Any activity in which one's personal safety depends on a properly set-up mechanical system is inherently dangerous. Incidents can be as simple as falling off a foot-high slackline onto the grass, and as serious as falling to one's death from a significant height. Injuries can be as minor as a rolled ankle or a bruise on the shoulder and as serious as death.

Learning to set up such systems is best done under the direct guidance and supervision of people with significant experience in the field. An increasing number of people, however, are learning to set up systems by reading online articles such as this one, and trying to apply the knowledge themselves. While this is reasonable for a few people, it is a dangerous method for most people. It requires the ability to discern which information is correct and which is incorrect, which reasoning is sound and which is faulty, and how given information applies to your particular situation. It also offers no room to make mistakes which an experienced instructor would probably catch before serious consequences occur.

Participation in activities like climbing and highlining require one to be able to answer certain questions with absolute honesty, and the willingness to back off when the answers to those questions indicate it is unsafe to go on. Some of these questions:

• Do I understand the technical aspects of the system I am using?
• Do I trust the people I am doing this with?
• How serious will the consequences of certain mistakes be?
• Is the equipment I am trusting my life to sound?
• How will the weather affect the safety of this activity?
• Is my head in this today?
• Am I doing this for my own reasons, or am I trying to please or impress someone else?
• What does my gut tell me?

The information on this site is meant to be used as a resource of information, within the larger climbing community which shares information and feedback about that information. It is not meant as direct instruction in any manner whatsoever. Any decisions based on the information on this website are the sole responsibility of the individual, as are all consequences of those decisions.

Act boldly, from a foundation of knowledge, understanding, and experience.