I’ve been using a winder improvised from a former plastic line winder, cut up in two and parts attached with bungee. Insert them in the bar ends, wind up the lines. Works well, but you’d better not lose it.
Yesterday I stumbled upon another solution: carabiners. Find a way to keep the gates open when winding and unwinding: nearby leader line, elastic bands, finger, some rust, etc. Advantages:
- Carabiners can be clipped to your PFD or harness, so you can’t lose them and have them handy everywhere. Even for water rescue (maybe make them floating).
- Compact setup - does not lengthen the bar. Good for hiking
- Once the gates are closed, the lines are secure and cannot slip out.
Some hooks could work well too, as long as they cannot be lost or misplaced.