Zip line brake

One thing to remember is that eventually the bungee will break. I heard a story from quite a few years ago of an observer being struck in the eye and a subsequent lawsuit (summer camp ropes course, professionally installed.) I've used this system with success for several years. We did have the bungee break from time to time, we employed a tire on the cable that slid/compressed until it hit a clamp on the cable, kept you from hitting the tree at the bottom.

For an infrequent use zips nothing beats the gravity brake. Just terminate the far end high enough that you always come up short and roll back into the middle. Put a ladder underneath the zipper to get them down. If they know how they can rap down with a locked off device and then one can reset by pulling the trolley back up to the top with a tag line.
 
DPF, that's exactly what we did, absent the ladder. We just had zippers rappel with a regular ddl system (backed up with a sling tethered to the second attachment point on the trolley.) Figured it out with help from a couple of pros, who only needed to hint at the litigious potentiality, and you were right there with their suggestions. A lot of fun, fast and safe. Thanks!
 
Nice! Didn't mention the other main worry with a backyard zipline, that the trees are sound. Figured you were covered there.

Have fun!
 
From what I've heard from experienced installers at the treehouse and zipline conference, zip lines that are over tensioned or are too steep are the most dangerous. What they recommend is having the lines have a belly in them so coming back up at the end provides a natural slowing instead of an abrupt slamming stop. Having the lines looser also means less force on each end.

Just my two cents.

Be safe!
 
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