tricks to untie tight knots

[david]

I set up a slackline for the first time last evening. Now I am the owner of a 30-foot piece of webbing tied to a tree (and don't own a dog for the obvious alternate use). The knots are so tight I can't do anything. Any trick you may know of would be really helpful.

If I ever decide to set one up again, what kind of knots would be easier to untie. I had a water knot at one end and a figure 8 on a bight at the other.

Also, once able to walk the entire line, what am I supposed to do? Slacklining doesn't seem like that much fun to me.

Cheers

[Adam]

I set up a slackline for the first time last evening. Now I am the owner of a 30-foot piece of webbing tied to a tree (and don't own a dog for the obvious alternate use). The knots are so tight I can't do anything. Any trick you may know of would be really helpful.

If I ever decide to set one up again, what kind of knots would be easier to untie. I had a water knot at one end and a figure 8 on a bight at the other.

Also, once able to walk the entire line, what am I supposed to do? Slacklining doesn't seem like that much fun to me.

Cheers

i'd say cut your losses, literally, and buy some line lockers and some thick quick links.

[Fred]

The easy way is to cut the line near one end. The harder way is to set-up a pulley system to take out the slack then untie the knots. However, the pulley system also has to be set-up in a way that you can release it.

Next time you want to set one up check out this site.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5595&p=32382&hilit=slackline#p32382


Also, Radical Edge in Fredericton now sells the sweet Gibbon slacklines.

[Adam]

i use two line lockers, a quicklink, two biners, and a piece of cord to set mine up. there are lots of resources on line to pick your flavour of setup. some people use ratchets but i prefer cord.

and yeah, there are tricks you can do once you can walk the line back and forth.

[david]

Thanks

and yeah, there are tricks you can do once you can walk the line back and forth.

I think I am just bitter about slacklining because I am gonna lose gear out of it.

The harder way is to set-up a pulley system to take out the slack then untie the knots. However, the pulley system also has to be set-up in a way that you can release it.

I had a pulley system at one end, so there is no tension on the line anymore... still can't undo the knots. Looks like I am going to cut it.

[david]

I actually managed to loosen the knots with a butter knife. The webbing is all torn and no good for climbing anymore. Lesson learned

[Adam]

I actually managed to loosen the knots with a butter knife. The webbing is all torn and no good for climbing anymore. Lesson learned

if you *really* want to use knots instead of line lockers, use a figure8 but clip a biner thru the heart of the knot. i do this on climbing anchors so if it gets weighted it is still easy to undo.

but yeah, line lockers are your friend. plus they don't twist the line like knots can.

[mick]

The webbing is all torn and no good for climbing anymore.

Any piece of gear you involve in a tensioned slackline setup should NOT be used for climbing again, ever.

Webbing loses much of it's stretch and strength after being tensioned and aluminum carabiners are not designed to be repeatedly strained with the kind of forces generated by a slackline rig.

Search this forum for old threads on slacklining to see my setup and those of others. Personally, I use two steel links of chain and three biners such that there are no knots at all in my setup. I find the chain links far superior to rap rings (tried rap rings and bent them all to hell in a session, plus they don't hold the line as flat).

[Murph]

If you need to tie knots for a slackline, use a triple (or even quad) bowline knot. Just make a handfull of loops then continue to tie a bowline. Comes undone a lot easier than a figure 8 or water knot and it also can be adjusted. However, I find the linelocker setup is pretty slick, so that would be my vote.

[Greg]

http://www.slackline.com/2008/03/line-l ... -knot.html

[Jon Corey]

I used a knitting needle. It isn't sharp so it won't damage the webbing. It only took 45min
Use heavy chain links from the hardware store. Just cut every other link right there
in the store to save an hour of hacksaw time.
The factory weld on the link has to be smoothed out with a small flat file or it will cut into your line.
If you are interested in what else can be done on a slackline check out you tube videos with Andy Squirrel
or Clark Grubb. Enjoy