A slackline is a system that, in order to function properly, depends on the ability of its various parts to hold the proper amount of force. One can learn to set up a slackline without understanding the exact forces that all the parts of the system must hold. This approach is reasonable for people who are limiting themselves to lowlines, where a failure in the system will be highly unlikely to result in serious injury. The ability to correctly analyze a slackline setup helps greatly in setting up longer lines, however, and is essential to safely set up a highline.

Slackline analysis quickly becomes complicated as more and more factors are taken into consideration, such as the distance a person falls before the line becomes taut, the dynamic properties of webbing, and falling from somewhere other than the center of the line. This analysis will begin with the simplest case of a non-moving weight at the middle of a slackline made of static webbing, and will take additional factors into account as the analysis continues. The analysis is a result of my own scribbled calculations, assumptions, and the feedback of others in the slacklining community. I have a background in physics, but the strength of this analysis lies in the willingness to have it scrutinized by others. If you are using this information to help set up a highline, please read the disclaimer carefully. Any decision to set up and walk a highline is a very personal one, and one that should be made carefully.

Understanding slackline systems helps us in other areas as well. It adds to our ability to analyze many of the various systems we use in the mountains. If you have feedback about any of this analysis, please contact me directly at messages@wanderingphotographer.com. You may also wish to check out the Slacklining forum at www.rockclimbing.com/forums/.