Skydiving and BASE canopy packing, D-bag?

[autoset 0]

Ok I'm prepared to be bashed one more time because of my dumb questions but here I go!

I've read one of the modifications you should do if you want to convert a Skydiving rig into a BASE rig is remove the D-bag, I'm guessing it's because this modification leads to faster openings.(?)

Then why is it exactly that we do use a D-bag for Skydiving?(apart from keeping the all lines in place)

What if you skydived without one? Does being in terminal velocity have something critical to do? Really hard openings? Faster canopy/lines damage?

I'm just guessing a few reasons out of my head but don't know if these are correct, that's why I ask.

[billvon 2,989]

>Then why is it exactly that we do use a D-bag for Skydiving?
>(apart from keeping the all lines in place)

BASE jumping and skydiving are two very different sports. BASE jumpers want very reliable, rapid, on-heading openings at low airspeeds. Skydivers want soft openings at high airspeeds, and they want their rigs to be easier to pack reliably.

Note that a freepack generally uses a tailpocket to help ensure control of lines during deployment. (i.e. it "keeps the lines in place.")

>What if you skydived without one?

Can be done. CRW jumpers do it all the time, since their goals are somewhat similar to BASE jumpers. At least one older reserve was packed this way, using a diaper instead of a deployment bag.

[diablopilot 2]

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Can be done. CRW jumpers do it all the time, since their goals are somewhat similar to BASE jumpers. At least one older reserve was packed this way, using a diaper instead of a deployment bag.

The X210R?

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[flydude 0]

Actually I have thought about the same thing, without using the energy to really ask it...

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BASE jumping and skydiving are two very different sports. BASE jumpers want very reliable, rapid, on-heading openings at low airspeeds. Skydivers want soft openings at high airspeeds, and they want their rigs to be easier to pack reliably.

BASE jumping is done at high speeds as well. Jumping of, for example, Trollveggen with its 1700 m / 5500 ft, you get terminal velocity, but they still dont use any bag..

A skydiver's famous last words:
- Hey! Hold my beer, and watch this...!
- If that guy can do it, so can I...!
- In 9 out of 10 this will work out just fine. Don't worry about it...!

[NickDG 23]

There are thousands of terminal BASE jumps being made throughout the world. And a D-bag still isn't used.

There are many reasons for the differences between the gear in BASE and skydiving, and much of it too nuanced to offer up here without lengthy explanation.

Simply put, BASE works as well as it does because of something I call the, "BASE Triangle."

Simple Gear – Easy Task – Major Commitment

Simple Gear - The root reliability of modern BASE equipment stems from using a minimalist approach. In short, parachutes are very reliable devices until you start layering in more steps between activation and full deployment.

Easy Task – BASE jumps are not complicated by aircraft emergencies, other jumpers to collide with, or using the gear outside its design element.

Major Commitment – The average BASE jumper packing a BASE rig, does so with a skill level that approaches, and often exceeds, parachute rigger standards.

NickD BASE 194

[billvon 2,989]

>The X210R?

I was thinking of the Hobbit, but there may well be others.

[rhys 0]

I'm no rigger but i would have thought that it would depend more on the container it was going into than what the canopy is?

I have seen a hobbit in a D-bag and you have mentioned it can be packed without.

So wouldn't the defining factor would be what container it goes into?

I'm sure my old Maveric could be packed into a base rig (with a pocket attached) and would work. but i'm fucked if i would jump the old rag that way! it is still my baby though

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[Thijs 0]

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Then why is it exactly that we do use a D-bag for Skydiving?(apart from keeping the all lines in place)

The main reason for using a D-bag is to keep the lines in place, and to avoid that the canopy starts to inflate prior to linestretch.
If your canopy starts to inflate prior to linestretch, you can get severly hard openings. With the D-bag this is simple not possible, unless ofcourse the stows come loose prematurely. Do a search for "line dump" I think it is called.

The same thing is accomplised in a base rig, just with another method (tailpocket).
If you don't use a D-bag, it is also not possible to have a baglock. A baglock isn't that great of a deal in skydiving, since you still have your reserve.

Also, try to pack a new ZP canopy in a container without a D-bag. You'll understand the benefit of using D-bags in skydiving .

I'm not a fan of converting Skydiving rigs into BASE rigs. There are really good BASEspecific rigs, so why use a not so good modified skydive rig?