Firstly the seemingly old Q of tangled lines. I have figure 8-ed the lines around my handles but the brake and main lines are always mega twisted, which results in 20 or 30 mins of twisting the handles round and round and round and....

I've read about parapacking and may give it a go one day, but was thinking surely i could just unwind, then disconnect one of the lines from the kite itself and untwist far quicker?

also, i was flying in fairly gentle winds but trying to land my kite was near impossible. And when i staked the kite down it was still trying to fly all over the place aqnd wouldnt stay still, which meant it got even more tangled. Am i right in thinking i need to shorten the brake lines? If so, how?!

Thanks

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Originally posted by k4te Firstly the seemingly old Q of tangled lines. I have figure 8-ed the lines around my handles but the brake and main lines are always mega twisted, which results in 20 or 30 mins of twisting the handles round and round and round and.... I've read about parapacking and may give it a go one day, but was thinking surely i could just unwind, then disconnect one of the lines from the kite itself and untwist far quicker? also, i was flying in fairly gentle winds but trying to land my kite was near impossible. And when i staked the kite down it was still trying to fly all over the place aqnd wouldnt stay still, which meant it got even more tangled. Am i right in thinking i need to shorten the brake lines? If so, how?! Thanks

My suggestion for the top part with having to untwist those lines is make sure you unwrap the lines the same way you wrapped them. And also, when that is done, I like to just put tension on the lines and pull 'em tight, and shake them, etc... They can sometimes look tangled when they really aren't so by twisting them you just starting the tangle instead of undoing the tangle. Just double check on those things .

PS. I parapack every time, and it's awesome. I HIGHLY recommend it.

hiya... glad you're having a go, sounds like it might have been kinda frustrating, but it sounds like you like it and want to stick with it!

tangled lines... well, my solution isn't for everybody. I fold my lines inside my kite after I've folded the bridles inside, then unroll the kite enough to expose those lines and walk them out when I'm ready to fly. works on sandy beaches with lots of loose handfuls ready to weigh down the kite. only works if I don't disturb the lines in between flights.

i'm not a big fan of the figure eight, but you do need to exactly invert the motion of winding in when you are winding out or you will have problems.

if you are having trouble landing AND you are having trouble keeping the kite on the ground when staked then you most likely have brake lines that are too loose. now that you've done a few takeoffs, you can adjust them on the ground. tension up the powers until it's almost ready to take off, then make sure you still have just enough tension on the brakes to keep the kite on the ground. You should be able (assuming wind of 8 mph+ and 4m+ kite) to stand the power bridle completely off the ground while just barely holding it down with the brakes, and sit the kite down on the ground by pulling a bit harder on the brakes. That will be alright for getting going, as you get better with using the brakes you'll tighten them up.

take your time with the lines next time, don't be too eager to get it off the ground so quickly. it takes a bit of patience, esp. at the beginning, to set up and pack up well.

what kite and size is it btw? kites 3-4m and smaller tend not to be happy sitting at the stake... flap the tips around and do surprise helicopters and stuff, esp if the wind is strong and gusty.

give parapacking a shot-works great! dont really know bout your brake lines--i keep mine loose on most of my kite,but thats just a personal preference based on my kiting style........

You can hopefully shorten the brake lines at the bar or kite end by adding a knot up the leader line. Just be sure there is some slack when flying.

Often my lines look very tangled when they aren't. Pop the kite open with tension on the lines. Try twisting one way a max of 4 or 5 spins. If that doesn't work undo those spins and try 4 or 5 the other way.

Quote:

Originally posted by k4te Firstly the seemingly old Q of tangled lines. I have figure 8-ed the lines around my handles but the brake and main lines are always mega twisted, which results in 20 or 30 mins of twisting the handles round and round and round and....

Your lines were never twisted. You fell victim to the "false twist", and by "twisting the handles round and round" you introduced a real twist that was not there in the first place.

If you think about it, the lines CANNOT get twisted while you wind the lines unless you are doing cartwheels and summersalts on the way to the kite. What CAN happen is that you get localized fouling in one direction at one end of the line and fouling in another direction at the other end.

After unwinding, hold the handles at arms-length apart and SHAKE, then see if they pop apart. With even tension and a consistent motion while you are winding, then a consistent revers motion while you unwind with the same hands, you will not have trouble.

I unwind the lines, maybe give one shake, then fly. I almost never have to walk the lines to pull them apart.

Keep in mind, new line sets are "sticky" due the sizing and dyes on the line and that can contribute to localized fouling and bunching. BUT THEY ARE NOT TWISTED.