How to coil up pigtails
The fix is a correct random pile flake — not neat coils — starting with the bottom strand placed 4 feet away. For ropes already severely kinked, a double-flake followed by hardware-assisted neutralization through an ATC at a high-point carabiner removes what a single pass cannot. @Arb_King guides the viewer in a step by step process on how to coil a rope, while chasing out pigtails, for storage. This article covers the mechanics of why ropes develop torsional kinking, the scenario-specific protocols to eliminate it before it ruins your belay device's performance, and the field diagnostics that separate recreational rope handlers from technical practitioners. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. No need to flake at the crag because the rope is stacked top to bottom, just need to be careful to lay the rope down with the 'head' of the coil facing towards the belayer so that you aren't pulling the stacked coils.
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