DIY FIELD LINING KIT

I have never used that set up, with literal string. I have used a light string like that in a pinch and it is difficult to shake straight, especially on a windy day.

I have lines from this company.
www.pioneerathletics.com/Basic-Cord-Reel_p_805.html#.WRHB2dLythE

You steak it, shake the line straight and go from there.

It is more then possible to do it on the cheap, though I feel will add up to more hours on the field in the long run. Obviously find your material for the line you want to use. As stated above, I would stay away from Kite string and at least go with something a little thicker.
Make a loop where you can put a steak into one end of your rope and measure out 360 ft. and at minimum one other line measuring 160 ft. Also If you go this route I would make at least two width lines and two length lines, so when you layout the field you can Box/Frame it up. This will help assuring it is square. If you have more lines, lay one on the 50 yd line to ensure your field isnt bowing in the middle.

Then I think I would have to measure out the 5 yards with a tape measure after laying down the lines. I would be too worked that if i put a zip tie or something else of the nature on the line it may move over time.
That is the nice thing about the pioneer lines in the link above, It is made for football fields so every 5 yards there is a notch on the line.

That is how I would do it, If I was on a budget. And like I said I never used the BSN product, but even that seems quicker then the method I mentioned above. I have painted the fields around here for a long time and the Pioneer product is the only way I know. Either way, you dont want to spend more time painting a field then is necessary, it is time consuming and a cumbersome task to begin with. IF possible I would recommend spending money on these admittedly, over priced items.

How thick is the string on that reel? We've always used kite string because that's all we've known.