Review on Zipline Eagle Spring Brake Upgrade Kit by Marco Wilson

First let me say my kids LOVE this zipline and I'm so glad we bought it. We installed it in our mountain cabin in the ponderosa pine forest. Four cousins (7, 5, 4 and 2 years old) played it non-stop for HOURS. Whilst I am sure the warnings regarding adult supervision are appropriate I would like to say that only a 2 year old will actually need adult assistance whilst older children can help each other. While not the cheapest zipline kit, it's well worth the money. A disc seat and spring brake are an absolute must, especially for younger children. Without these two accessories I would be in constant fear of serious injury, but now I can just sit back and let the zip fly. Now for the cons. Kudos to the reviewers for actually being able to set it up in an hour with just one adult, but it took us two adults (plus a third adult for the tricky parts) about 2.5 hours to get this thing up and running. Keep in mind that. * Choosing a location can be quite difficult. Not only do you have to avoid obstacles and rough terrain throughout the 90-foot course, there are strict rules about how big or small the trees can be and the maximum incline the line can handle. Surprisingly, you CANNOT install it on a significant slope. * Instructions are confusing and not well written. The charts are small and incomprehensible. It took us a while to figure out which end of the cable was which and why it mattered. At the beginning there is a daunting list of "required tools not included" that really amazed us, but in the end we did NOT need most of the "required" tools. So I'm not sure who made this list!* Running the cable is really difficult, especially when the starting point is 10 feet or higher in a tree (which is usually the case). We definitely needed three adults for that. The turnbuckle helps add some tension at the end, but it's no substitute for clumsy and stressful pulling, jerking, and holding (while someone frantically tightens the U-clamps before the whole thing starts to slip). After the initial tightening and a few test runs, you will almost certainly need to repeat the entire tightening process as the cable has stretched. Starting point, your kids will have more fun (and it will be easier for you) if they have some kind of platform to walk from. For this purpose we piled up a 4 foot high stack of firewood (see photo); Depending on your setup and materials, you may find a simpler or more complex solution than this. So this isn't an easy project, but it's still worth it. Just allow at least three hours (a full day is best) to assemble your tools, choose a location, clear obstacles, decipher the cryptic instructions, set up the cable, tighten, test, and re-tighten. , and check it again! Have fun!