packing

[dida 0]

although packing lessons aren't offered at my dz, we have a rigger right down the road who offers them for free. i spent a rainy afternoon at his place, learning how to pack, and he signed off right away for my A license. in return, i just give him my business.

i'm also fortunate to have a number of very helpful packers at my dz, always offering tips and hints and asking nothing in return... but i usually throw them a few $$$ anyway.

spiral out...keep going...

[Snowbird 0]

Now, I don't know what the local dz's usual policy is, but... When I got my own gear, the attitude was basically 'You own it, you learn to pack it!' I snooped and watched the packers, asked questions, and when I did get my gear I was taught how to pack it. No $ required.

And it's required for the CSPA 'A' license.

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.
-Robert A. Heinlein

[masher 1]

Last weekend, after the last load, one of my instructors walked in and dumped his rig on the ground and asked me if I wanted to start work on my Packer B. Luckily I said no, he just wanted a self packing rig :)

I'll start on it this weekend though...

--
Arching is overrated - Marlies

[mccordia 74]

At my DZ (Paraclub Flevo - Holland) people are tought to pack from jump #1, so everyone knows how to pack a parachute and people packing for someone else for money are a rare site (there are no packers working at our club)

There was this guy that came jumping, he had 600 jumps, and had NEVER ever packed a parachute...hows that for being lazy :)

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[annaandbob 0]

We are over on the East side of the state. North of Detroit close to Lake St Clair.

[dragon2 2]

Hey Jarno :)

Myself, I learned to pack before I even made my first jump.... Kept hanging around the DZ but the weather wasn't good. So, what better time to be having a go at the manta's. Couldn't pack after I finally made my first jump tho, had the adrenaline shakes all over :) Packed my 2nd and 3rd jump that day tho, I tell you, 1001 1002 1003 eh 1004?!! Come-on!!! took on a whole new meaning... :) Way cool tho, jumping your own pack job for the first time.

Got off to a good start, but, when I bought my own gear I got a brand new spectre that had to go in a tight d-bag. I kinda gave up on that one I must admit and spent a lot of money on the packers. Now, I can pack fine for myself but I find making 4 or 5 jumps a day and also zooming around the DZ with my camera (on the ground), driving the para van etc kinda is enough to do. If I pack all my jumps I usually forget/don't have or take the time to eat and stuff. So.... call me lazy... I do make a lot of pictures tho, and sometimes I trade those for packjobs :) That's like, work for work, so that doesn't make me feel so guilty.....

By the way, everytime somebody, be it a staff packer or a student or a freelancer or sometimes another jumper, packs a student rig at our DZ he/she signs it off, so in the case of something wrong with the packjob you know who to blame...

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[mccordia 74]

The fact that I'm so pro-pack your own rig, is mainly because we don't have packers at our DZ (okay..I'm jalous:)...the few times I went to Teuge I was a lazy bitch too and just payd a packer...waay easyer..
But in the end it does cost you one jump per day if you're not a cute girl who makes pretty pictures for everyone and get free packjobs.......but again...just jalous...

Greetz,
Jarno

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?

[lilskydiver20 0]

I am only 14, but out at the dropzone where my mom skydives, we have professional packers who also jump when given a chance. I am someone who also helps back in our packing room. We have one of our packers teach the students, and they have to pack the canopy 2 or 3 times before they can be passed. And almost everyone out here packs for themselves, except for our AFF instructors. They don't have very much time to pack for themselves.

[jumpgod 0]

....i found an experienced packer and asked them to teach me on off days at the DZ. then i had experienced jumpers/riggers watch my pack jobs and asked them for advice.

mainly, i think part of the issues come with the student. the student needs to ask and make the effort. AFF instructors and coaches usually won't go that extra mile to watch and teach and beyond this, they technically aren't allowed to teach this, only parachute riggers, who actually are suppose to supervise packers...to the best of my knowledge.

packing isn't an activity to be rushed. packing also isn't an activity for kids. my buddy was just off student status and a 13 year old packed his rig.

low and behold, coming out of our 3 way, he had a line over. i call this packer error. think about it.

"dude, where's my main?"

[kallend 2,026]

If packing were fun, we wouldn't have to pay $5 or $6 to packers for them to do it - they would pay us for the privilege.

I had to learn to pack to get signed off for my "A" license, but on the rental gear I was using, I had to jump what I packed - I couldn't just pack and put it back on the shelf for someone else to jump. The cost of the rental included a pack job anyway, so there was no incentive to pack for myself.

After I got my own gear I probably packed all of the first 400 or so jumps on it.

Now I use packers during the day because I like to relax between jumps. After the last jump of the day I take the unpacked rig home and pack it at my leisure. This means I get a good look at it after each day's jumping.

Wendy F. noted that experienced jumpers have fewer mals than beginners. She attributed this to better body position. Maybe, but I've heard of a lot of low timer's cutaways that weren't really malfunctions, they just cut away because they weren't sure. A beginner *might* cut away from non-spinning line twists that experienced jumpers would kick out of. Not saying this is a bad thing, just that it may also account for the difference.

...

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