done abit of research on packing away the kite and i dont think ive got the balls to try para packing just yet, so im gunna stick to winding the lines around the handles
But is there a certain way of doing it to avoid the brake and power lines twisting together with every turn? when it comes to unwraveling the lines there almost completely twisted together and takes forever to untwist them so they are seperate again
The manual for the kite doesnt really exaplain this in any detail
cheers

Remember the quote "wax on-wax off"? However you put the lines up, you must take them out the same way. If you hold the bottom of the handles in your right hand and wind the lines round and round with your left, then you must unwind exactly the same way. If you do the same winding technique as above and then let the lines spindle off the handles like rope off a spool then every turn puts one twist in your lines.

I used to put my kite killers around the middle of my handles and then while holding the top of the kite killers, wind around the top and bottom ends of the handles in a figure 8 pattern. Once I got a wound set of lines from a friend in the mail and even though they looked exactly like my winding technique, as I unwound I placed one twist per figure 8 in the lines. I asked later why and we discovered that Angus winds his lines in the same figure 8 pattern but does so while holding the bottoms of the handles. His way was better so I converted, because you can wind twice the line with only one pass across the end of the handle. Think about this and let us know if you come up with other questions after trying it once just for fun.

Some other tips are to fold your kite before you have the opportunity for the handles to pass through any bridles on the kite to avoid those tangles. Put your handles in your bag as far away from any other loops of line or bridles if you can still see any. Be careful when handling your handles with lines wrapped around them not to twist them because you will have to undo that when you unpack next.

When I do these things, I never have more than 2 twists in my lines and I'm ready to launch.

Often your lines look all twisted when they aren't.

Give the kite a tug so it takes shape + pulls out the twists. Usually after a tug and a shake you only have a single twist or 2 to deal with.

If I can't see what way to turn I count 4 one way and then if it's not getting better I go 4+ the other way.

I try to sort of pinch and let go as I wrap on. If I don't let go I tend to make a mess of things forcing twists up in to the bridle.

Practice makes perfect!

And then you have someone like myself who is so old school it's almost funny.
I still disconnect my line sets after each session and wrap my lines on a figure 8 winder.
I know, takes longer to set up, but I also walk my lines before launch.

What can I say, old habits die hard.

I see myself as old school and don't ever take my lines off.

Do what is mentioned above about wax-on-wax-off. But do the wax off exactly opposite of wax on.

For example I hold my handles in my left hand with the top of the handles pointing at the kite. I use my right hand to wind the line counter clockwise around the handles (counter clockwise when you are looking at your handles at arms length with the top of the handles pointing at the kite). I try to land the kite on my ATB board or on my kiteboard that way it's not flopping all over the place or trying to drag down the beach.

When unwinding the line I hold the handles in my left hand with the tops pointing at the kite but this time I make sure the kite is weighted down so I can put tension on the lines as I unwind. This time with the tops of the handles pointing at the kite I use my right hand to unwind the lines clockwise while walking backwards. Keeping a bit of tension on the lines helps undo any twists.

Hope this helps. Someone needs to do a video of this procedure.

Scott

a vidio hu i might just do that

my tech is about the same as spleo's but i wind close to my hand first as not to wind to much on top of the line too much by the time i get to the kite the line is aproaching the top of the handles

when i unpack i just hold my handles in my left hand same as when i wound the line and just walk away from the kite and it just spools of i have yet to have any twist in the lines since doing it this way :bigok:

Parapacking is the way to go with handles. It is not that difficult to do.

Hey Sailors,
I don't want to sound grouchy but I've explained this sooooo many times.
Just do a quick look back through the Power Kite Forum back pages.

I have also done a series of videos (15+) for Expert Village (www.expertvillage.com) on a whole bunch of kite matters.
Line winding is only one of them.
There are buttons on my web site (www.windpowersports.com) that take you to the Expert Village videos as well.

It does not matter if the lines seem to twist when you wind them up.
By using a mirror-image technique (wax-on, wax-off) the twists come out as the lines unwind.
With fixed-bridle foil kites, it is a good idea to leave your lines attached to the kite and the handles when packing up.
A few times a year, you should swap your lines end-to-end to even out the wear and rubbing.

How you wind your lines is another matter entirely.
But the mirror-image between on and off remains valid.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

I've found un-wrapping the lines by hand from the handles pretty error-prone at times (at least for me).

Holding the set horizontally between both hands and turning like a tight spool seems very reliable - it's just that it seems to take more patience than I have at times.

I've sometimes just resorted to the flat winders the strings originally came on and may someday work up the nerve to try parapacking!

Hmm I have a variation... (another!) I take a line winder and hold it between the handles and wrap a figure 8 around the winder and handles at the same time.

Parapacking is the best. Looks like a mess, works like a charm.