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Best kites for traveling?

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andrewjohn
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Best kites for traveling?

Postby andrewjohn » Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:00 am

Over the next few years I plan on doing more traveling with my kit, but want to keep things small and light. A split board will be a must.
I already own a 17m strutless kite that packs real small, but was thinking about other kites.
Obvious options are strutless, one strut, or foil kite? I'd like to take two kites to cover most common winds for the spot I'd be going to.
So what would you choose to take?

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Re: Best kites for traveling?

Postby K-Roy » Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:18 am

destination?
weight?
style?

andrewjohn
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Re: Best kites for traveling?

Postby andrewjohn » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:01 pm

Well that's what I'm getting at, it needs to be for a mix of destinations and therefore styles. Some will be flat water some waves, but nothing massive.
So general freeride kit. There's got to be compromises in there, so what do you sacrifice?

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Re: Best kites for traveling?

Postby FLandOBX » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:20 pm

Foils with one bar will allow you to pack small and eliminate the pump. I think you trade off performance (turning speed) with the foils, but you won't have lots of gear, esp. with a split board.

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Re: Best kites for traveling?

Postby Rufusz » Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:46 pm

Foil kites are a lot lighter and more compact. Not ideal for freestyle (unhooked) but pretty good for anything else imho.

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Re: Best kites for traveling?

Postby edt » Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:02 pm

foil kite is the ultimate travel kite you don't need a pump that's the ultimate in pack down. split board and a 12 meter foil will take up hardly any space. Remember if you get to a kite destination there's always good chance to rent or borrow gear. Obviously it depends on what your travel plans are like. If you are on a sabatical or gap year I suggest taking zero kite gear, as you want to be able to pick up you backpack and tour where ever you need to go. Too much gear means you are tied down to a hotel/hostel and have to keep on returning to your base to store gear, grab gear, and always be watching out someone doesn't take it. If you are on a month long travel to various destinations then just take 1 kite, for you maybe just that 17m strutless? Or a 12m foil. If you are going away for a week coming back home to work then going away for another week, then load it up, take as many kites as your luggage will handle. Anyway that's the sort of advice I got from my bro who is a professional world wanderer. His biggest regret in travel was taking too much kite gear when he is going on a big trip. He could have rented at one or two places that were kite destinations and the amount of extra gear you take detracts so much from backpack travel.

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Re: Best kites for traveling?

Postby flipper231 » Fri Aug 04, 2017 3:30 am

I say go for range:

Evo 12-9
Enduro 12-8
Rebel 12-8


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