I have a separate mainsheet and traveler tail that I do knot together - but I space the knot so it's at my extended reach when on the trapeze...that way if it's a gonzo blasting reaching with an offshore breeze day, I can dump the traveler and A) know that I've dumped it all the way without looking at it (knowing where the knot is) and B) a firm hold on it to get it mostly back in when the puff you couldn't see dissipates.
I do the same - I use a double fishermans knot to tie the two lines together. This produces a round knot that is very easy to grasp when your hands are tired towards the end of a long day in the office. I use a skinny line for the traveller because it runs better through the traveller car, and you don't have to pull on the skinny line when the loads are super high (e.g. out on the wire double trapped reaching) - because you have the end of the mainsheet and the knot to work with.
I use different colored lines so if you are working the mainsheet downwind with the kite but then need to dump an arm of traveller (e.g. a big stuff) then you always grab the right line.
Chris.
