theonlyski 8 #26 May 24, 2011 QuoteNope, I set my brakes and then pick everything up. +1 Even uncollapse my slider and get most of the air out of my canopy before walking inside."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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #27 May 24, 2011 Quote Quote Nope, I set my brakes and then pick everything up. +1 Even uncollapse my slider and get most of the air out of my canopy before walking inside. Yeah but I do it with more style & grace... ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #28 May 24, 2011 Quote Quote Quote Nope, I set my brakes and then pick everything up. +1 Even uncollapse my slider and get most of the air out of my canopy before walking inside. Yeah but I do it with more style & grace... I do it with better looks. "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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #29 May 24, 2011 Quote Quote Quote Quote Nope, I set my brakes and then pick everything up. +1 Even uncollapse my slider and get most of the air out of my canopy before walking inside. Yeah but I do it with more style & grace... I do it with better looks. Well THAT ain't hard... ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #30 May 24, 2011 Quote Well THAT ain't hard... If that's what she said, ya know they make a pill for it?!"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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #31 May 24, 2011 QuoteQuoteIf you don't know how to untwist your brake lines ask a rigger or packer. You start up at the cascade and run the line thru your finger towards the toggle (like getting the kinks out of a garden hose). It helps to start above the cascade, separate the lines on the tail, then work your way down. If you just start at the cascade, you can still have a twist or two above it. Another method is to untwist them down at the toggle, where the line is fat from a fingertrap joint, because that's where you get a better grip on it. I just roll it between my fingers while looking up the line to watch the barber-pole spiral unwind. It's done all in one place, with no walking from one end to the other. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krip 2 #32 May 25, 2011 Quote Quote Quote If you don't know how to untwist your brake lines ask a rigger or packer. You start up at the cascade and run the line thru your finger towards the toggle (like getting the kinks out of a garden hose). It helps to start above the cascade, separate the lines on the tail, then work your way down. If you just start at the cascade, you can still have a twist or two above it. Another method is to untwist them down at the toggle, where the line is fat from a fingertrap joint, because that's where you get a better grip on it. I just roll it between my fingers while looking up the line to watch the barber-pole spiral unwind. It's done all in one place, with no walking from one end to the other. If people are using packers as a commen courtesy. I would also recommend untwisting the brake lines for them. & setting your brakes. Its called respect The Bees wax on the lines was old school when sq's first came out with the rope and ring reefing system. For somw reason the canopies were experiencing friction burns on the top skin of the canopy. Bee's wax was tried to prevent the burns , Silcon spray on suspension lines will reduce the coefficent of friction between the suspension lines and grommets resulting in a faster openingMost jumpers I knew always packed their rig before leaving the DZ, So they would be ready to jump the next day, week, month, or year. As long as the rig was stored in a place like Twardo described. I knew one jumper who stored his rig in a gear bag for 7 yr's in the closet. Got his reserve repacked and the rubber bands were fine. So he assumed the main rubber bands were in the same condition jumped the main as was. It worked for fine for him but YMMV.One Jump Wonder Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #33 May 25, 2011 QuoteI knew one jumper who stored his rig in a gear bag for 7 yr's in the closet. Got his reserve repacked and the rubber bands were fine. So he assumed the main rubber bands were in the same condition jumped the main as was. It worked for fine for him but YMMV. Years ago, somebody (I think PD) put the word out they were looking for reserves that had been packed for years so they could see how time effected the openings. I know they came up with some 5+ year old pack jobs, and found no appreciable increase in opening time or performance based on having been packed for years. Of course, this says nothing about the rest of the system, and these were reserves, so F-111 with no Z-po coating on the fabric. There have been stories of Z-po mains being packed for long periods of time (years), and being stuck together due to some sort of breakdown of the Z-po coating. These were all found during manual unpacking however, I cannot recall any stories of mals where a long-packed main came out like a brick and never actually opened. Who knows, there may have been several deployments of 'bricks', but they just 'un-bricked' themselves once in the airstream. The good news is that every rig needs to be I&R every 6 months, so nobody should ever have those types of problems in the sky. If you do have to go 6+ months without jumping, spring for the extra couple bucks to have your rigger I&R your main as well as your reserve, or just stop being lazy and do it yourself (some riggers actually include the main in a standard I&R). I have also seen some 'long time no see' jumpers roll into the DZ with a packed rig and take it right to the packers to have to unpacked and repacked (the main) before they jump, but that's just embarrasing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kellja2001 0 #34 May 25, 2011 QuoteI have also seen some 'long time no see' jumpers roll into the DZ with a packed rig and take it right to the packers to have to unpacked and repacked (the main) before they jump, but that's just embarrasing. Why is this embarrassing? Are we talking "Long time no see" as in, more than 6 months, or "Long time no see" as in 4 months? If its the former, OK, but the latter, I wish I'd video'd it now, but I unpacked a main following the winter shutdown (early Dec. to early Feb here) and it was a solid block. We even threw it around, and it didn't "uncube" itself... sure, 120mph winds should fix that, but I wasn't exactly keen, given as I had to pry it open with my fingers. J Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRadio 0 #35 May 25, 2011 QuoteI have also seen some 'long time no see' jumpers roll into the DZ with a packed rig and take it right to the packers to have to unpacked and repacked (the main) before they jump, but that's just embarrasing. QuoteAre we talking "Long time no see" as in, more than 6 months, or "Long time no see" as in 4 months? If its the former, OK, but the latter, I wish I'd video'd it now, but I unpacked a main following the winter shutdown (early Dec. to early Feb here) and it was a solid block. We even threw it around, and it didn't "uncube" itself... sure, 120mph winds should fix that, but I wasn't exactly keen, given as I had to pry it open with my fingers. I made some jumps over this past winter, and went just shy of 3 months from the end of fall until weather & scheduling permitted a winter jump. I didn't pay the 3 month old main pack job any mind, and it worked as it always has. Reserves are packed for months more (6 in the US, more elsewhere) and they open. Granted they're not ZP, but I am tossing fabric into some massive wind.-- Radio Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arvoitus 1 #36 May 25, 2011 QuoteQuoteI have also seen some 'long time no see' jumpers roll into the DZ with a packed rig and take it right to the packers to have to unpacked and repacked (the main) before they jump, but that's just embarrasing. Why is this embarrassing? Are we talking "Long time no see" as in, more than 6 months, or "Long time no see" as in 4 months? If its the former, OK, but the latter, I wish I'd video'd it now, but I unpacked a main following the winter shutdown (early Dec. to early Feb here) and it was a solid block. We even threw it around, and it didn't "uncube" itself... sure, 120mph winds should fix that, but I wasn't exactly keen, given as I had to pry it open with my fingers. J Its not the fact they had it repacked which is embarrasing, its the fact that they couldn't do it themselves.Your rights end where my feelings begin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #37 May 25, 2011 By "long time no see..." we mean three or four years. Anyone who jumps a main pack job that old is an idiot! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,991 #38 May 26, 2011 >Anyone who jumps a main pack job that old is an idiot! George Galloway has been dropping test rigs packed _way_ longer than that (decades) - no significant change in openings. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #39 May 26, 2011 George Galloway knows the difference between live drops versus dummy drops. You can take far greater risks (e.g. hard openings) with rubber dummies, than you could ever ask a human to take. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,991 #40 May 26, 2011 >You can take far greater risks (e.g. hard openings) with rubber dummies, >than you could ever ask a human to take. Of course. However, if it works on a dummy, it is presumed that it will work with a person - which is why dummy tests are part of the STC process. Indeed, live drops have been performed on parachutes packed over 7 years with no ill effects. I have never heard of an incident where the age alone of a pack job, absent things like mildew damage, has caused any issue with an opening. Have you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #41 May 26, 2011 QuoteYou can take far greater risks (e.g. hard openings) with rubber dummies, than you could ever ask a human to take. not in today's job market ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
