A zip line is a suspended cable connected to two separate locations supported on an incline. Using either their hands or a device, it is possible for a person to use the zip line to quickly transport themselves from area to another in an expedient amount of time.

In the Splinter Cell series

Zip lines appear in the Splinter Cell series, represented by cables connected to various types of natural or urban structures (such as buildings on poles). They allow the player to grab them and 'ride' them along to wherever the opposite end is attached to, offering an alternate route or perhaps a primary means of progressing through the level. When riding the cable, the player generates noise with their hands; this noise increases if the player lifts their legs up, with their legs up they will travel at a faster distance by generate much more noise. When the player lifts their legs, it will also cause the player to silently land on the ground - decreasing noise output and possibly drawing less attention from nearby people.

Trivia

• In the first three Splinter Cell titles, Sam simply uses his hands (with gloves on) to ride zip lines down, however, in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Sam Fisher (and Isaac Briggs in the co-op missions) uses a metal object to ride the zip line down.
• In Splinter Cell: Blacklist, both Sam Fisher and Isaac Briggs share the exact same animation when they use the zip lines.
• Interesting enough, zip lines were absent in Splinter Cell: Conviction.