Gallery: Toolkit: What You Need to Install a Zip Line
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"When you're hundreds of feet in the air going 60 mph, it's an indescribable experience," says Horan, owner of Adventure Construction and Consulting. He has strung more than 25 miles of steel cable in remote areas from Maui to the Catskills. He and his team often hike or ride ATVs into rugged terrain, hauling these tools along with them. *Photo: Brian Finke*
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__TruPulse 200 B Rangefinder__ First the team must decide how far the zip line will run, how steep it will be, and whether it will come close to any trees. This device lets Horan measure the difference between the height of the line at the start and the height at the finish. __$799__ *Photo: Brian Finke*
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__SherrillTree Big Shot__ Construction crews use this giant slingshot to heave a weight and string over trees and other obstacles. (It's so powerful that protective headgear and goggles are required.) The string can then be used to pull a climbing rope into place. These ropes are used like ladders during the first phase of a construction project. __$120__ *Photo: Tanya Peterson*
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__Toku TJ-20 Rock Drill__ Zip lines need sturdy supports, and what's more sturdy than solid rock? This pneumatic drill can drive 4-inch bits 20 feet into solid stone, making holes with room for a threaded steel anchoring rod and special cement. "It's noisy and messy," Horan says. __$1,868__ *Photo: Brian Finke*
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__Harrington LB 9-ton Lever Hoist__ Once the cable is strung, this hand-cranked chain puller takes in the slack so that there's sufficient tension to keep passengers aloft. The hoist allows a single person to apply 18,000 pounds of tension on a steel cable. __$2,103__ *Photo: Brian Finke*
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__Dillon Quick-Check Tension Meter__ The line has to be tight, but if it's too tight, the cable can snap, leaving bodies and coils of steel in a bloody pile. "We always use this device to make sure that we aren't exceeding the safe working load of the cable," Horan says. __$2,100__ *Photo: Brian Finke*
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__Huskie EP-410H Crimper Head__ Powered by a hydraulic pump, this crimper can clamp a copper sleeve around two steel cables with up to 12 tons of pressure. It allows Horan to make permanent loops at the ends of the cables, each of which are up to a half inch in diameter. __$865__ *Photo: Brian Finke*
