If you are familiar with the old eLine kit, you remember the mesh carrying bag, the YogaSlackers branded carabiners, the colorful line lock, the solid anchor piece, and the familiar orange webbing stamped with slacking yogis and inspirational quotes. Some of these things remain the same.
I had the opportunity this week to unbox the new eLine kit. The first noticeable change is that inside the mesh bag containing my slackline kit, I found two rolls of tree protection. This is a HUGE improvement on my old kit. Tree protection is important. YogaSlackers have taken a step forward, in line with their company views on environmentalism, and put their money where their mouths are, so to speak, by including tree protection in their eLine kits. Simply put, tree protection is padding that protects not only the bark of the trees you are anchoring to, but also prolongs the life of your slackline components. Many municipalities now actually require by law that the trunks of trees used for slacklining be protected from the webbing pieces girth hitched around them. By including tree protection with their new eLine kit, YogaSlackers are protecting not only the environment, but also you, and your webbing.
If you dislike change, or perhaps you aren’t ready for progress, don’t despair. YogaSlackers are releasing a second kit, the eLine Light. This kit is more like the set-up of the past (two non-locking carabiners, one anchor piece) but with the added bonus of two YogaSlackers velcro pieces to use for your tree protection. While the eLine Light does not come with tree protection, instructions on how to make your own are included in the manual.