Power Kite Forum

Parapacking

DAKITEZ - 12-3-2008 at 07:17 AM

I just wanted to give an official THANK YOU !!! to art-lessing who showed me the correct technique to parapacking. Its a beautiful thing to pull your handles out of the bag .. stake them down .. as you walk down wind the line comes out of the bag .. pull kite out of bag ... set it at attention .. walk back pick up handles and fly :thumbup: It truely takes as much time to set the kite up as it did for you to read about it. Its great I haven't had any knots, tangles. I'm liking kiting even more now that I have this knowledge. I was always the guy that had kite gremlins in my bag, because I put it away fine, but it came out in knots :flaming:

Sthrasher38 - 12-3-2008 at 07:30 AM

I am happy for ya. Lines being tangled in the wind waiting to fly is a major pain. Now quit messing around and get ready for Nabx! You got work to do!

kiteNH - 12-3-2008 at 08:36 AM

I was parapacking 100% until this winter. Then I found that if I needed to unpack my kite to hang it out that it was a major PIA to have a ball of lines stuffed in with the kite, so I started winding them. However I HATE winding them and think I'll go back to parapacking as soon as it gets dry outside.

DAKITEZ - 12-3-2008 at 08:41 AM

kiteNH I agree 100% that is the only drawback I have found with parapacking. Lucky for me I don't have to let mine dry for the most part. But I do need to clean the sand out of one of my kites today so I will have to deal with the lines today.

AirHunter - 12-3-2008 at 11:54 AM

Man, this sounds interesting. What is the technique for parapacking?

WTrail - 12-3-2008 at 12:05 PM

http://www.racekites.com/howto/howto_11.asp
http://www.racekites.com/howto/howto_12.asp

Here is another thread on the forum discussing it: http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=577

Good luck!

AirHunter - 12-3-2008 at 12:16 PM

Thanks WTrail.

Sthrasher38 - 12-3-2008 at 06:36 PM

Welcome to the forum AirHunter. And what is wrong with the Gala bat kite? Whatever BeamerBob is not flying at the time.:lol:

WELDNGOD - 12-3-2008 at 07:34 PM

I always figure -8 around the handles no probs ,takes two mins.

BeamerBob - 13-3-2008 at 04:34 AM

Just wait till I get home and post a picture of Airhunter at 7 years old taking lessons from me on the intricacies of flying a bat kite. I think I'm like 11 years old in the pic. Lets Welcome Airhunter to the forum. He is a first cousin but like a brother to me. He got initiated 2 weekends ago with the beamer and Crossfire. He bought his symphony a few years ago after I got him hooked with mine. I'm sure we will look back and realize what a bad influence I've been. Especially when this trend has been going for 35 years. He has it bad too. He says he catches himself talking to non fliers and having to put things in perspective for them. He says the look in their face is familiar to many of us. You respond to the "what did you do this weekend?" with "I flew kites" and in their mind they see the diamond kite with a ribbon and bow tail. Then you have to explain what it really means. Watch out for Airhunter. In a battle of wits, he is well armed.

acampbell - 13-3-2008 at 08:39 AM

I'll parapack when chased off the beach in a hurry by a summer afternoon thunder boomer. Normally though, becuase I might often clean and re-pack a kite at home, I wind in a figure 8. My hands have learned to wind quickly, and when I unwind and set up, the lines fall straight and true with maybe one shake to pull them apart. I can often take off right there without having to walk the lines.

BeamerBob - 13-3-2008 at 09:03 AM

I've gone back and forth on this. When I parapack (maybe I do it wrong) I still get loops coming out of the kitebag that I have to deal with. Every time. Maybe there is a technique to make the lines spill out leaving the other loops behind in the bag but I haven't fount it. I use Angus' figure 8 method with much more success or if the kite killers are detached, I will just wind the lines directly around the handles. One thing I was doing to sabotage myself on the winding method was to notice twists in the line between the wound handles and the kite. I would then dutifully untwist those twists and unwind the handles to find 3-5 twists in the lines. I finally realized that the original twists will unwind themselves as I unwind the lines. They were created by the winding process and need to be left there to counteract twists on the handles. Clear as mud now? Any tips on the parapacking thing to make it work better for me. Specifically, how much line do you stuff in at a time and are there any special ways to unpack the lines?

strictlycarved - 13-3-2008 at 10:34 AM

how do you parapack? i have heard the term but never had it explained. i always figure 8 but i got an older peter lynn bar and it doesn't have the ribs so if i tug to tight all the lines fall all over the place. thanks.

strictlycarved - 13-3-2008 at 10:36 AM

sorry i just saw the how to. my bad.

Sthrasher38 - 13-3-2008 at 01:25 PM

Bob wait for dlish to run it down for ya. He seems to have it together he loves parapacking. I never really have to much trouble just using the winder with my flexi lines I love them.

WELDNGOD - 13-3-2008 at 05:16 PM

hey beamerbob don't wind lines, every revolution is another twist.You need to roll the handles and figure 8 with other hand. then there are no twists.

AirHunter - 13-3-2008 at 05:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sthrasher38
Welcome to the forum AirHunter. And what is wrong with the Gala bat kite? Whatever BeamerBob is not flying at the time.:lol:


Yeah, BeemerBob strikes again. He actually hooked me to this back when his only kite was a Symphony 2.2. I immediately purchased the 2.7, simply because mine had to be bigger. Well, now you can see what kind of monster I have created. Yes, I take all the credit for challenging his manhood into stocking his vehicle with a small warehouse of kites.

Now he has me jonesing for more.. flew his ProFoil as my first 4 line, then the Beemer, and I was getting my legs with the Crossfire. (All this in the same day)

BeamerBob - 13-3-2008 at 06:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WELDNGOD
hey beamerbob don't wind lines, every revolution is another twist.You need to roll the handles and figure 8 with other hand. then there are no twists.


I only wind on my profoil handles. That kite doesn't have kite killers. Every thing else I figure 8

Airhunter with me and my gala bat kite

BeamerBob - 14-3-2008 at 08:44 AM

This is me in about 1973 with my Gala Bat Kite. It looked quite menacing in the sky for sure. That's Airhunter in the background not paying attention as usual! ;)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobmuse/2332541407/sizes/m/



OK, I finally figured out how to get the pic in the post. You can't copy the url from the address bar. You have to go below the picture and get the url from there. Otherwise, I would get a "bad image" notation where the picture should be. Wanted to pass that along if anyone else was having the same trouble I had been.

Crash - 14-3-2008 at 07:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dlish89
I just wanted to give an official THANK YOU !!! to art-lessing who showed me the correct technique to parapacking. Its a beautiful thing to pull your handles out of the bag .. stake them down .. as you walk down wind the line comes out of the bag .. pull kite out of bag ... set it at attention .. walk back pick up handles and fly :thumbup: It truely takes as much time to set the kite up as it did for you to read about it. Its great I haven't had any knots, tangles. I'm liking kiting even more now that I have this knowledge. I was always the guy that had kite gremlins in my bag, because I put it away fine, but it came out in knots :flaming:
Man ,I've been kiting a while ,Thanks for the trick ,i'll be lookin for ya ,stay well & see ya soon!

BeamerBob - 14-3-2008 at 08:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AirHunter
Quote:
Originally posted by Sthrasher38
Welcome to the forum AirHunter. And what is wrong with the Gala bat kite? Whatever BeamerBob is not flying at the time.:lol:


Yeah, BeemerBob strikes again. He actually hooked me to this back when his only kite was a Symphony 2.2. I immediately purchased the 2.7, simply because mine had to be bigger. Well, now you can see what kind of monster I have created. Yes, I take all the credit for challenging his manhood into stocking his vehicle with a small warehouse of kites.

Now he has me jonesing for more.. flew his ProFoil as my first 4 line, then the Beemer, and I was getting my legs with the Crossfire. (All this in the same day)


I read this again and could hear the gasps of "you let him fly a CF 5m on his first day with 4 line kites?" Airhunter at this point has several valuable years with the biggest symphony, a 2.7 which is estimated at 1.7m. He has flown it in high winds and for lots of hours. He showed good flying skills with each kite and understood the brakes and the kite killers. Yes, he was overtaxed somewhat by the crossfire when the wind picked up but he was in control and in a safe environment the whole time. And boy does he have the bug now. He'll be around here for awhile. This is in contrast to some recommendations I've seen, that it is fine to get a 5m kite to learn on. I feel a 5m is too big for someone with no directional kite experience but it works for some.

sodfarmkiter - 17-3-2008 at 06:44 PM

I"ll try parapacking this summer for now it's still too wet. I'm the guy that uses the winder between the handles. I do a couple of wraps with the brake lines first.( just in case the kite trys to jump) then I do figure-8 until I almost get to the bridles, throw a hitch in it and then start folding the kite. Lay the handles in the partially folded kite and roll them up and stick them in the bag. Works every time:!:

Sthrasher38 - 18-3-2008 at 03:46 PM

Good insite Bob. I would have really hurt myself if I would have got a 5m for my first kite.

SCREWYFITS - 29-5-2008 at 08:01 PM

Thought I'd add a pic of how I've come to parapack and has worked flawlessly since I've switched...
After I get them all figure 8ed... I stuff them in the stuff sac... then stuff the handles on the side or opposite side of the kite from the lines...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/Screwyfits/DSC00146.jpg


I've got it down so its very fast and efficient for me...
It's worth a try...
Only downfall is the mentioned before of unpacking at home... just have to prepare for that and wrap them on a winder or the handles...;)

BeamerBob - 30-5-2008 at 05:13 AM

Do you wrap the lines around something to create the figure 8? It looks too neat for you to have just wound them up on the ground. My ski ropes look like that but I wind them in a figure 8 around my thumb and elbow. For shear speed, I sometimes just go round and round the handles. I can't get packed up any faster. There is something pleasing about the lines wound in a figure 8 around the handles though. I haven't parapacked yet that I didn't get a loop in the line once or twice while unpacking. Great idea in principle but I've never gotten it to work perfectly for me.

Dagon - 11-6-2008 at 10:52 PM

The only problem with this technique is that you need a bag for each kite. I keep several kites in a backpack at a time. I wind the lines then roll up the kite real tight and put a strap around the kite, it keeps it in a nice tight package , but parapacking is very convenient. Dan (art-lessing) seems to love it.

PHREERIDER - 12-6-2008 at 12:24 PM

roll pack without disconnecting anything

Start at the handles wind (roll)up everything. all attached bridle/folded kite right onto the handles.tight package..... to start a session, pull it out unroll the kite secure it unroll the lines(offers a little warm up for the hands & arms) about 2-3min. many a time without a single twist or cross over (i even leave the strope on the handles)

it is very tempting to wind like on a bar but it twist like crazy.

plus you can easily open it up to take out the kite and the lines are rolled tight on the handles.

Furlongs - 11-3-2009 at 11:30 AM

A Youtube video just waiting to be made!

archkiter - 11-3-2009 at 07:48 PM

like this?


SCREWYFITS - 14-3-2009 at 10:00 AM

When he's parapacking, it's a lil scary to me (looks like it's not a family show)... although I have a dirty mind and all...:Ange09:
:thumbup:
I'm Pro-Parapacking... or Anti-Handle Wrapping...

lad - 14-3-2009 at 04:41 PM

It does seem more convenient to stake down the kite controls, then walk the kite downwind and then stuff the emptied bag into a pocket - no muss, no fuss.

sid-the-sloth - 15-3-2009 at 03:07 PM

:lol::lol: I remember Jarv first posting it. Hes a nutter.

Yep, Parapacking wins for me. Just shuv em in the center of the kite in the bag, and shuv the handles down the other side. Only problem is when it rains and the wet lines stick to your hands as you push em in, you also pull em out. To solve this problem is get an extra large stuff sack with lots of space when you put the lines in.
Also unpacking, you can beat any winder to set up by staking your handles and RUNNING out with your bag.
Another tip is to grab a good length of lines when packing away , the lines go in a lot quicker. I dont bother to figure 8 or anything and the lines still come out tidy.

geojones - 16-3-2009 at 07:33 PM

i LOVE parapacking!! funny thing is,i always have newbies watching or flying with me and they always say"those lines you stuffed in there are going to come out tangled really bad--then i show them how fast it sets up and they are just amazed!!really a great time saver .....who wants to spend alot of time messing with lines etc etc when u could be flying:wee: