Voodoo, Mirage, or Wings ??????

[SkyChimp 0]

Okay ladies and gents,

I am in need of some feedback from people who have tested or own the following rigs. I am ready to buy another new container system but am not sure which way I want to go. Currently I own a Quasar II from Strong Enterprises and I have no complaints or issues with it. I am simply looking for something with more options and color designs and I am ready to downsize both main & reserve and would like to have two rigs.

I have tested wings before and it's comfortable but was told by many people that it's not rigger friendly (not sure if that's true).

Never tested a Mirage and I never tested a Voodoo but I like how they look and they seem to be pretty freefly friendly from what I have researched.

Any feedback (pros and cons) on either of these systems would be helpful. I am turning to my brothers and sisters in the skydiving community to give me a hand on this.

Blue skies everyone!!!!!

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[tjm 0]

Your forgetting about Infinity. They are comfortable, secure, and affordable.

-tj

[If your not living on the edge, than your taking up too much room.]

If you're not living on the edge; you're taking up too much room!

[legalize1966 0]

Wings are very rigger friendly.

Mirage sucks.

Voodoo is cool but over priced for the qaulity if your going to spend that much go Odessy or Micron, two best rigs on the market any way.

[kingbunky 3]

to address one of your comments, a wings container is no more or less rigger friendly than any others i have packed. it's just different. personally, i'm not a fan of anything with an exposed pop-top from an esthetic point of view, but there is something to be said about the pilot chute not having to push it's way though a bunch of flaps. one of the best pilot chute launches i've seen had been on a reflex.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[SkyChimp 0]

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Wings are very rigger friendly.

Mirage sucks.

Voodoo is cool but over priced for the qaulity if your going to spend that much go Odessy or Micron, two best rigs on the market any way.

I never tested the Micron, how comfortable?? I do like the skyhook system.

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[SkyChimp 0]

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Mirage sucks.

What about Mirage do you not like???

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[tjm 0]

The sky hook system is definatley innovative, but if there is a canopy collision I think I would want a little more seperation. Whatever happened to the ole' trusty left hand? Use it or lose it. Plus a little freefall and ground rush after a cutaway is good stuff!

If you're not living on the edge; you're taking up too much room!

[jenkincb00 0]

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Mirage sucks.

What about Mirage do you not like???

Think he was talking about Mirages sucking from a rigger's point of view. I have a Mirage and a couple riggers have commented they can be tough to pack. They have a very strong spring and I guess the packing tray is a bit different than most. Basically riggers are like everyone else they like to pack what they know if your rigger doesn't like Wings, Racer, Mirage, Reflex so on and so forth they will find a reason to say it sucks.

My opinion is to find something that fits you well and focus on the functionality of the rig not that it looks good i.e. they have the color options you want. Personally I'm not a quasar II fan but it has nothing to do with color options and everything to do with metal in the reserve flaps to ensure they open.

Find a trusted rigger or gear dealer that works with several manufactures, they can then lay the pros/cons out for you and then you can make a decision based on functionality/safety rather than if they have your favorite color or not.

[SkyChimp 0]

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The sky hook system is definatley innovative, but if there is a canopy collision I think I would want a little more seperation. Whatever happened to the ole' trusty left hand? Use it or lose it. Plus a little freefall and ground rush after a cutaway is good stuff!

I see your point. I like the skyhook because of canopy collisions at altitudes below 600 feet. If I'm not mistaken within the past year or so, there was a canopy collission close to 500 feet and the guy with the skyhook lived while the other jumper died due to the time involved with the pilot chute launch from the reserve.

I am hoping someone can provide feedback on the Mirage system too.

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[SkyChimp 0]

That was great feedback!!! Thank you.

I do like the Quasar II but you are right, the metal spring system was a horrible design. The good news is that Strong no longer uses those and the other Quasars were fixed under service bulletin 26. I will talk with other riggers and call to some other larger DZ's as well.

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[jumpwally 0]

I would say all NEW rigs are freefly friendly, no ?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[2shay 0]

vector 3, I love mine and it is the safest rig on the market in my opinion. Voodoo does not quite have the quality as would vector 3, mirage or infinity. your rigger will hate you if you have a wings. They are not fun to pack. If money is tight I would probably go with an infinity, infinity has high quality and great customer service. Some places have good deals on vector 3's though. Mirage is typically at the top of the price line. They are good, but I would take a vector 3 before that and maybe even an infinity depending on which was more comfortable between the mirage and infinity. Thats my 2 cents. Good luck.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[DSE 5]

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vector 3, I love mine and it is the safest rig on the market in my opinion. Voodoo does not quite have the quality as would vector 3, mirage or infinity.

Really??? Data please. Prove your point. I've owned a Mirage and currently own two Voodoo. I'd certainly like to see data supporting that the Voodoo doesn't have equal or superior quality to the Vector 3, etc.

[trigger 0]

They're all good.
Currently jumping a G4 all mods...great rig, but hopefully taking delivery of a V3 Mircon within 2wks..
Pretty much comes down to what you like

.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

[cloudtramp 0]

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Mirage sucks

You suck

I love my mirage's !!!! best rig on the market! period!

Wings are for dorks, losers, and posers!

[theonlyski 8]

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Really??? Data please. Prove your point. I've owned a Mirage and currently own two Voodoo. I'd certainly like to see data supporting that the Voodoo doesn't have equal or superior quality to the Vector 3, etc.

Would that be Voodi?

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[hackish 8]

I think all the rigs mentioned are good quality. There are certain ones I like packing more than others. I think all the major rigs on the market today are safe enough for me to jump and have the track record to show that.

Quality of construction, material used and all the extras seem to be the major differences. Some rigs do offer extras like the skyhook, magnetic riser covers etc, while others offer type 13 webbing instead of type 7. Personally, I am ordering a vector 3 with the skyhook and magnets.

-Michael

[airgord 1]

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vector 3, I love mine and it is the safest rig on the market in my opinion. Voodoo does not quite have the quality as would vector 3, mirage or infinity. your rigger will hate you if you have a wings. They are not fun to pack. If money is tight I would probably go with an infinity, infinity has high quality and great customer service. Some places have good deals on vector 3's though. Mirage is typically at the top of the price line. They are good, but I would take a vector 3 before that and maybe even an infinity depending on which was more comfortable between the mirage and infinity. Thats my 2 cents. Good luck.

What do you base your opinion on concerning the Voodoo?

[SkyChimp 0]

This is all great feedback. I need to get in the sadle with some of these rigs and test jump them.

Does anyone else find it funny that we made a SPORT out of an EMERGENCY PROCEDURE?!?!

[Travman 6]

I had a voodoo and now I have a mirage g4. There are parts of each I like better than the other, the riser covers on the mirage are much better than the voodoo. I found the voodoo was much easier to pack - I find everything on the mirage such as settings the breaks much more fiddly than the voodoo. Also the toggle keepers on the voodoo were a much better system, but the dive loops on the mirage are much better.
So I can't really say which is better, they both have strengths and weaknesses.

[Sangi 0]

Yey brand wars... People will always say that the product they're using is the best and everything else pretty much sucks..

Go and try those containers for yourself to see which one you like best..

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

[2shay 0]

I have seen many voodoos that look like they have way more jumps put on them than they actually have. I think the material just does not stand up or may just appear that it does not stand up as well. That is what I based my opininon on. I also know someone who has well over 13,000 jumps who used to jump a voodoo all the time. He can't even bring himself to sell it now because of two hd premature deployments. I also have another friend who says his is comfy and solid rig, but he feels also that the quality is a step below other manufacter's. Once more that is my opinion, you may not agree, but oh well.

don't try your bullshit with me!!!

[DSE 5]

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I think the material just does not stand up or may just appear that it does not stand up as well. .

Strange...they use the same spec material (in fact in some cases, same exact material) as other rig manufacturers.
As far as "you have friends of friends of friends who say".....
There is a reason that Voodoos are the choice of many pro skydivers.
Comfort? That's subjective. I happen to think the Voodoo is the most comfortable rig I've ever worn, and I've jumped almost every rig brand out there except JumpShack's products....Still own a Mirage. It's comfy, but my Voodoo's are more comfy, but "comfy" is an opinion.
I don't accept your story of two HD premies. Most of us know what an HD premie can do...and those stories usually don't stay quiet even if they don't end up in the incident forum.
Again, cite evidence rather than opinion that Voodoo's are made with lesser quality material, parts, or workmanship (as you claim in your original post).

Most rigs out there are very well made, and the price you pay for them reflects the quality of parts, time invested in manufacturing, design, comfort, life-expectancy, and warranty on the product.
To the OP, a Voodoo *does* cost a small bit more once you start adding options. So does a Ferrari. As does anything else worth owning long-term. Voodoo's hold their resale value very well too.

The only thing I don't care for on most Voodoos is that the VooDoo "eye" can become worn on the edge applique stitching. I avoided this by having my Voodoo eye embroidered vs stitched. Looks brand new after several hundred jumps. Customer service should also figure into your decision process. I had two cutaways within a week; Rigging Innovations had me up in the air the next day. After the second cutaway (both packer induced) RI recommended a "cutway kit" since I travel so much. Kit, Gordon, Brenda, Sandy, Margaret are all awesome people and when you help; they're there.
And I feel most of the other rig manufacturers are pretty good too. FWIW, the only negative experience I've had with a gear manufacturer was Sunpath, and they rectified the problem roughly a year later.


http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=105116;

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=105115;
In this second pic, the main is a SabreII150, so it's a little overstuffed)

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=105113;

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

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After the second cutaway (both packer induced) RI recommended a "cutway kit" since I travel so much.

What's in the "cutaway kit"?

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[DSE 5]

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After the second cutaway (both packer induced) RI recommended a "cutway kit" since I travel so much.

What's in the "cutaway kit"?

Spare Freebag, PC just in case mine can't be recovered (I have one that is perfectly visible, just high in a tree at Pepperell).
I'm sure they can toss a cutaway cable and reserve handle/cable if you want them.
Oh, and I think for a small extra charge of $1.25, they give you a dollar for cab fare and a quarter for a pay phone.
I love that when you call to order a bag, PC, or other post-cutaway part, Kit aways asks if you need new handles cuz, well...y'know....some folks just "forget" that they lost em'.
Gotta reiterate again...their customer service is just as famous as say.....L&B. Which was one of the major factors in my decision process.