I usually get my stuff from In The Swim. What I do is vacuum and chemical the pool. Place a 4'x6' (or so) pillow in the middle and use a nylon type rope to tie it to the sides to keep it centered. Then I pull the cover over. To secure the cover I use the cable as well as spring clamps (heavy duty ones from Harbor Freight) to hold it in place. Once adjusted, I have 1"x4" strips of wood that go between the uprights to hold the cover to the rail. I sanded the wood to keep it smooth. I place the wood under the lip so it pinches the cover to the lip and clamp it with one clamp on the left and one on the right of the panel section. I have seen hard winds blow our cover up in the air before, but not after using this method. The only real place the wind can get in is where the uprights are. I backwash the filter to help drain some water. Once it's to a certain point, I just unhook the hoses from the pool and let it drain until it stops. This puts it just below the inlet and below the skimmer. If the cover gets too much rain on it, I just siphon it off with a garden hose or roof rake if it's too much snow. Some leave the water or snow on for weight to combat the wind. I don't really need it.