I currently have a 2008 12m Rise and 2008 16m Rise.

I was wondering if leaving the strut bladders partially inflated and then rolling up the kite without folding it when done for the day would extend the life of the kite.  The kite would be placed in the expanded bag after rolling it up.

It seems like if the bladders are deflated so that the kite can be placed inside the bag without expanding, it would shorten the life of the kite since the kite’s material is being folded and creases put into the material.

When I used to hang glide, that was one of our main concerns; rolling up the glider with as little folding as possible to extend the life of the material on the hang glider.

Any comments or actual facts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Allen

I think the same way Allen, less you fold the fabric larger its life will be. I can’t do it all the time otherwise mines will be all the time half inflated.

cheers
charley

Hi Allen! If you leave your kites into a roof box or into your car , make sure your strutts are realy “partially” inflated. It gets very hot in those boxes. I fixed a thermometer into one of mines and the temperature gets very very hot instantly. And mines are light grey, can’t imagine what a black one would do.

thats true EARLYBIRD, it can get really hot in there. I wouldn’t leave my gear there for long unless I dont have a choice.

Definitely keeping the kite out of the sun with even a little bit of air in the bladders.

That’s what I like about this forum; always lots of different ideas and opinions.  You never know when someone will come with something that you may not of thought of.

Keep up the suggestions, opinions, and info; any and all are appreciated.

Thanks again.

Allen

So far, there’s really only one thing that I don’t like about the 2009 bags; you can’t store your kite in the bag with the strut bladders even partially inflated.
(At least, I don’t think that it expands.  Does it?)

Allen

no they don’t, they work for me like they are now, but if i were living on the carebbean again the expansion will be a feature that i will be missing lots.

charley