getting a new micron please help with container size :/

[Veritas. 0]

Alright fellow skydivers i am fairly new in the sport and now its time for me to buy a new rig. i need your help ha! i am looking at getting a micron and trying to figure what will work best for me. i am trying to figure out if anyone knows what pilot or pd 150 or 140 main canopies have the least amount of pack volume, because thats about where my experience level is at. i have been looking at the v310 vector container and it looks like it might work, but it would be nice to have the v308. trying to figure this out has been hard so i thought i would ask all you pros out there for your help. i am going with that size container because i do not want to go smaller than a OP 143 reserve but still trying to get the smallest container possible which is the 310 and 308. i also want it to last me a long time so i can down size as much as i can on it when the time comes. so if anyone can help me with that it would be awesome!!

[pilotdave 0]

You're buying a brand new rig and you're choosing your canopies based on what will pack smallest? Seems backwards to me. Choose the canopies you want, and buy a rig that will hold them. If you downsize slowly, the rig will last a long, long time.

Dave

[Psychonaut 0]

Pulse will pack pretty small.. especially compared to the same size pilot.

But +1 to above..

Stay high pull low

[billvon 3,009]

> but still trying to get the smallest container possible

Why? Why would you buy a container at a low experience level that:

1) is a pain in the ass to pack
2) will be harder for your rigger to pack
3) will not look very good
4) will overstress grommets/stiffeners and
5) will push you into canopies you may not be ready for?

If you want a new container, buy one that will fit the canopies you can land safely, right now. Then if you downsize it will be easy to pack and will look good.

Better yet buy a used container that will fit your canopies. In a few years after you've downsized, buy new.

[Veritas. 0]

i want to buy a pilot but i just want more ideas on what canopies are out there

[chutingstar 1]

With most 150 mains and an Optimum 143, you'll want the V310. A V308 with an Optimum 143 is really tight...a 150 won't fit in the V308 very well, unless you go with a low-bulk main like the Pulse or ZPX Pilot.

Regardless, the V310 would be the best choice for what you are looking to do. You can still downsize later, if needed.

Mike

ChutingStar.com

[Veritas. 0]

i know you are right about that. i want it to be safe and the best i can get at the moment thats all. i am not going to go beyond my experience. i do not want to rush or get hurt i just want to make sure it is right and will work for a long time. they are really pricy you know haha! thanks for the advise though

[Veritas. 0]

do you think a 150 pilot zpx will fit in that v308? just wondering... i will not go out and buy it like that if its way to tight

[chutingstar 1]

Quote

do you think a 150 pilot zpx will fit in that v308? just wondering... i will not go out and buy it like that if its way to tight

Yes, but you would have a rock hard rig between the Optimum 143 and ZPX Pilot 150. Not fun to pack...V310 would still be the better choice.

Mike

ChutingStar.com

[skybytch 273]

Quote

Why? Why would you buy a container at a low experience level that:

1) is a pain in the ass to pack
2) will be harder for your rigger to pack
3) will not look very good
4) will overstress grommets/stiffeners and
5) will push you into canopies you may not be ready for?

Because small containers are sexy. It's only logical that people who jump them get lots of sex. That's way more important than any of the stuff you mentioned.

Geez Bill, you've been around long enough to know that.

[Veritas. 0]

what do you think i should do then? i just want to make sure i buy something that will last a long time thats all... i want to have fun and be safe and get some input so i can make the right decision

[Veritas. 0]

thank you for your advise i think that would be a good choice so far

[Psychonaut 0]

Buy a used container sized for the canopy you need at this point in time. After you plateau off from downsizing, then look into a new container.

Stay high pull low

[skyshimas 0]

I am not gonna talk about your readyness to fly 150 at 100 jumps its not my job to teach you the right thing. I never seen you land nor I know your weight so lets get on topic here.
I owned micron 310 which is seized for 150 tight fit and I squeezed in my sabre 170 at the time. It was really tight but doable plus I was a packer so it maybe was easier for me than whoud have been other wise. Chart indicates that it is seized for 135 tight fit so you maybe able to fit 150, but the question is if it is worth the effort? I understand everyone wants that small cool looking rig but sometimes its just not worth the hussel to have it.
V308 Width A 10"
Width B 11"
Length 16"
Thickness 5.5"
V310 Width A 10"
Width B 11"
length 17.5"
Thickness 5.5"
you see its just a little longer only by 1.5". When I looked at the chart I saw there is a micron 309. Maybe it is a good option for you. 309 is shorter than 310 by 0.5".
So I think it is possible to squeeze 150 in the 308 but it's is gonna be really really tight. Good luck with your choice! I think if you end up going with 308 it could very well be the last rig you ever need to buy unless the other coolness moment strikes again and you decide to get 306 hehe.

[cmdrjay1 0]

You don't want to have a full fitting reserve and a full fitting main. Your rigger won't be thrilled, and you won't enjoy stuffing your main in there. The 310 is still a small looking rig, and you will have lots of downsizes left. You can go all the way down to 119-120, and don't forget about going elliptical down the road.

The 309 might work for you also:
http://www.unitedparachutetechnologies.com/PDF/Sizing-Chart.pdf

[davelepka 4]

If you are currently shopping for a rig that will hold a 150 main, then this will probably not be your last container. If you're buying a 150 main with under 200 jumps, you're either very light or into jumping canopies at higher wingloadings.

If you're light, you'll end up on a small canopy just to get a 'sporty' wingloading out of it, the type you might want after 4 or 5 years of jumping. At this point, guess what? New container.

If you like higher wingloadings, you'll end up jumping a much smaller canopy, so you can swoop like the cool kids. Guess what? New container.

What to do about it now? Buy a size bigger than the 310 (311? That's a band. 312 maybe?) and have a rig that's easy for you to pack, and will hold a one size up reserve.

Here's the deal on container sizes - unless you have one of the three smallest rigs on the DZ, nobody, and I mean NOBODY will notice what size rig you have. You can't even see your rig when you're wearing it, and nobody else is really checking you out so hard that they spot a V308 over a V310.

The only people who might notice are the really experienced jumpers or the riggers. Both groups will also notice an over-stuffed rig, and a guy who's trying to hard to look 'cool'.

You're still a few steps away from your smallest container, so just purchase something that's practical, and makes sense. Get a container that you (or your packer) can easily pack 10 times a day in the summer heat. Enjoy it while you can, and trade it in for a fancy new one with all the latest features a rig has to offer 4 or 5 years from now. You'll be happier now and happier when you trade up.

And really, look for a used rig. The size container you need is pretty average, and there should be a great selection of newer, low milage rigs to choose from. You can literally save $1000 or $1200 over the price of a new rig, and that would be MUCH better spent on jumps (or a Cypres if you don't already have one).

[tjm 0]

Buy used, use aad & helmet money on jumps, downsize as fast as you can, pull low, and have fun.

C'mon guys, use common sense and ask the people you are jumping with. A.K.A not a forum. If you want to downsize rapidly then do so and don't post it online. We'll find out in either an accident forum or in the top results of a competition post. Either way good luck, and oh yeah, pull low. And if you go in, please do so with good form.

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

[Skydivesg 7]

If you buy a Pilot make sure you get the ZPX or you'll have a hell of a time trying to get into either of those rigs.