popsjumper 2 #76 July 7, 2009 France had military instructors???? OK, OK...I'm kidding. It's interesting where the name came from. Bottom line is frap hats are better than going without a helmet.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erdnarob 1 #77 July 7, 2009 In the past I have tried different type of helmets and now and for many years I have a frap hat and this is why: 1) perfect fit and confort 2) maximum peripheral vision 3) light weight 4) allows you to protect your ears from too much freefall noise without removing it completely letting you keeping an aural contact with what you are doing. 5) best protection from riser strike or lines in case of unstable deloyment since nothing is protruding and can be caught by a riser or line. An unstable opening happens for instance when you cut away from a spinning malfunction. Your body is likely to be on its side while the reserve risers and lines will deploy vertically passing possibly near your head. Most of the hard shell helmets have a part covering the side of the chin and this part can be caught by a line or a riser passing between this part and the chin. I prefer not to imagine the result in a 3-4 G opening if you see what I mean. As far as I know helmet use in skydiving was not made for impact with other skydivers or obstacles, it was made to protect the head from riser and line. Those are like steel bars and steel cables at the opening. You will notice that the military parachutists do not wear the same helmet than the soldiers on the ground. They have a helmet with few or no protruding parts and I would believe it is to avoid to be caught by lines or risers.Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Floflo 0 #78 July 8, 2009 Quote France had military instructors???? Might be a tale... Quote Bottom line is frap hats are better than going without a helmet. Such a long discussion to get to such an obvious conclusion... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpwally 0 #79 July 8, 2009 exactly correct,,in the late 70's cycle helemets were out,,and as students we wore hockey helemets and the experienced jumpers wore fraps,,so everyone wanted to attain that goal,hence being cool for that moment in fashion history on the dz. It did look goofy,but in a hippie sort of way,and we liked that.Now its a different story altogether. But having said that,if you were to put out a movie with headown guys,smoking weed and getting laid on the dz,,you wouldn't be able to kep the fraps on the shelf.... smile, be nice, enjoy life FB # - 1083 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denete 3 #80 July 8, 2009 QuoteBottom line is frap hats are better than going without a helmet. And you'll get all the chicks when you leave it on after your jump.SCR #14809 "our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe" (look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kingbunky 3 #81 July 8, 2009 ...but only because they make you look like a giant penis. "Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart." MB4252 TDS699 killing threads since 2001 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erdnarob 1 #82 July 9, 2009 But have you seen the chick with a frap hat in the Paragear catalog (page 142). I really prefer to see her with a frap hat than in a full face helmet looking like a fish in an aquarium . Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
