Finally pulled the trigger on gear: board, wings, foils, wetsuit, leashes, booties, pump/adapter (and I've got a van with all the seats removed in back)...

What else do you all recommend to take along when going winging?

Tools? (and what do you torque the bolts/screws for foils and straps?); Do you carry any while winging? Cordless driver in your vehicle?

Any kind of mat or ground cover if you have to setup on pavement or gravel?

Weight for anchoring your wing?

Anything else (besides a stocked cooler), to make it all easier and/or better for all the gear?

Stuff i always have (in addition to your list):
Helmet
Impact Vest
Hat with brim and chin strap
Ear plugs and ear drops (got surfers ear)
Zinc sunscreen
Rubber mallet
Spare board and wing leash
Spare screwdriver, foil hardware, shims
Plastic bin to store wings in
Board bag

Stuff others have that i think i should have too (if i could be bothered):
Weight to attach wings to when not using
Ground mat for wing/board
Hand water pump for washing off salt water/sand
Camping chairs

In addition to what came with wings, boards, and foils:

- wetsuits
- sunscreen - Kelly Slater brand - if it works on his bald head it works on mine
- bags filled with sand to anchor wings
- changing poncho
- cooler with beer
- Surf SUP(s)

I have a couple of large plastic buckets to throw all my stuff, (rashie, boots, sunscreen etc) in plus they are good to throw the wing into if I can't dry it enough before packing up
Definitely a cordless driver for assembly plus I carry a tool on me for adjusting mast position when out in the water
I have an old shopping bag to fill with sand as a weight if required when setting up
Water proof bag for my phone to fit under impact vest just in case

I carry this around my neck inside the wetsuit.It is a cut down torx with a flattened handle made of moldable plastic.Since i started carrying it all the screws have stayed tight,cowards... :)

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mcrt said..
I carry this around my neck inside the wetsuit.It is a cut down torx with a flattened handle made of moldable plastic.Since i started carrying it all the screws have stayed tight,cowards... :)

Dear god.. maybe don't do this.
Unless you have no alternative, I can't imagine getting stabbed by this in a decent crash. Maybe you can put it in a pdf front pouch like a dingy if you had to. But if you're torquing all screws up and they're coming loose, either you're not torquing with enough force initially or something is wrong.

I use a Milwaukee pack out toolbox to hold all my tools, extra screws, etc. It has been fantastic. I put all the small tools and screws in the top tray and the drill/driver, mallet, and bigger stuff underneath the tray. Also can use the handle to attach your wing leash instead of a sandbag.

hopefully link works (part number 48-22-8422):
www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Storage-Solutions/PACKOUT/48-22-8422

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King Crash said..

mcrt said..
I carry this around my neck inside the wetsuit.It is a cut down torx with a flattened handle made of moldable plastic.Since i started carrying it all the screws have stayed tight,cowards... :)

Dear god.. maybe don't do this.
Unless you have no alternative, I can't imagine getting stabbed by this in a decent crash. Maybe you can put it in a pdf front pouch like a dingy if you had to. But if you're torquing all screws up and they're coming loose, either you're not torquing with enough force initially or something is wrong.

You cannot stab yourself with this, lies flat like the car key.Trapped in the wettie it does not move at all, even pronefoiling.
If you do upwinds/downwinds a bit far from shore it is a good idea to carry a tool for the screws.Like i said i have never needed it...yet :).

"Weight to attach wings to when not using"
Any good suggestions for this?

Re weight for wings I picked up some photography tripod sand bags got 2 for $15, work great

These are pretty nice - clip to leash or set across leading edge

houstonkiteboarding.com/products/houston-kiteboarding-sand-bags?variant=29456923623493

Buy a tackle box. It makes life a lot easier. Keep all your hardware, screws, bolts, nuts, screwdrivers, torque wrenches, Tef-Gel, Alen Wrenches, Ding Stick, wind meters in your tacklebox. Makes life a LOT easier.

As for weights, I just attached the wing leash to the board leash or around the foil to anchor it. Also, go on Amazon and get a Astro Turf changing mat, big help keeping your wet suit from getting sandy.

Most important, shell out the money and pay for lessons. Knowledge is worth more than your equipment and will pay dividends, lots of dividends in the end!

Have fun!

DC

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lao shi said..
"Weight to attach wings to when not using"
Any good suggestions for this?

Less is more. Why carry weights 200m over sand dunes to the beach??
I use board and foil. Make sure the leash goes under the board and is as short as possible.

I'm not a fan of tackle boxes and tool boxes. They're bulky and stuff gets lost in them. The little plastic boxes break.

I use a neoprene netbook bag. It slots in under the rear floor panel just inside the tailgate. It's always easily accessible but really compact and tidy.

I have an old nylon surf wallet in there with matched sets of screws and washers for each foil in the wallet pockets. There's spares of everything. I've never needed them but I have saved my mate's session a couple of times.

When the wallet is open I can see the screws I want at a glance. No need to rummage around searching for stuff. I have visions of making a tool roll so that all the screws and drivers and things are arrayed like a precision tool kit. What I've got now works fine.

I use Wera stainless steel tools because they never rust. I have a P3 screwdriver for my Gofoils, and a driver and bit set with torx, hex and phillips heads so I can handle every screw type I use. They're a little expensive but you can get them at a reasonable price if you rummage around Amazon and ebay.

Sometimes I use an electric screwdriver and that fits in the bag too. I prefer to do things by hand because I like to feel for any cross threading or anything else.

Other stuff:
- chamois for wiping stuff down. There's enough water in the chamois to rinse the salt off the board and foils when it's squeezed out.
- little broom for wiping sand and grass and stuff off wing and board.
- wetsuit changing mat for when the ground is disgusting
- cheap waterproof picnic blanket for putting the board and board bag on when it looks like the ground will damage the board bag or board or whatever.
- 5 ltr container of hot water wrapped in a towel to rinse me and warm up after a cold session. Excess water gets splashed on the board and foil.
- a sand bag made from a shopping bag with a big ziplock bag full of sand. Highly recommend that for parking the wing after a session and avoiding the wing being sucked into shrubs by the rotor turbulence.
- 65 ltr gear tub. Apart from wetsuits and booties, a dripping wet wing can easily fit in. The wing goes on a drying rack in the garage when I get home.
- While we're at it, the boards go diagonally across the back seat. I can fit 2 boards in easily (107 and 87 ltr) and get the 40 ltr in with a bit of of jiggling. Spare wings and foils sit in the gap under the boards on the back seat.

As for carrying stuff, I can carry fully rigged board and wing together. I only do that on beaches where the carry is short and the path is clear. If there's any risk of damaging stuff while carrying I always make two trips. It's easier to walk managing just one thing, and I would hate to damage something because I was too slack to make two trips.

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lao shi said..
"Weight to attach wings to when not using"
Any good suggestions for this?

I use a 1.25L soft drink bottle filled with water. I have a bit of rope tied (and taped) around the top of the bottle which I then attach to the wing.

One of our locals attached his brand new wing via wing leash to the mast of his board. You know where this is going, an unusual gust managed to tip the foil onto the wing, result was a very secondhand looking wing.


Sandbags litter the setup area at our local, either for wings or foil kites.

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mcrt said..

King Crash said..

mcrt said..
I carry this around my neck inside the wetsuit.It is a cut down torx with a flattened handle made of moldable plastic.Since i started carrying it all the screws have stayed tight,cowards... :)

Dear god.. maybe don't do this.
Unless you have no alternative, I can't imagine getting stabbed by this in a decent crash. Maybe you can put it in a pdf front pouch like a dingy if you had to. But if you're torquing all screws up and they're coming loose, either you're not torquing with enough force initially or something is wrong.

You cannot stab yourself with this, lies flat like the car key.Trapped in the wettie it does not move at all, even pronefoiling.
If you do upwinds/downwinds a bit far from shore it is a good idea to carry a tool for the screws.Like i said i have never needed it...yet :).

Well done. I make these out of extra resin and as you say, they cannot by design stab you. Screwdrivers are useless and dangerous in the water. My new Axis model has torx heads for both m8 & m6 out of each end.