How do people secure your kite before packing?

1) my kite didn't come with a ground stake
2) i don't have a partner to hold down the kite after i land it

I dont want to land my kite and then sprint at it whie throwing sand at a distance hoping the kite doesn't start drifting away.
There has to be a better way :puzzled:

Do i even need to secure the kite after I land it? Or can i just start winding up my quad lines around my handles without needing to secure the kite with weights?

Thanks

when landing the kite you can set the kite up against something, like a light pole (the bottom end) the back wheels of your buggy (if your riding one) or a garbage can, whatever is around usually will work, or you can hang the handles off a fence post, or something in the area simular to a ground stake, just make sure its secured down,(make sure the brake lines are tight so kite dosent re-take off). A ground stake works great but you cant always shove them in the ground, especially if you ride in a concrete or asphalt lot....Fold your kite up first then pack it into the bag so it dosent flap all around while your rolling up your lines......

works well for me.... hope it works for you,
there are alot of methods, Im sure others will give there opinions as well, try them all and find out the one that works best for you.....

Nelson,
There's another name for the ground stake your kite didn't come with.
(Most don't, by the way)

I called my first stake a screwdriver.
I found it hidden, disguised as a common tool in my garage.

They're easy to find in stores.
Don't ask (outside the power kite world) for a kite stake.

I've even used a short stick I found on the beach.

Lampposts, fence posts, trash barrels...
They might be around, but they might not.

As a pilot of these things, it's my responsibility to have the tools I need to operate in a safe and responsible manner.

If you're on a surface you can't put a stake into (like asphalt), rather than lay your kite against the back wheels of a buggy (which can cause the buggy to start rolling) I'd suggest landing your kite and backing it against the side of the buggy (with the front wheel #@%$#!ed).

Before the simple truth of either of these techniques hit me, I'd start winding my lines by wrapping the bottom lines around the top of my handles before adding the top lines to the wind.
Pulled in on the "brake" lines, helping keep the kite on the ground while I rapidly wound to it.

Now, I've learned to stake my handles and bag my kite before winding lines.

Wonder what I'll figure out tomorrow...


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

I'm able to park most of my kites on sand scooping sand on kite while on ground.You have to pick soft(lose and dry) sand spot and land Your kite on it.Than by pulling both power lines and a little brakes at same time walk away from kite scooping sand on buttom edge.It is something You have to practice and not any kites will do that.I also find that old used kites are much harder to park like that cose material is not so crispy.
Good luck.

Home Depot, don't know if you have them down there, have various size pegs, similar to tent pegs, biggest one is about 2 ft long, works great in sand. They're going for about $1.50. I have a large one for sand and a couple smaller ones for grass/dirt.

Pablo,
It's the handle, not the steel that eventually matters to me.
Poking my palm whilst struggling to penetrate hard ground isn't my idea of pleasure.
Besides, I need my palms for other things.

So the screwdriver was the first of the functional stakes.
Now the golf balls and dice-topped stakes offer a broad top to push against.

Able to penetrate hard playa with a single hand.

(While above the stake, leaning on it with all my weight)

The bright colors on the top of the stake (along with streamers of flaggin') makes it easier to find when you start needing it again.
The lesson I learned was to fashion a secure holder for my stake on my buggy. That's where I'll be when I need it next.


I think I read all this in a book...


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

As for Home Depot - Head on over to the construction area and look for the Rain Gutter nails, these nails are about 10-12" long and cost about 35 cents each. They work great for kite stakes and are the least expensive I have found. As Cory has said, the ball on top of the nail really does help drive it into the hard ground but most of the country doesn't have hard pack like we do here in vegas. If you have some creativity you can chop off the top of the rain gutter nail (grinder, hacksaw) and then drill a hole into a ball (or shifter knob...I have even used pool table balls) and then epoxy the ball to the top of the nail. Pretty kewl stake for pretty cheap. Only problem with making a really awesome custom kite stake is that if you dont take it with you after you launch, when you get back to your launch area it is usually gone. Adding a bright colored ball on top of your stake is also an easy way of finding it in the grass.

Anyways, a couple of inexpensive ideas for you to think about. Maybe we could get a section on this forum for custom kite stakes?

I never thought about rain gutter nails. I will have to pick up a few next time I go to a lumber yard. I have used tent stakes from Walmart. After cutting off the head of the nail I drill a hole in a golf ball and pound it on after that I spray paint it a bright orange color and you have a very cheap ground stake.

Susan

I Use the same method as COREYKITE, I mounted the kite stake holder onto the buggie with a couple of zip ties, then you dont have to wory about loosing your stake, its right there when you need it, (as long as you put it back once your done using it) Havent found a good way to mount one to a board yet.

I have had a few problems with the golf ball style or hard plastic topped stakes when shoving them into real hard dirt, they sometimes bend, and if you dont notice it you handles will spin around on the stake... just be sure not to bend your stake....(im sure this has happened to just more than me)

I don't use kite stakes


http://community.webshots.com/photo/1415134404072413283xevuY...


Don
I MOUNT A COUPLE OF STAKES TO A BOARD AND TAKE PHOTOS OF DIFFERENT WAYS to mount.... this won't be a over night thing but I'll get-er -done

I usually have lots of gear with me, so it involves a base camp type of thing, I'll use a large tent peg style peg and hammer it into the ground, they come in bright orange so you can't miss them, a couple whacks on the side of it with a hammer and they pull out no problem.

Just bought a couple more of them after ending up with 6 kites stuck on my pegs last sat, some idiot lost control and got dragged through the kites, pulled out the stake's thankfully, no kite damage but we ended up chasing 7 kites across the park, from now on, no more than a couple kites per stake.