Prism Stowaway Parafoil Kite

The stowaway parafoil is not a light-wind kite despite the fact it weighs almost nothing, and you do need a reasonably steady breeze to keep it up and under control. Occasionally it will 'roll' upside down if you get a sudden lull and there is a quick dose of slack in the line. Sometimes you can right it in the air before it lands, or when it's on the ground the next gust of wind usually 'rolls' it back upright and you can take off again without having to do the walk of shame. It gives you a bit more excercise having to walk backwards and forwards to keep tension on the line, and I find that having to 'work' to keep it afloat a bit more stimulating than just standing there. Having said that, it's still a leisurely session and you don't have to run around like a loon to keep it airborne. You'll have plenty of time to just stand back and appreciate the spectacle. I have the Ice and Spectrum colours, and both are striking, very well made and wonderful to watch in flight. Can't figure out why several of the other reviewers were having trouble getting it up and keeping it up, although judging by the dog-flying-a-kite-video I saw, trying to fly it in a park close to a lot of trees is probably the first problem. You need an open area away from trees and you need wind. Sounds simple I know, but...It's also very portable, Amazon did not bother to send mine with the bag it's supposed to come with, but I just bought an extra-small stuff sac from a camping shop, and it's a much better option. I've travelled overseas for work with it in my luggage, takes up next to no room at all. It won't pull too hard that a young child couldn't comfortably fly it, but it might take some assistance from a grown-up to launch it so a young-un could then take over. All in all it's a good all-ages kite that I won't travel without now. And being a foil, there's no worries about it crashing into the ground and breaking a spar.

I own two Prism kites, this one and a 1.2 speed foil kite. I purchased the speed foil kite first (it's Prism's smallest of that type of kite after all) thinking that I was a fairly experienced flyer and could probably skip the beginner model. I was proved wrong in many ways. Speed foil kite flying is NOT easy. The way the strings attach to the kite is far different from standard kites, and they require two hands to control. I spent a few afternoons on the Alabama gulf coast (which is very good kite-flying country) trying to get that kite up in the air, but it just wasn't happening, even with my girlfriend there to help me. Humbled, I bought this kite almost immediately after my failed attempts at flying the 1.2. I recently made my way to the coast of Georgia and gave this kite a whirl. I loved it! It is very different from your standard delta-style kite, but every bit as easy to fly and control. As the title of my review suggests, the main difference between this kite and the standard ones is the fact that it resembles a mini-parachute. There are small pockets built into the kite that fill with air and kind of 'inflate' the kite. This is what allows it to fly, I assume, (I'm no physicist) without a rigid frame. This makes for a very smooth experience and a very fun one. --A couple of other good points: (1) the kite's tail is super long and looks very beautiful in the sky, and (2) the winder for the kite's string is not a complicated (and sometimes flimsy) 'flick'-handle, but just a simple circle. When I first saw the winder, I thought it looked a little too simplified and worried that it might be difficult to control, but I was completely wrong. The perfect circle is an elegant way to control and wind a kite's string. Highly recommend this one if you like to fly kites.

Within a few minutes of unpacking today I was flying the kite and instantly brought back memories of kite flying as a child. The design is great, packs down so small and is very light. I am fairly sure mine is the newer packing system with the plastic ring which parts of the bag snap into.What a great design. From looking at pictures, designs, and the company website I can tell these are aimed at the outdoor enthusiast. I camp often in open desert areas and will be taking this kite on our next trip. If brought along during a backpacking trip it would be hardly noticed in a pack and a nice surprise when cresting a peak to have one of these colorful kites flying.Certainly thinking of ordering a second in a different color.Follow up:I still love this kite but will say you need a steady wind. If the wind dies down a bit the kite may head back to terra firma. I have been able to get it flying again after it has gone down with some gentle tugs on the string. I was also able to fly it at night with some small bike leds attached to the string and where the tail attaches. It got a lot of attention where we were camped last weekend-day and night.Oct-2013 UpdateI still love this kite. It has gotten me somewhat addicted to kites. I also have a bat kite bought on Amazon. Prism Jazz and waiting for my Prism Snapshot 1.9. The last two are dual line kites and require more attention. I want to get a Prism Atom and possibly another Parafoil Stowaway in a different color. These are great leisure kites.