From KiteWiki

The most common causes for tangles happen after you have packed the kite and wound the lines around the handles. Here are some of them. The comments below refer to handles but apply similarly if you use a bar:

Common causes for line tangles

• When you place the handles (or bar) in the bag, without realising it, you pass the handles between two of the lines that are connected to the kite in the bag. When you take the handles out, you don't pass them back through the same way. This is why packing the handles outside the kite bag works so well, or shoving them down the other side of the kite from any of the lines attached to it in the bag.

• As above but you do it when taking the handles out.

• When you unwind your lines from the handles, you accidentally one or all of the lines unwraps from the wrong end of the handles. Make sure that the last thing that you do is to secure the lines to the handle end with a couple of hitches and make sure that the lines leave the handles the same way as you put them on.

• You have just a few twists in all four of the lines, but think that it is more complicated. Just hold both handles together by the brake ends, point the power ends towards the kite, and rotate in one direction or another.

• Since you landed the kite, you have dragged (rolled) the lines across the beach or grass, putting loads of twists in them. Always walk straight towards the kite and wind. Don't walk up to the kite and stand next to it (with the lines in a 'U' shape) and wind from there. You will get loads of temporary twists that way.

• You wound the lines on too loosely, and they started to fall off the handles whilst in the bag. Make sure that everything is firmly in its place and can't move about when you are transporting the kite.

• You let someone else put your kite away for you last time and they messed it up!

Basically, you just need to be very methodical about winding up and unwinding your lines. If you rush or do it sloppily, you will get in a mess.

Other ways to avoid tangles

• Many advocate parapacking though this has the disadvantage that you cannot take your kite out to dry or rinse it later if you need to.

• Use good quality lines - Many cheap line sets seem to twist and loop up easily, more expensive ones do not.