Safe to jump like this or not? (picture attached)

[peek 21]

Safe to jump this particular threading of the chest strap or not?

(I know my answer, I'm just soliciting opinions, and I'll explain later.)

I'm sure a number of you will give me more that just a yes/no answer, but the yes/no part is an important part of the question.

[moth 0]

NO because its not routed in the correct way

[Fab 0]

Don't know if it's safe or not but can't think of any reason why to route the chest strap like that. Isn't that very uncomfortable??...you have a piece of metal now pressing into your chest (normally the strap is between it if you route it normally??)

I would vote 'no' but that's just a guess. Think it will not come undone. The only issues I can think of with my limited jumpnumbers is the lack of comfort and that it will be harder to loosen or release the cheststrap (in case of a waterlanding or something? ).

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[beowulf 1]

I wouldn't route my chest strap that way. It looks like it would be too easy to undo.

[slotperfect 7]

Nope. The hardware won't bind on the webbing with it routed that way. You can grab a chest strap routed that way and pull on it - it will come completely loose.

Arrive Safely

John

[DeNReN 0]

IMHNO...hell no......looks like that would slip very easily.

[Remster 30]

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Nope. The hardware won't bind on the webbing with it routed that way. You can grab a chest strap routed that way and pull on it - it will come completely loose.

I'm not sure John...

It looks like the strap is routed correctly, but that the entire thing is twisted 180. Maybe the lip on the peice that moves inside the buckle has different gages on either side and therfore the buckle itself may not be sollicited in its strongest design, but I really dont think this setup would slip.

THAT BEING SAID, I would see that as an incorrect setup at the DZ.

Remster

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Safe to jump this particular threading of the chest strap or not?

Yes, it is. The hardware doesn't require the webbing to be threaded from one side or the other only like leg strap harware does. It will hold and won't slip any different than if it was threaded 'correctly'. It will probaqbly be a bit harder to unthread in a hurry, like for a water landing, but it'll hold just fine.

All that being said, why thread it that way?

Derek

[slotperfect 7]

I just pulled my rig out and played with that routing. Routing it exactly the way pictured, it holds fine. Therefore I would say it's a little strange, but not unsafe.

There is a way to route it such that the running end comes to rest behind the chest strap which will not hold. I don't have my digital camera with me, so all I can do is describe it:

Instead of routing the chest strap webbing behind the floating center bar and coming around the front, if you route it in front of the floating center bar first, then come around the back, that configuration will not hold. I just did it four times with my Odyssey with the Type 17 chest strap and I pulled it all the way off each time.

Arrive Safely

John

[DeNReN 0]

Is the buckle reversed?......if not then the pictured routing is just reversed of normal?

[Hooknswoop 19]

Correct, just reversed threading from normal.

Derek

[kallend 2,027]

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Correct, just reversed threading from normal.

Derek

Looks like the elastic keeper is in the wrong place. I don't see this as allowing it (the strap) to come undone, but the free end may well thrash around in freefall and become very distracting.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[DeNReN 0]

Thanks....1 more Q...is the buckle designed to hold better routed the normal way? .... or does it make no differance at all?


Sorry for the newb Q's...havent had a rig in my hands sence Oct. and my new one isnt being shipped till May

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Thanks....1 more Q...is the buckle designed to hold better routed the normal way? .... or does it make no differance at all?

This buckle will hold the same either way (there are a couple of ways of routing it that it won't hold at all), but be aware that other buckles will not hold right if not threaded exactly right.

Derek

[Hooknswoop 19]

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Looks like the elastic keeper is in the wrong place.

The rig is a Mirage, which comes with an extra elastic keeper on the other side of the buckle. The rig either has the keeper out of view on the chest strap or is missing the keeper the rig came with on the chest strap.

Derek

[larsrulz 0]

Gary got me with this on saturday. To answer your question: "is the buckle designed to hold better routed the normal way?" The answer is no, but check out leg straps on a rig. They are not symmetric, they even have non-symmetric binding roughness, so you wouldn't want to do legstraps like this, but this chest strap will hold just as well as the correct way. My only complaint to Gary was that it's hard for other jumpers to check to make sure it's threaded correctly. If you don't mind a couple questions from people as they get used to it, then no harm.

I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF

[Scrumpot 1]

So long as the strap goes (in either direction) 1st over the buckle frame, then under & AROUND the tensioner, I don't see any problem with it. It's just "inverse" (facing in) rather than facing out (as if a "mirror image" is all, correct?

I would think that this configuration, although at 1st glance "unconventional' would be "safe to jump". I'll be interested to see your (definitive) answer now Gary though.

THANKS! ...A good one (I think ...unless of course I am now "busted" )
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[AggieDave 6]

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I would think that this configuration, although at 1st glance "unconventional' would be "safe to jump".

I disagree.

Have a friend route backwards like that, then reach up to the MLWs and pull them outward. It slides apart.

Now route the chest strap correctly and do the same, it doesn't move.

I'd rather not depend on the folded over piece of webbing to stick to keep the chest strap from coming all the way undone.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Hooknswoop 19]

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I disagree.

Dave- try it, it won't slip routed like that any more than routing it 'correctly' will slip. You are thinking of a different routing whereas the webbing doesn't run across the top of the friction bar, pushing it down on the webbing, cinching it tight. The way it is routed in the pics will hold fine. You could not pull the M/L/W's apart routed like it is in the pics.

Derek

Derek

[AggieDave 6]

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You could not pull the M/L/W's apart routed like it is in the pics.

Ok, then I guess you're right that I looked at the pics wrong. I'll try it out on Wed when I'm at the DZ again.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[tdog 0]

As hooknswoop said... Regardless if it holds, what about a quick release in case of water landings or if you are stuck in a tree... If it held, and if it was "approved" by the powers that be, I would want to practice undoing it a few times for giggles.

[bmcd308 0]

No. There will be much less friction at the adapter.

Edited to Add: Even looking back at it again after reading the other posts, it still appears to me that there will be less friction. I realize I could be wrong, but I'll hold what I've got for the moment.


Edited again to add: I guess you are right. Applying tension to the strap would pinch the webbing at the running end just the same.

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www.jumpelvis.com

[Hooknswoop 19]

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No. There will be much less friction at the adapter.

Try it- same amount of friction.

Derek

[Hooknswoop 19]

So, what do I win?

Derek

[kelpdiver 2]

seems like the friction should be the same, but you give up whatever value the catch at the end of the webbing offers. So the elastic keeper wouldn't snag, but still would seem too fat to easily go through the buckles.

But awkward. I'm still adjusting to the wings buckle being on the left instead of the right side. I'm siding with safe if there's no water nearby.