Gibbon Treewear Review

Friday, February 18th, 2011 in: News

When I wrote my review of the Gibbon Slackline Kit, I advocated for protecting the trees you use for anchors. In some places back home, you can get fined and have your line cut for setting up a slackline without protecting the trees, and as the sport gets more popular, it’s increasingly more important for slackers to show that their fun doesn’t inflict any undue damage upon the environment. Especially traveling abroad, I’d feel very nervous about setting up a line without protecting the trees; you never know what kind of reception you might get when the locals first encounter slacklining: I’ve been rather lucky–with the exception of a few grouchy curmudgeons in Beijing–but it’s better to be safe than sorry, and there’s no denying the twinge of guilt when a curious onlooker comes up and inspects your anchors, finding fresh damage to the bark. I’d been looking for a good portable way to pad my anchors; cardboard and carpet scraps aren’t always available, and I don’t really like how the anchors tend to slide on them during jumps and surfing.

First Impressions (+)

Someone mentioned in the comments that Gibbon sells lightweight padding, called Treewear. For lack of a better, homemade option, I bit the bullet and ordered a set on Rakuten, Japan’s Amazon.com. The padding is made from a light, soft foam reminiscent of a thick Scotch-Brite pad or soft astroturf. At one end of the pad was a velcro strip capable of gripping anywhere on the pad, allowing for some versatility in how you set it up. The material is incredibly light, and it takes up less space than two coke cans. It easily fit into my slackline bag.

Usability (+/-)

I first got a chance to try the Treewear in Seoul, when I took my first couchsurfing host to a park and set up the line. One tree was younger and only about a foot in diameter, and the other was a bit larger. I was able to wrap the Treewear all the way around the smaller tree, securing it with the velcro. The Treewear held itself in place as I set my anchors, making it quite convenient. The other tree was just too big, and at first I had to ask my friend to hold it in place until the line tightened down on it. The padding is only really necessary on the sides where the anchors move the most during use, but being able to secure it helps avoid slippage and makes setup considerably easier. However, this convenience is slightly negated since the Treewear can only wrap completely around the smallest of anchor trees.

Performance (+)

The padding performed well, leaving no mark on the tree even after extensive jumping with high tension. The anchors still slip a bit, but its effect on usability is negligable, and actually provides a rather nice feeling for surfing. The line left a strip of indentation on the treewear, which made me wonder how durable it will be, but after about 10 uses the Treewear still seems to be holding up well.

Conclusion (+)

Throughout my use, the only apparent drawback is the fact that the pads are too short to wrap all the way around most trees, which is more a matter of convenience during set-up than a necessity for protection. My solution for this is to set up the line first, keeping it loose, then setting up the padding under the anchors one at a time. The tension from the slackened line is enough to hold it in place, and this also gives you a chance to adjust the height and alignment of the line to ensure a good setup.

Even with its literal shortcomings, I’m satisfied with the performance of Gibbon Treewear, and have found that it’s a fair option for traveling slackers such as myself. However, if they were to wear out, I would probably opt not to buy another set, choosing rather to pick up some cheaper carpet scraps or rubber pads for more minimalist protection.

Every slackliner should take measures to protect their anchors, both for the health of the trees, the anchors, and the relationship between slackers and the general community. Tree protection isn’t just a matter of environmentalism, on the road it’s a matter of cultural sensitivity and respect.

So wrap it before you walk it!

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