Taking down lines at the end of the season

[madmaples]

This year has been my first year running tubing and as the season wraps up, I intend to take down my lines and put them back up next year.

How do you know/remember where you ran your lines when you put them back up? I have three lines, but I don't know if I could retrace the order of trees I choose this year, next year. Any tips? spray painted dots/numbers?

I have seen @DRoseum's setup on YouTube where he winds up the tubing on a bucket/drum, I'll probably do something similar, but curious if there are other methods folks use.

[ponderingjunkman]

Just wrapped up my lines and couple days ago. I have about 300 taps on several different lines. I don't mark trees as many are not on my own land. I've found it best to hand draw maps. Each line gets a masking tape label that corresponds to the map description. I tend to get specific on both the map and label.

I really want to build a powered spool winder!

[DRoseum]

I swear by this ... ~140 taps on over a mile of tubing lines that i hang by myself and take down by myself all in 1 day. The spooler and yoke make it all possible.

I mark trees with a small green spray paint dot at the tubing height on the side the tubing is run.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6CwcmcTEWYy6kaduFBtcMtvK3Z1y9iRp&si=v9Nshmyzz2X4FOLZ

[toquin]

Take down every spring. All lines are marked with cattle tags,Hand drawn maps and I second the idea of a winder upper

[SeanD]

Before the lines come down, I've given the lines against the trees a quick shot of spray paint. It marks the tree and the line so you'll get location and side of tree in one go. I first used brown paint because I didn't want to have dots all over the woods. There was no need to worry. It fades from the tree pretty quickly and can be hard to find even a year later. The tees are also helpful. As you unroll your coil of tubing the direction of the tee will give you the general distance and the side of the tree - assuming it has a cup or a plug. Lastly, - and this is my favorite - these tree straps (https://www.amazon.com/Dimex-EasyFlex-100-Feet-FirmFlex-1100-2/dp/B00TIK5YVS/ref=rtpb_d_sccl_2/140-1358539-1991826?pd_rd_w=rtWjX&content-id=amzn1.sym.ecc04cf7-51e4-4f3c-90a2-8bee4ffadf01&pf_rd_p=ecc04cf7-51e4-4f3c-90a2-8bee4ffadf01&pf_rd_r=CB0MA74Q0FFB5QXK8QSH&pd_rd_wg=zOLfq&pd_rd_r=b157093c-cf49-44ae-a9f1-c2e96c8ea00a&pd_rd_i=B00TIK5YVS&th=1) are perfect for adding tension if you miss an untapped tree you were supposed to be on the other side of.

[Ghs57]

I video each of my lines with my phone. I have ten lines that I have to take down each year (after sanitizing each one), and even though I've been doing this for ten years, there are changes from year to year. I narrate each line as I record, which helps with any specific tree characteristics or tricky parts of the runs. Then delete the old video so there is no confusion for next year. Take down time is also a good time to make changes when I find a better routes between trees, or am thinking of adding in new trees. Each roll of tubing is marked for its run (they are each named or numbered).

Th rolls of tubing can be quite large, so some are spit into two rolls. I store them in 55 gallon plastic drums that I also use durning the season for Permeate, or even sap, when necessary. I don't use spools, but have often thought that that would be a good idea.

[1arch]

I swear by this ... ~140 taps on over a mile of tubing lines that i hang by myself and take down by myself all in 1 day. The spooler and yoke make it all possible.

I mark trees with a small green spray paint dot at the tubing height on the side the tubing is run.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6CwcmcTEWYy6kaduFBtcMtvK3Z1y9iRp&si=v9Nshmyzz2X4FOLZ
This is a sweet looking method. I'm going to build some for sure.

[Col_CCC]

We remove the laterals every year leaving the mains up. Makes the bush much cleaner for the rest of the year. Have tagged every saddle w a letter and number, different legs get a different letter. Stamped on brass tags on the lateral set and the main tension wire at the saddle. Works well.

[RC Maple]

I video each of my lines with my phone. I have ten lines that I have to take down each year (after sanitizing each one), and even though I've been doing this for ten years, there are changes from year to year. I narrate each line as I record, which helps with any specific tree characteristics or tricky parts of the runs. Then delete the old video so there is no confusion for next year. Take down time is also a good time to make changes when I find a better routes between trees, or am thinking of adding in new trees. Each roll of tubing is marked for its run (they are each named or numbered).

I did a video on my phone for a new section that differed from where I marked the path with paint originally. Since it will be different next year, I held off on repainting. Next year, I want to put all my silvers on one line, and I can just turn the valve off at the pump when I want to shut those taps down. I have three lines - two are about 500 ft and the other is about 300 feet. I stretch them out in the yard and get them ready to put up instead of doing it in the woods.