All About Zip-Lines

November 12, 2014

Hello again people its me of course.

I’m going to give you some info on zip-lines hope you enjoy.

Zip-line

A zip-line (or zip line, zip wire, aerial runway, aerial ropeslide, death slide, flying fox, or foefie slide (in South Africa))[1][2][3][4] consists of a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or attaching to, the freely moving pulley. Zip-lines come in many forms, most often used as a means of entertainment. They may be short and low, intended for child’s play and found on some playgrounds. Longer and higher rides are often used as a means of accessing remote areas, such as a rainforest canopy. Zip line tours are becoming popular vacation activities, found at outdoor adventure camps or upscale resorts, where they may be an element on a larger challenge or ropes course.[5] The jungles of Costa Rica, Florida, Puerto Vallarta,and Nicaragua are popular destinations for zip line enthusiasts.

History

The zip-wire has been used as a transportation method in some mountainous countries for many years.[6] In some remote areas in China, zip lines serve the purposes of bridges across rivers.[citation needed] Referred to as “an inclined strong”,[7] one appears in The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, published in 1897, as part of a Whit-Monday fair.

In 1739, Robert Cadman, a steeplejack and ropeslider, died when descending from Shrewsbury’s St Mary’s Church when his rope snapped.[8]

Alberto Santos-Dumont used a direct ancestor of the zip-line in spring 1906 for a method of testing various characteristics of his 14bis pioneer era canard biplane, before it ever flew under its own power later that year.[citation needed]

In the Australian outback, zip-lines were occasionally used for delivering food, cigarettes or tools to people working on the other side of an obstacle such as a gully or river. Australian troops have used them to deliver food, mail and even ammunition to forward positions in several conflicts.

Flying fox

The term “flying fox” is most commonly used in reference to a small-scale zip line typically used as an item of children‘s play equipment, except in Australia and New Zealand where it also refers to professional forms of zip-line equipment.[9][10]

With the flying fox, the pulley(s), attached to the car, are fixed to the cable. The car itself can consist of anything from a simple hand grip, with the user hanging underneath, to a bucket for transporting small items, to a quite elaborate construction, perhaps including a seat or a safety strap. Children’s versions are usually not set up with a steep incline, so the speeds are kept relatively low, negating the need for a means of stopping.

To be propelled by gravity, the cable needs to be on a fairly steep slope. Even then the car will generally not travel completely to the end (although this will depend on the load), and some means of safely stopping the car at the bottom end is sometimes needed. It can be returned by several means, either by simply pushing the car back to the top of the hill on foot (as is common in children’s play equipment as they do not hang far from the ground) or a line leading from the car to the uphill end.

The flying fox is usually made with rope instead of steel cable to make it easier and cheaper to install, uninstall and transport.

Professional courses

Professional versions of a zip-line are most typically used as an outdoor adventure activity. In contrast to “flying foxes” professional courses are usually operated at higher speeds, covering much longer distances and sometimes at considerable heights. The users are physically attached to the cable by a harness that attaches to a removable trolley. A helmet is required on almost all courses of any size.

Cables can be very high, starting at a height of over 9 m (30 ft), and traveling well over 460 m (1,510 ft). All zip-line cables have some degree of sag. The proper tensioning of a cable is important and allows the ability to tune the ride of a zip line.

Users of zip-lines must have means of stopping themselves. Typical mechanisms include:

  • Friction created between the pulley against the cable.
  • Thick purpose-built leather gloves.
  • A mat or netting at the lower end of the incline.
  • An arrester system composed of springs, pulleys, counterweights, bungee cord or other devices, which slows and then stops the trolley’s motion.
  • Gravity stop, exploiting the sag in the cable. The belly of the cable is always lower than the termination point. The amount of uphill on a zip line controls the speed at which the user arrives at the termination point.

Also, a user can be stopped with a hand brake at the end of the zip line, such as at The Canyons Zip Line in Florida.

Zip lines are a common way to return participants to the ground at the end of a ropes adventure course.

With proper knowledge and training on the part of the operators and good maintenance, zip lines are safe and easy to use

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip-line#History

ca

My favorite place to zip-line world be over the jungle in costa rica. Like the picture at the top that’s costa rica. I never have zip-lined before i really really want to though,and i have never been to costa rica i really want to go there one day. I will when i’m older like 20 LOL. 🙂 Leave a comment on what you want to do or where you want to go if you want.

Peace out!

Jaclyn

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