Power Kite Forum

More... Line Winding for Noobs... W/Pics

Pdxnebula - 13-10-2007 at 07:50 PM

I've Finally found the quickest & easiest setup & take down of my kite lines...

1st: Leave them attached to the kite...

Starting at the Handles, Hold all 4 lines together & then start winding them up & down/back& forth onto the handles, as you walk towards the kite, always keep the lines taunt as your wind them onto the handles...

http://www.geocities.com/nebula_43/Kites2/LineWind01.JPG

When you get to the kite your handles & line are all in order, & you fold/roll your kite & put away your kitehandles & lines into the final fold & your Done...

http://www.geocities.com/nebula_43/Kites2/LineWind02.JPG

Until you take your kite out to fly it again...

http://www.geocities.com/nebula_43/Kites2/LineWind03.JPG


http://www.geocities.com/nebula_43/Kites2/LineWind04.JPG


http://www.geocities.com/nebula_43/Kites2/LineWind05.JPG

Then do just the opposite to setup... Leave the kite folded, but pull out the lines & handles as you walk away from the kite, have your kite stake with you...

When you get to the end of your lines, place your stake, with your handles & your lines all unwrapped, place your brake loops over your stake, walk your lines out to your kite...

Unfold it into "Parked position" & rewalk your lines back to the kite, & your ready to fly, with no kinks or twists, & the kite sitting nice & parked ready to go... I can get setup in "Less" than a couple minutes ...!!!

True this topic has been covered before, but spending some time on a couple other forums... the subject "STILL" comes up... So just doing my part...

tridude - 13-10-2007 at 07:54 PM

Did you try parapacking before wrapping?

Pdxnebula - 13-10-2007 at 07:57 PM

Yup Tried it & I realize its still a matter of prefernce, but it still seems faster winding them... BTW Tridude... Hows the New Profoil??? Waiting for the next/newest Review...:)

Pablo - 13-10-2007 at 08:06 PM

Once you get used to wrapping, it really doesn't take long, Average kite is under a minute for setup or packdown by the above wrapping around the handles method. Note, in strong winds fold up the kite and put it in the bag first, then remove the handles from the ground stake and wrap your way to the bag and slide the handles in beside the kite.

Pdxnebula - 13-10-2007 at 08:12 PM

I usually do, along the same lines as putting the bag in the kite , by laying the bag ontop of it... Either or works, & as you put it Pablo, once you get used to it, its slick & fast...

SecondWind - 13-10-2007 at 08:18 PM

I'm a parapacker :yes: Wrapping seems to take me longer...

And what is up with all those crazy text colors Pdxnebula - you make my eyes hurt :lol:

Pdxnebula - 13-10-2007 at 08:25 PM

I tried Parapacking , & still ended up with twists, but thats me... As for the Colors, Must be these Old EYES... If ya use brighter bolder colors & fonts, ya dont have to sit as close to the screen ... :yes:

tridude - 14-10-2007 at 05:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pdxnebula
Yup Tried it & I realize its still a matter of prefernce, but it still seems faster winding them... BTW Tridude... Hows the New Profoil??? Waiting for the next/newest Review...:)


Havent had decent winds yet for the 3.5, hopefully this week!
The sail, bridles, handles, and bag are nice quality!

Again no wrap here, only para-country--"I wanna talk about me, wanna talk bout I, wanna talk bout number 1 oh my me my, what I think what I like what I know what I want, what I see---- I like talkin about you you you you usually, but occasionally, I wanna talk about me":D

GulfSandEater - 14-10-2007 at 03:30 PM

Okay, but does anyone else besides me have problems stuffing the lines into the bag when para-packing--stuffing slippery dyneema between a low friction nylon stuff sack and a low friction nylon kite. Every time I pull my hand out of the stuff sack to grab another handful of line, the previously stuffed line comes out with it! Annoying! :frog:

Am I the only one here? I've started wrapping my lines on the handles or spindle too, just to avoid this aggravation. :flaming:

bloah - 14-10-2007 at 04:57 PM

parapacking is by far the best way to pack in my opinion. It takes seconds to setup the kite, and only few minutes to pack it away. Too bad you't can't use parapacking with depowers.

Pdxnebula - 14-10-2007 at 05:36 PM

I have the "Same" problem Gulf... & it seems that if you try & loop any of the line into the bag "AT" all it makes it worse yet when unpacking... Yet since I've started winding onto my handles, I can set up & take down in a matter of a few minutes, with "NO" twists or even the hint of a knot or Birds nest, while walking the lines...

Pablo - 14-10-2007 at 06:35 PM

Where I normally fly the ground is either damp or gooey, most sessions end with me needing to dry the kite out, I wrap on the handles, then drape the kite over the banister at home to make sure it's good and dry for the next session, can't do this with parapacking.

art_lessing - 14-10-2007 at 11:47 PM

GulfSandEater.. ...I figured a way to parapack those slick lines quickly and efficiantly...I never have a problem and I don't even pay attention when I pack up I just space out till I am done...here is what I do......with my right hand I hang on loosely ..like the song.. to all four lines right at the opening of the bag....and then with my left hand I pull the lines into the bag....I pull/push the lines all the way to the bottom ( I kinda stuff'em a bit" and then let go and straighten out my hand so when I pull out, the lines don't snag...(doN'T we're a watch, and roll up sleeve)...then I grab the next bit by my right and pull/push down again....you can do it with your eyes shut...you can get into a rhythm and be done in about 2 min...depending on length

hope this helps

BeamerBob - 15-10-2007 at 02:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by GulfSandEater
Okay, but does anyone else besides me have problems stuffing the lines into the bag when para-packing--stuffing slippery dyneema between a low friction nylon stuff sack and a low friction nylon kite. Every time I pull my hand out of the stuff sack to grab another handful of line, the previously stuffed line comes out with it! Annoying! :frog:

Am I the only one here? I've started wrapping my lines on the handles or spindle too, just to avoid this aggravation. :flaming:


Yes, this is what made me stop parapacking. I needed one more hand to hold the line in the bag while one held the bag and the other stuffed. I did manage to hold the bag and retain the line with my left hand and then stuff with the right but I like the order of things when I figure 8 over my kite killer wrapped handles. I think next time I'm going to try the round and round wrap without putting the kite killers on the handle. That takes a step out of packing and unpacking.

Dave62 - 15-10-2007 at 09:08 AM

I wrap on the handles too.
A tip I was given once is to start by wrapping a few turns of the brake lines first. That way if the wind unexpectedly catches the kite while winding or unwinding next time, it won’t be able to power up.

lunchbox - 15-10-2007 at 09:46 AM

Another bump to handle wrapping...figure eight. When I first started we had weeks of no wind...I was so bored but excited with the idea of getting to fly kites that I went to my local park and tried all these different methods to packing and unpacking. Parapacking worked most of the time, but the couple of times it didn't, took me my whole lunch hour to get it sorted out...Tried line winders...fast, but had to walk back to the kite 2 or 3 times to get the main and break lines sorted out. Handle wrapping, open the kite, walk away while unwinding and no more walks back to the kite to straighten out the lines...Haven't had any problems so far. Funny thing was,,,when I first tried it,,,I didn't use do figure eights and had problems,,,go figure. Average times were about a minute to unpack and fly...1 min and 30 secs to pack up...Got to make those 60mins count!!!

Pdxnebula - 15-10-2007 at 11:52 AM

I never need to worry about ANY kinks OR possible knots, handle
winding my lines (NOT Figure "8") & never ANY extra twists in
the lines as long as you leave them attached to the kite... Nor
needing an extra bag to STUFF the lines into which means I still
have lots of room, in my Kite bag, for the extra stuff (such as
other kites, more lines, whatever)...

As far as the amount of times a person makes a trip to or from the
kite either Handle-Winding/Parapacking, whether its 2-3 or 4
times, the main thing is if you feel you need 3-4 trips to your kite
to check your lines, for kinks, knots, or what have you, as long as
it works best for you, then go with it & you'll Feel safer & Fly safer...

SandEater's Magnificent Parapacking Assistant Thing

GulfSandEater - 15-10-2007 at 12:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BeamerBob
I needed one more hand to hold the line in the bag while one held the bag and the other stuffed.


Here's a solution for us, BeamerBob!

It even tees a golf ball for you.

Not a bad sand stake either, with the right leverage! :smilegrin:

Pdxnebula - 15-10-2007 at 01:32 PM

LOL... I like that "THING", I want 1 of those "things"!!! You'de have that extra hand we all dream of, for all sorts of stuff... Bet you could even send it up with the kite, for a ride, in some sort of harness for In-flight AoA changes & the like... Where Do I get one...???

:yes:

Taper123 - 15-10-2007 at 03:36 PM

I'm a wrapper myself. FIgure 8 around the bars... and around handles. Guess it's all a matter of personal preference... but as long as the handles/bar never pass through the lines/bridles... it should come out nice and clean. Found that on the ones that I do take the lines off the kite... I larks head the power/brake of each side together... then attach those two combo's together. Since I started doing that... makes for quick and easy setup. Now why I haven't done that on my kitesurfing bars...

BigSiler - 16-10-2007 at 10:22 AM

I prefer to Parapack. Fast in and Fast out with never a knot..
Since I got my big backpack I carry all my fixed line kites in it, with one pair of lines and handles.
After flying which ever kite works I now need to wrap lines around the handles..
Hate it. Takes longer and line is always a pain..

I get it done, but not as slick as the parapacking..

Pdxnebula - 22-10-2007 at 12:05 AM

Whatever one does, after connecting their lines & leaving them attached to the kite, DONT think for a moment that you can take them OFF, then put them BACK on, for whatever reason... They'll twist & tangle everytime, unless they stay attached to the kite... You CAN "re-attach" them AFTER they're layed out tangle free, thats the ONLY way, that I've found so far

Mikey17 - 25-10-2007 at 02:15 AM

i used to parapack untill i did it on a heroically windy day and the next time i set up i had a HUGE birdsnest of loops that had kontted solid and wouldn't pull through. wasted 9 hours trying to sort it out then the lines (ozone) lost all coating and colour and went soft in the thightest part of the 'nest', so i threw em' away!