Aerial Silks for Holiday Gifts: Dos and Don'ts!

Aerial silks is a beautiful, exciting art, and we get lots of questions around the holidays about how to gift silks. Here are some dos and don'ts! 

Don't: Purchase silks for very-new beginners. Beginning students should always work with instruction and supervision, and no one should ever work on silks alone. 

Don't:  Attempt to rig from your apartment, house, garage, or porch ceiling, or a swingset without a professional rigger (and sometimes a structural engineer or architect) assessing the safety and feasibility of the rig. Silks can put thousands of pounds of pressure on a point, and can produce a lot of movement that regular construction is not built to withstand. Generally, rigging in your home will take construction upgrades!

Don't: Attempt to rig a silk from items that you buy from your local hardware or home improvement store. These items are NOT RATED TO LIFT HUMANS SAFELY. 

Don't: Buy random fabric at a store or website. Fabrics for aerial are specifically tested and rated and sold for aerial use. 

Do: If you're really committed to having a rig point at home, research rated, freestanding aerial rigs. They are the safest way to get a rig point quickly and easily, and they come in a variety of styles and heights (including ones that will fit indoors!)

Do: Always purchase a crash mat!

Do: Purchase locking carabiners, swivels, and rescue-8s from reputable climbing supply resources that are rated at 22kN or above. 

Do: Consult with your instructor about what kind of equipment might be right for you or your giftee, or if a class pack would make a better gift. 

Do: Consider purchasing a class series or private lesson pack instead! It's always safer to work with an instructor with inspected, professionally rigged equipment. Swing State Aerial classes or punch cards make perfect gifts!!