<p>If you put the cable in a figure 8 pattern, it is less likely to twist and tangle. Sometimes you can also put a velcro strap around the middle of the figure 8 to hold them in place.</p>
<p>I've worked with long cables (towed arrays on large ships), and if not using a winch, I try to figure 8 the cable in its storage. I can then deploy directly from the storage case without problem (that would be unwise if the cable had been stored in simple loops).</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7k7gt.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7k7gt.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-06T17:19:12.447Z
2023-06-08T11:01:39.710Z
2023-06-08T11:01:39.710Z
Shannon
<p>In the past I've had good success with a simple garden hose reel, and depending on the length and diameter of your cables, you could even use the smaller and lighter versions available for electrical cables. Alternatively, a static cable winder can be made from a simple board with two posts. The static winder is especially effective in combination with figure eight technique suggested in <a href="https://bioacoustics.stackexchange.com/a/1421/73">Shannon's post</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/icXYL.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/icXYL.png" alt="Hose reel and static winders" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-08T04:52:26.770Z
2023-06-08T11:02:42.927Z
2023-06-08T11:02:42.927Z
Brian Miller
<p>Several years ago, a sound engineer showed me a technique. As it is really hard to explain here is a video: <a href="https://youtu.be/5ifFk7NTalk?t=65" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://youtu.be/5ifFk7NTalk?t=65</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-09T20:09:40.550Z
The technique shown in the video will not work with all kinds of cables. In particular, coaxial cables like the RG58 type happen to be extremely stiff and generate loops as soons as they get twisted. In that case, the reel is the only option I know of. And there should be only two states: rewound patiently on the reel or fully deployed.
Guillaume Dutilleux
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-06T17:47:09.173Z
2023-06-08T11:04:34.980Z
2023-06-08T11:04:34.980Z
Amandine Gasc
<p>Does anybody have an advice to keep cables from entangling horribly during field recording?</p>
<p>I have the cable from the microphone and the cable from the headphones, both longer than I can handle with only two hands. Rolling them ended up in terrible knots and twists. Folding them was not much better, it looked like a spaghettis dish...</p>
<p>How do you do it?</p>

<recording><microphone><fieldwork><field-recordings>
How to avoid that cables get entangled in the field?
# How to avoid that cables get entangled in the field?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-06-06)

Does anybody have an advice to keep cables from entangling horribly during field recording?

I have the cable from the microphone and the cable from the headphones, both longer than I can handle with only two hands. Rolling them ended up in terrible knots and twists. Folding them was not much better, it looked like a spaghettis dish...

How do you do it?

**Tags:** recording, microphone, fieldwork, field-recordings


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-06-06. Score: 4

If you put the cable in a figure 8 pattern, it is less likely to twist and tangle. Sometimes you can also put a velcro strap around the middle of the figure 8 to hold them in place.

I've worked with long cables (towed arrays on large ships), and if not using a winch, I try to figure 8 the cable in its storage. I can then deploy directly from the storage case without problem (that would be unwise if the cable had been stored in simple loops).

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7k7gt.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/7k7gt.jpg)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-06-08. Score: 3

In the past I've had good success with a simple garden hose reel, and depending on the length and diameter of your cables, you could even use the smaller and lighter versions available for electrical cables. Alternatively, a static cable winder can be made from a simple board with two posts. The static winder is especially effective in combination with figure eight technique suggested in [username_1's post](https://bioacoustics.stackexchange.com/a/1421/73).

[![Hose reel and static winders](https://i.sstatic.net/icXYL.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/icXYL.png)


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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-06-06. Score: 3

Several years ago, a sound engineer showed me a technique. As it is really hard to explain here is a video: <https://youtu.be/5ifFk7NTalk?t=65>

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: The technique shown in the video will not work with all kinds of cables. In particular, coaxial cables like the RG58 type happen to be extremely stiff and generate loops as soons as they get twisted. In that case, the reel is the only option I know of. And there should be only two states: rewound patiently on the reel or fully deployed.  

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