 This Product
Trailblaze Complete Kit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck | A Great Value for Beginners | |||
| Price | $70 List $39.99 at Amazon | $87 List $50.95 at Amazon | $80 List | $43 List $42.99 at Amazon | $55 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This kit is on the short side but otherwise makes a good all around beginner line | If you are a beginner looking to try slacklining, this kit has all the features to get you started | If a long slackline is what you are after, but don't want to spend a fortune, this is what you are looking for | This fully featured kit has everything needed to assist the first time slacker | This is a basic, but a high quality kit that is great for a casual day out slacklining with friends, or learning on |
| Rating Categories | Trailblaze Complete... | Zen Monkey Complete... | Slackline Industrie... | Zero Gravity Kit | Flybold Slackline Kit |
| Ease of Set-Up (20%) | |||||
| Versatility (20%) | |||||
| Quality (20%) | |||||
| Disassembly (20%) | |||||
| Features (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Trailblaze Complete... | Zen Monkey Complete... | Slackline Industrie... | Zero Gravity Kit | Flybold Slackline Kit |
| Width | 2 in | 2 in | 2 in | 2 in | 2 in |
| Features | Tree protectors, ratchet cover, arm trainer | Overhead training line & ratchet, arm trainer, tree protectors w/ loops, cloth carry bag | Tree pro, carry bag, ratchet cover | Carry bag, ratchet w/ molded finger grip & smooth operation, tree protectors | Tree pro, carrying bag |
| Time to Rig | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Tightening System | Ratchet | Ratchet | Ratchet | Ratchet | Ratchet |
| Anchor Length | 8 feet | 8 feet | 8 feet | 8 feet | 8.33 feet |
This slackline, with its overhead training line, is a great beginner line, but the short length makes it harder to find gaps that work. The overall quality of both the webbing and the ratchet is on par with the more prominent brand names, but we didn't love the color scheme and graphics. The flat, tightly woven webbing is “seatbelt-like”, but thicker than a typical trick-line, making for a slightly more lively intro line.
The Trailblaze Complete Kit has all the things needed to open the box up and get slacking in a matter of minutes. The direction booklet, however poorly translated, has good illustrations and written descriptions. The ratchet kept the webbing aligned during the tightening process, which, for the durability of the webbing, is one of the most important things a ratchet can do.
This kit can be fairly versatile since it has the overhead training line, but the short length can sometimes limit where you are able to place it. With the slackline measuring 40' and the ratchet measuring about 8', the average max walking gap is only about 43', the shortest in our test.
The Trailblaze Kit has pretty good quality overall. No red flags, so to speak. The stitching that forms the loops in the main webbing is messy and chaotic looking, but I know it doesn't affect the performance or safety. The ratchet works well and keeps the webbing aligned, so when you detach the line, everything is running smoothly.
Taking this line down, like with other ratchet systems, can be a bit tense. This one, unfortunately, has more bite than some of the others in the lineup, but isn't too much to handle, just get everything lined up, watch your fingers and hair, and… POP!!!
This kit is complete, and all you need to get out and start slacklining. A two-part overhead training line sets up just like the slackline, and when used with the arm trainer, teaches natural arm movement while you learn the basics. The tree pro, though included, is short and often not long enough to get all the way around many trees. It also came with a ratchet cover, and while cheaply constructed, we thought it was a welcome addition.
This kit has a good value and has all the features to get you slacklining at a lower investment. A few things limit the line, but overall, if this works for your needs, it has a great value.
Was the Trailblaze Complete the perfect line? No. Not really. Even that person who would love the Trailblaze, the new walker, would be happier with one of the other beginner line options.
