According to legend, zip lines were first used by scientists who wanted to suspend themselves high in the forest canopy to study the life in the tree tops. But now they are a source of adventure for globetrotting thrill seekers. While some ziplines soar thousands of feet and up to 100 mph, many people want to take the excitement of zip lining home and install a more modest zipline kit in their back yards.

A basic home zip line kit generally includes a length of aircraft cable, cable fittings and connections, a trolley, and something either to hold on to or clip into. A more complete backyard zipline kit would include a seat, a brake block, harness(es), and/or a helmet. It's not necessary to get a complete kit sent to your home, as harnesses and helmets are better purchased in store where you can try them on for a good fit. Just make sure that the kit includes good quality cable and a trolley from a reliable manufacturer. It's better to spend a few extra bucks to make the ride faster, smoother, safer, and longer lasting.

Differences between Professional and Backyard Zipline Kits

Professional zipline builders generally focus on commercial installations rather than installing kits at people's homes, so the materials they use build in an additional level of safety as prescribed by their engineers. For instance, they will use aircraft cable sizes of 3/8" to 7/8" depending on how long the ride is and how taut the cable is. All backyard zipline kits I have seen, however, use cable from 1/8" to 3/8". Smaller cables may be safe for shorter ziplines that are not installed too taut. I believe that thicker cables are worth the money because of the added safety and a smoother ride, but that is not to say you should never use smaller cables, but just that you should understand that unless you or your engineer do the calculations on your zipline to calculate the required cable size, you may not have the same safety factor (multiple of expected load) with your home zipline kit that the professional zipline builders would use.

"Hold on" Kits vs "Harness in" Kits

Of course, you will be safer if you install the zipline kit with the "Harness in" method in mind. You should have gates and locks to prevent people from using the zipline unsupervised, especially when you are not home. Even with harnesses, someone can still get hurt if they don't wear a properly fitted harness or if they don't clip on correctly. But many home zipline kits don't come with harnesses, and some people have no intention of using them. It just comes down to what level of risk you are willing to assume for yourself, your family, and people visiting your home. A "hold on" zipline in your backyard may be okay if it is relatively low to the ground, low speed, and you accept that some people probably will fall off from time to time. Whatever you do, please don't set up a stunt like dropping off the moving zipline into your pool, as that pretty much voids any warranty the kit may have had, and a mis-timed release can leave somebody smashing their face into concrete. Please use good judgement with backyard zipline kits or else someday there will be more regulations that keep us all from having good safe fun.