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miscindy_gw

rope swing?

miscindy
14 years ago

We are working on cleaning up the 10.5 acres we bought a few weeks ago. The kids get bored out there after awhile. We visited a neighbor's last night and they had a rope swing that my son can't stop talking about. Anyone have safety tips or guidelines for hanging one from a tree? Obviously, choose a strong branch, but what else have you learned? Tell me all about your swings!

Thank you!

Here is a link that might be useful: We Are Moving to the Country (my blog)

Comments (6)

  • brendasue
    14 years ago

    Hah! Rope swings are the bomb! We had a tire swing when we were little. It was tied to a huge old oak limb, and when you swung you swung waaay out over a steep hill. Talk about a head rush! Cool. too cool.

    Sorry I can't help you with details, cept make sure it doesn't bend back on itself too easily (use a thick rope) so a neck or arm doesn't get caught in it by some freak accident.
    You just brought back some memories...like when we jumped (or fell!) off the tire & rolled down the hill!!So much fun!
    Brendasue

  • nelda1234
    14 years ago

    miscindy, Wow talk about a blast from the past! LOL What great fun we had - ours too went over a steep hill, and when you swung waaay out---talk about a head rush! Cool. too cool. (to quote Brendasue)!

    when you put the rope over a sturdy/strong branch make sure you use a piece of rubber or piece of carpet, anything that will protect the branch itself - it will keep the rope from digging into the branch - it will also help in keeping the rope from fraying with the back and forth motion - That is how ours was mounted and it lasted forever -

    Your kids will have hours of fun and many of stories to tell when they get older --

    Happy swinging!!!!

  • msjay2u
    14 years ago

    I am about to put a swing up myself and I am having a hard time picking the perfect loaction. LOL I went to your blog by the way and subscribed to it. I tried to write a comment and after being rejected several times because I did not get the captcha correct it rejected my comment because it said I did not own my wordpress ID> what the ??? LOL oh well. so can I tell you on here.. nice beginnings for your blog but can we please get treated with a few photos? I would like to see the things you describe.

    Let us see your new swing too

    OH AND HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog

  • runningtrails
    14 years ago

    Great blog Cindy! I am following it. You will see me as Providence Acres Farm. I make soap too. There is a post about it on my blog. I thing it's in Oct 08.

    You have a good idea with the swing. I might copy it. I have a huge old oak tree and I like to swing. I have three huge old oak trees. Just have to find the right branch and the time...

    - Sheryl

    (I laugh when I see "Men At Work" signs. Women work all the time. Men have to put up signs when they work?)

    Here is a link that might be useful: My blog

  • miscindy
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    msjay- I think I fixed my blog to accept comments. Let me know if it still doesn't work.

    The swing is finally up. You would think with 10.5 acres and hundreds of trees, it wouldn't have been too difficult to find an appropriate tree for a swing. It was! We ended up going with a tree on the edge of our property line with state land. I doubt the DNR will complain about a rope hanging from a tree over their line.

    DH had trouble getting the line up there. The branch was probably 35 feet in the air. First he tried throwing it. No luck. Then tried tying a piece of 2x4 to the end of the rope. Closer. Next he tried tying a string to an arrow and shooting it over the branch. Didn't work well at all. String kept getting caught in the smaller branches and the arrow wasn't heavy enough to come down the other side of the branch, so it'd just hang up there. Finally we duct taped string to a baseball and eventually that did the trick. Once the string was over the branch, we tied the end of the string to the rope and pulled it up and over the branch. A good knot and a slip through later, he finally had it! I'll get a good picture to post the next time we're out there!

  • brendan_of_bonsai
    14 years ago

    Don't forget to check local attractive nuisance laws!