A jammed slackline is super annoying. In most cases, though, it can be prevented by setting the slackline up correctly. Here's our guide to the most common mistakes and how you can avoid and fix them.
If you've bought a slackline from us and find yourself with a jammed line but you still can't free it after reading the advice below please contact us before taking any drastic action such as cutting the line.
Rigging with the Ratchet the Wrong Way Up
This can be an easy mistake to make. It can seem intuitive to have the lever arm of the ratchet above the line. This is incorrect. The lever arm should be BELOW the line.
If set up with the ratchet the wrong way up the slackline can become jammed as the line tries to right itself.
If you find yourself in this situation simply unrig the ratchet and re-rig it the right way up. If the line has already jammed chances are that it's being caused by a fold in the line which is adding extra thickness. Try to find the fold and work it loose slowly. You should then be able to release the line.
Not pulling the Line through Properly
Depending on how far apart your anchors are you may have a fair bit of excess line. This excess needs to be pulled through the ratchet manually as far as it will go before you start tightening the line with the ratchet. If the line isn't pulled through far enough you may end up with a large roll of webbing in the ratchet. This can cause the line to jam because the ratchet is over filled.
If you end up with a jam caused by over filling the ratchet release as much tension as possible and open the ratchet as far as it will go. Once open, try and pull both ends (the free end and the main body of slackline) back and forth to work the large bundle free slowly.
A Folded Line
The slackline must be completely flat and free from kinks when feeding the line through the ratchet. Even a small fold in the line can cause the the ratchet to jam due to the extra thickness caused by the fold.
If jammed, try and find the folded part of the line and work the line from side to side to unfold the jammed section.
Other Problems
If the problem you're experiencing isn't covered here or the solutions aren't working then please get in touch, especially if you are considering cutting the line. One of our staff will be happy to help. We can try to talk you through a problem over the phone but it can be helpful for you to send us a picture of the problem so we can better understand the issue.