Primitive Slackline Kit

The name of this rig conjours up images of Neanderthal times, with our ancestors using such equipment as entertainment rigged to the walls of the cave and then trying to walk over the fire in the middle. The truth is though that this kit is named as such simply because it is very…well..simple.

The primitive setup usually just consists of just the webbing, some carabiners and a line locker. No ratchet is used for this rig and as such it is incredibly light and very easy to carry around. There are of course pro’s and con’s to such a rig compared to the standard setup and we summarise them here:

Primitive Kit – Advantages

The main advantage is that the kit is very light indeed, with no heavy ratchet to use it is a very lightweight setup that can easily be carried in a small bag, perfect for the travelling slacker who wants to save space in his backpack or wants to rig in remote places that can take a difficult hike to get to.

Secondly this kit is usually less expensive than the standard rigs, you can pretty much design it yourself buy simply buying the length and type of webbing that you want and then adding some carabiners and line locks. There is less specialised equipment required for this type of line setup.

Thirdly, you are keeping it real and so should get some respect points for that. This is truly organic slacklining, the way it was first started back in the climbing locations of Yosemite in the US where climbers used to crudely setup webbing straps from their equipment between car park posts and then try to walk across them. Using a primitive line shows that you are a true guru of this sport.

Finally, there is more versatility of setup with the primitive, a skilled user can rig it around pretty much anything and then enjoy a good slack in the forest, from a lamp post, scaffolding, and many other places.

Primitive Kit – Disadvantages

And of course, there are some downsides with the primitive when compared with the standard setup. Firstly, as there is no ratchet or tensioning system you are limited with the tension that you can get into this line, as such many slackliners tend to use them very slack, almost to the point of being like a rodeo line. The lack of tension also means that many tricks are out of bounds on such a line.

Secondly, this setup is not usually as durable as the standard kit, the webs are often thinner (1 inch rather than 2 inches) and so can be prone to wearing out sooner.

Thirdly, it can be a little more tricky to rig these lines and the beginner might struggle compared to rigging the standard line which is just more intuitive to setup. As such, this one is probably for the more experienced slacker.

All things considered however, the primitive is a great bit of kit and one that should be part of any serious slackliners equipment stash. For that quick weekend trip away where you don’t want to pack your full rig, simply throw the primitive in your suitcase or backpack and you are all set.