MAIN TOO SMALL FOR CONTAINER

[SKYDIVE 0]

The container I own (Vortex II) was orginally designed for a 170 main however I've sinced downsized to a 150. Even with the closure loop shortned the flaps seems to be loose and looks
very untidy. The freefly pud also doen't tuck nicely under the flap once it's closed and the whole think looks out of sorts. Is it possible to fix this problem without having to buy another rig ?

[mjosparky 4]

Since you are loading it 30+ pounds more than maximum I think the smart thing to do is go back the 170 which you are only loading about 10 to 15 pounds over maximum.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[darkwing 5]

There are major safety issues with an underfilled main container. I recommend you address the problem and lot jump it if things aren't right. Merely tightening the loop is not the solution.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[FrogNog 1]

You could try contacting the manufacturer and asking them. Here on dropzone.com I have read historical tales of minor modifications manufacturers can make to containers to reduce the effective sizes and make them work better with "too-small" canopies.

-=-=-=-=-
Pull.

[riggerrob 643]

The manufacturer might recommend that you sew in a pillow.
Your local Master Rigger might be able to make a pillow for you.

[Vectracide 0]

Hey. My personal experience with a main size that doesn't match the container is limited...but what I can tell you is this. The one and only time I put my main in anothers container that wasn't sized right, my freefly pud came loose and I had a head down premature deployment at 170mph. No fun and potentially deadly depending on what main you are flying and wether or not you have someone directly above you. In my case it was a long sniveler main and no one directly above me. (5-way) If you want video..let me know.

So, you can see the potential problems here that can have disastrous results. If its that loose....don't even think about it. That experience scared the shit outta me. Just imagine having to float back from 6-7k wondering the whole time if you have a internal injury that will leave you unconscious before you get to the ground. Not a nice thought huh.

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Controlled and Deliberate.....

[pjc 0]

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The manufacturer might recommend that you sew in a pillow.
Your local Master Rigger might be able to make a pillow for you

I've heard of this before. In fact a rigger offered to do it for me when I enquired if my rig would take a smaller main (it already had 1 downsize). But I was thinking that if you changed the internal shape and size of the container, wouldn't you also have to change the d-bag to fit??

[SKYDIVE 0]

Could the main packing tray be made smaller without having to take the whole thing apart ?

[riggermick 7]

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Could the main packing tray be made smaller without having to take the whole thing apart ?[/repl


In a word, no. Too many overlapping flaps and common surfaces that can't be altered without changing the functionality of most modern sport rigs.


Mick.

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[recovercrachead 0]

packing paper on every pack job.

Track high, Pull LOW!!!

[Martini 0]

The solution is easy. Get a crossbraced canopy, they have a larger pack volume and that should solve the loose loop problem. Naturally there could be some unwanted side effects.

Seriously though, most any container should be able to comfortably handle a canopy one size smaller than the original design. I can't say that the Vortex is capable of doing that safely though. I can tell you that I have an Infinity designed for a Stiletto 150 that currently has a Sabre-1 120 in it and it looks fine and has plenty of closing loop tension.

Sometimes you eat the bear..............

[brianfry713 0]

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If you want video..let me know.

Let's see it.