webbing, don’t forget that most longlines are only 1 inch wide ;)

3. Safety

With the extreme tension in the line, safety becomes even more important.

The last thing you want to happen is being hit by a broken line or metal parts of the setup system.

So while the price of the equipment is substantial already, it is vital to use only high quality components and avoid trying to save some money by purchasing gear not perfectly suitable for longlining.

It’s also a good idea to backup the key parts with an additional loop around the tree (you can find an in-depth article here):

Falling

And as if that were not enough, there is the danger of falling. Due to the larger sag, the end points of a longline have to be higher which presents another risk (and a psychological challenge as well).

Also you can get slapped by the line easily due to the high tension.

So it’s a good idea to practise falling and dismounting from this height before the actual walk – if that happens later on, at least you’re not caught by surprise.

Social aspect

A quick tip: While I always recommend to meet other slackliners in your city or local area, it’s even more beneficial in longlining.

Not only you can learn from the experienced, but you can also share the most expensive pieces of equipment in a group!

So get social, find groups or communities in your neighborhood and join them.

And before you know it, longlining can turn from a hobby into a way of life.