Not every line is a slackline – or why you shouldn't buy a slackline at a petrol station

We often get asked why you can’t use a ratchet and webbing, the kind commonly sold at petrol stations or in supermarkets, for slackline. These sets, known as ratchet straps, are designed to secure cargo, e.g. on a lorry or a trailer, and if you’re planning to take a Christmas tree home on your car roof, they’ll do the job perfectly. However, they have one property no slackliner will appreciate – they’re very static. And you’ll only get the right slackline feeling on dynamic (that is, stretchy) webbing.

We develop our webbings ourselves with the properties that matter in slackline in mind. Above all, these are strength and stretch. With modern webbings used for long and high lines, there’s also an emphasis on rounded edges (the webbing is easier to catch when you fall and cuts into your hands less). Those, however, are special webbings, often built with a separate core and sheath. In a nutshell, petrol station ratchet straps aren’t suitable for slackline.