Yo mate I feel your pain!! I asked the same question and the best bags I got was the 25knots bag (probably the one you saw on ebay) aswell someone put up a pick of a flexifoil bag that looked nice and simple (zipperless) or you can go the cheap option and buy a repacement from switch (got a zip but real cheap).
I also got limited success chucking my fxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx north xxxx xxxxx bags in the washing machine then wiping wd40 on the zip track of one bag. I think in the future I'm saving the bags for resale.

touch107fm said..
This week my both zips on 2015 North rebel fell apart, followed by my zip on my 2013 vegas deciding it was also a good week to crap itself!!!

I am seriously debaiting on switching brands to brand which does not use zips on there bags. I did some research on here and saw there is some guy selling some no zip bags on ebay (non for sale at the moment)

Getting back to the different brands, which brands out there dont use zips on there bags?? over the north bags falling apart :(

MY bar broke the safety on the first time i need it less the 6 moths old bar from North

Brazilnuts said..


MY bar broke the safety on the first time i need it less the 6 moths old bar from North

You know North deliberately sent you a faulty bar, as they are trying to get rid of you. Plus they also keep all the good gear for the sponsored riders for the rigged competitions.....


But back to reality, my Best bag has big zips (just like a surf board bag) and has not had a problem with corrosion.

Draw string is the go!

I heard these ones stretch as they get older......

TerryMcTool said..

touch107fm said..
This week my both zips on 2015 North rebel fell apart, followed by my zip on my 2013 vegas deciding it was also a good week to crap itself!!!

I am seriously debaiting on switching brands to brand which does not use zips on there bags. I did some research on here and saw there is some guy selling some no zip bags on ebay (non for sale at the moment)

Getting back to the different brands, which brands out there dont use zips on there bags?? over the north bags falling apart :(

Problem is the metal zip heads, brands that don't use metal zip heads don't have this issue (although in my experience zips are not perfected yet). You can buy aftermarket compression bags like the ones on this page, cheap and do the trick, with no zips.
www.kitepower.com.au/collections/kitesurfing/Travel-bags

ebay is way cheaper

All because the manufacturers haven't worked out that salt water corrodes metal.
Seriously folks. PLASTIC ZIPPERS. They don't fail. Metal zippers all die within 1-3 years. No brainer. (note, some of these images are up to 10 yrs old, so perhaps some of the makers may have come around by now.... I'd like to see evidence of this...)


15+ years old, plastic zipper, still going.

BBong, not plastic

Not Plastic

Not plastic

Not Plastic


Been around the world a dozen times and still going, 15+years later. ALL PLASTIC.

high as a kite said..
Hey touch, if your happy with the kite dont swap brands due to the bag.

I kite with a brand that doesnt use zips but i still put my kites in a old suit case.
Get a couplec of kites in the case. No forcing the kites into a brand bag anymore.

Its a real pain having my 2015 north rebel zips brake the bag is rendered useless, not a great representation of the north brand, after all you are paying a premium for a premium brand. I would get it fixed here in OZ but It will probably cost an arm and a leg.

Do you have any links to for these cheap replacement bags.

Switch kites.com universal kitebag2, here you go dude $70