Zip Lines from Tree Houses
Posted on June 13, 2009 with
Introduction to Zip Lines from Tree Houses
Zip lines are great fun, but they can also be dangerous. Make sure that they are built properly, along with the tree houses that serve as the zip line launching platforms. There is a lot of variety in zip lines, and this post will serve as an introduction to the many choices out there.
Are Harnesses & Helmets Necessary?
Life involves a lot of risks. Only you can decide which ones to accept for you, your kids, and your guests who will inevitably be using the zip lines and tree houses. That being said, some zip lines are less than 100 feet and the rider is never more than 7 feet off the ground. Most people on this style do not wear harnesses or helmets. But other zip lines are hundreds of feet long and start in tree houses that are 30′ high, where a fall could be fatal. We strongly recommend requiring harness and helmet use in such cases as a precaution.
What about Grade?
If the bottom tree is on significantly lower ground than the tree house, you have two choices: 1) raise the end cable, or 2) use a braking system. Raising the end cable to a higher point in the tree will slow the ride down and account for the grade difference. Braking systems are questionable because they can fail, especially when not properly installed and regularly inspected. In short, gravity stopping is safer, but using a brake allows the zip line to be faster.
How to get off the Zip Line
Zip lines are properly installed with a sagging cable to minimize tension when the zip line is loaded. As you jump from the tree house and proceed down the cable, you should install the zip line so that after you stop via gravity and/or braking system, you then coast back to a point that is not too high off the ground for an easy dismount. This typically stops about 60 to 80% of the way from the tree house to the bottom tree. Alternatively, in canopy tours, or zip lines that connect several tree houses, you will need a braking system that allows you to come to a stop at the far tree house without hitting the end tree at 30 mph or so, which really hurts you, although the tree will hardly notice it.
Be Careful…
Zip Lines and Tree Houses are potentially difficult and/or dangerous to install. Please make sure that you use proper safety equipment while working on ropes or ladders, and please do adequate research to determine the proper sizes of cable and get professional grade hardware so that you don’t have to worry, just have fun! Tree Top Builders is available to install zip lines and tree houses. We will also attempt to answer all zip line and tree house building questions posted to this blog as a service to built-it-yourselfers, so please ask away!
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Tags: build a zip line, tree house, tree houses, zip line, zip lines
Category: Zip Lines and Tree House Accessories
I would like to build a zip line course
I have a lot of big BIG live oak trees
Some 100 feet apart some 300 feet apart not a lot of hills but we do have a few feet change in elevation.
We have a large number of people who come do our river tubing, I am looking for something else for them to do when they are here.
I need info on who can do the design / construction where do you buy the equipment, the insurance etc.
Any info. You can help me with will be greatly appreciated.
John Fore
It sounds like a fun Project, John.
The relatively flat elevation would require a little bit of climbing at the beginning and/or a little at each transfer. For most 100 - 300 foot zip lines, you can have guests climb several feet higher from each tree house platform before connecting to the next zip line. This gives you extra momentum to overcome cable friction when there isn’t much natural grade or slope.
Tree Top Builders, Inc, my company, can design and install zip lines like this. But there are other companies that can do it too. We are experts at attaching things to trees, especially tree house platforms. So if you want tree attached zip lines, then I suggest you hire us. If you want pole or tower attached zip lines, then you should choose another company.
The equipment is available from various sources. We purchase a lot of our hardware from peak trading, american arborist supply, and various other websites like Jammar mfg, Erin Rope, or Baco Enterprises. Search online, and if you can’t find something specific, I’ll tell you where we buy it.
Start with your insurance company, and ask them what it will cost extra to add zip lines and tree house platforms. Believe me, it’s much easier for you to find insurance as a commercial operator than it is for us to find appropriate insurance as treehouse builders, so it’s out there!
I like working with business owners like yourself, because I have an MBA and enjoy starting new companies (like Tree Top Builders) and helping them grow. So when people hire us as builders, they’re also hiring us as business consultants for their adventure parks, tree house bed & breakfasts, or other interesting ventures. We will help you make tree houses work as a new business or an addition to an existing business.
Good luck, and I wish you well with your project and with your tubing business,
-Dan
I live in the mountains of northern NM. The distance between the trees that I want to use to anchor the zip line is 290 ft. The difference in elevation at the base of the trees is 33 feet. I plan to use a brake, but I’m wondering how fast a person will be traveling dropping 33 ft in 290 ft of travel. Also, how long should I order the cable to account for cable sag and sag when loaded with a 350 pound rider. I don’t weigh 350, but that is the capacity of the equipment I’m planning to buy.
Hi Jerry,
I have a few comments, which you should take as a limited opinion on your zip line situation because I’m not standing there with you looking at it. That being said, here’s what I think -
1. Your zip line sounds very fast to me. I think it would easily exceed 30 miles per hour. Actual speed depends on size of cable, weight of rider, type of trolley, weather conditions, etc…
2. You WILL need a strong brake of some kind, as gravity will not stop you or even seem to slow you down with that kind of pitch, and you’ll slam into the tree at that bottom of the ride. I do not recommend the bungy cord style brakes for situations where a failure of the cord would result in injury. But we have used counterweight brakes successfully in similar situations on fast ziplines.
3. I would plan on purchasing a 500 foot spool, which is a common size to order. You’ll want somewhere around 330-370 feet to cover both the ride and extra to facilitate getting the wire into place - We often attach one end securely, and then run the other end up over a pulley and down to the ground so that a person (or light vehicle) can help tighten the cable, and then do fine tuning with a come along with a haven grip attached.
If you are still learning about zip lines, I would check out the PRCA or the ACCT, two organizations in the process of developing building standards. That is the place to start when designing your own zip line. I would follow their suggestions for calculating sag and safe working limits for your zipline rides.
Good luck, and send me a link to a video of the zipline when you finish it. -Dan Wright