realwildone2 0 #1 September 12, 2003 I recently ordered a Mirage G4. Custom colors and stainless hardware, the works. I did a lot of research on the rig and as a freeflyer really liked the safety features relative to pin/bridle protection and riser security in addition to a quicker turn-around time to manufacture. My question to the "owners" of G4's is: How do you like the rig/quality and are there any things that you don't like about the design or performance? Basically, what are your pros and cons, likes and dislikes on the overall design/application. I will be taking my main(spectre 170) and reserve (pd 160) and cypres to my rigger for installation as soon as the rig shows up. I think I made a good decision for freeflying. My other rig is a J4. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marks 0 #2 September 12, 2003 i like the rig it is very comfy... but the price is wayyyyyyyyyy too much Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realwildone2 0 #3 September 12, 2003 I hear ya! I'm a stickler for quality, especially when i'm attached to it. I am looking forward to getting it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marks 0 #4 September 12, 2003 there is other rig manfacturers out there that have very good rigs.....VECTOR. JAVALIN. ect...... who make very good rigs at a cheaper cost ... to you... the consumer! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #5 September 12, 2003 What makes you think a Javelin is any cheaper. The base retail price on an new Odyssey is $1899, thats before articulation and a hackey handle. Plus if you order today, you'll wait 26+ weeks to get it. Mirages are ready and delivered in less than 5 weeks. Now which one is the better deal? Oh yeah, Infinitys are nice too!---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blahr 0 #6 September 12, 2003 Cant say anything about the mirage except that they look nice :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AntiPinkChrissy 0 #7 September 12, 2003 I got at G4 at the beginning of the summer and love it. The backpad is really comfortable, the cut in laterals are comfortable and the pin protection is awesome. I have no complaints, I have an MXS, and I love that it is not very long, it sits very well in the small of my back. I received excellent customer service and would definitley deal with Mirage again. ~La La Gang Member #2~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shivon 0 #8 September 12, 2003 I've had mine for about 4 months. The quality is very, very, nice. The tie-dye finish is fantastic. VERY comfy both in the plane and under canopy. I think my sizes are similar to you, as I have a Sabre2 170 as my main, and a 155 reserve. The DZ is jealous as hell. If there was anything I could change - and it is a very minor thing - it would be how the excess brake toggle line is stowed. It just looks a bit 'messy' to me. My rigger showed me a slightly different way of stowing them, and I am now happy with the result. I did a lot of shopping around before I chose the G4. One thing I had to overcome was a perception out there that Mirage has (or at least used to have) big customer service problems. I have had to deal with them once since getting the rig (to send out a replacement part that I had damaged on a bad landing), and they were excellent. Immediate reply, flexible to what I wanted, and I was jumping again in 2 weeks. Not bad considering I am on the other side of the world from Florida. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rigging65 0 #9 September 12, 2003 IMO...they're over-built, over-engineered, over-priced and not very rigger friendly...but at least you'll be a cool-guy if you get one!! "...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there you have been, and there you long to return..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #10 September 12, 2003 QuoteIMO...they're over-built, over-engineered, over-priced and not very rigger friendly...but at least you'll be a cool-guy if you get one!! Over built/over engineered? Definitely. Not exactly a bad thing, IMO. Over priced? Hard to say...it's a piece of life support equipment..so I can't really say it's overpriced if I am going to jump one...my life is worth much more than any rig. Not rigger friendly? How so? I'm not at all familiar with the G4, but I have a G3 that I love. The primary reason I went with Mirage when I got this rig 2 years ago is because I wanted a container that would hold a decent sized reserve for my exit weight(200 or so) and my main. All the rigs I was looking at would require a PD-126 or 143 reserve, and I wanted a 160. My choices were Mirage or Racer - maybe Reflex too, I don't recall if they will build rigs to spec or not. I ended up with the M3X, sized for a 160 reserve, 120 main combo. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rigging65 0 #11 September 12, 2003 QuoteOver built/over engineered? Definitely. Not exactly a bad thing, IMO. Over priced? Hard to say...it's a piece of life support equipment..so I can't really say it's overpriced if I am going to jump one...my life is worth much more than any rig. Not rigger friendly? How so? I'm not at all familiar with the G4, but I have a G3 that I love. The primary reason I went with Mirage when I got this rig 2 years ago is because I wanted a container that would hold a decent sized reserve for my exit weight(200 or so) and my main. All the rigs I was looking at would require a PD-126 or 143 reserve, and I wanted a 160. My choices were Mirage or Racer - maybe Reflex too, I don't recall if they will build rigs to spec or not. I ended up with the M3X, sized for a 160 reserve, 120 main combo. Over-engineering and over-building are not necessarily a good thing. In this case it results in a much heavier rig. Why? Because the amount of ballistic cloth needed to get the "shape" of the rig adds much weight...and cost. Do you know how expensive ballistic is?? It's very difficult to get a rig to take a nice shape...it takes long hours of design and redesign. Or you force the rig into shape by making it stiff...and heavy as a result. And regardless of how stiff you make it, if you overstuff it, the bad geometry shows through. This isn't usually true on a rig with sound geometry to begin with. The fact is, there have been several rigs built over the years that hand very good flap geometry and didn't need all that extra stiffener. The Talon II was an excellent example...as was the Vector II. There are others as well, but what all these rigs have in common is very good engineering. With that, you don't need to "make it work" by using ballistic. As for over priced....since when does price reflect anything about the function of an item??? All an expensive price means is that there are either a) expensive components in the item b) there is expensive advertising for the item that you, the consumer, are paying for and/or c) the mfg. feels the market will absorb the extra costs, so their is simply more available profit (sometimes referred to as market gouging). I don't think that any of the Mirage rigs are rigger friendly at all. They're very stiff, which makes getting them under a sewing machine very difficult. They use very complicated bits (especially in the Unysin harness) that simply don't need to be that complicated. And the rig is shaped so fat at the bottom that we have to place it against a wall to close the reserve flaps, or it scoots across the carpet (that happens to be a favorite prank for my riggers to play on new riggers without much experience...they travel all over the room trying to stay on top of the rig as they close it...it's comical! ) I have nothing against Mirage as a company. They make a fine rig and have good customer service. I happen not to like the rig very much for the reasons I've listed above, but there is nothing wrong with it. I take issue with the fact that the world seems to buy in so easily to print advertising. Obviously the Mirage Marketing department is doing their job better than other companies though! Look, I'm an opinionated guy, and in my opinion the rig is over-built and over-priced, that's all. If you like them, more power to you! Have fun and be safe...but be informed before you buy something based on advertising hype! "...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there you have been, and there you long to return..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hookitt 1 #12 September 12, 2003 Quote(that happens to be a favorite prank for my riggers to play on new riggers without much experience...they travel all over the room trying to stay on top of the rig as they close it Yeah I do that too That's not very nice My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #13 September 12, 2003 QuoteI don't think that any of the Mirage rigs are rigger friendly at all. The G3 reserve system is similar, except for one less flap, to the VIII, which is also a nice rig and rigger-friendly. Quote And the rig is shaped so fat at the bottom that we have to place it against a wall to close the reserve flaps, or it scoots across the carpet Put a weight bag under the reserve, it levels it out and takes pressure off the reserve-closing loop. This means less wear on the loop during closing. I use this trick on every reserve I pack. For the PC, I put the pull up cord in my teeth, a stainless steel knee plate on top of the PC, weight bag under the reserve container, and compress the PC in one shot. Skycat has a G3 MXS that I pack a PD-113R into. Not a difficult pack job. The reserve PC spring is stiff (a good thing if she uses it), but it isn't too long so as to make it unmanage-able. A less-stiff spring would make it more rigger-friendly, at the cost of how well the PC launches. Not a good trade off, I think. I like the large-hole mesh on the reserve PC. The Talon has a very long reserve PC spring, which makes it difficult to manage. Compressing it while trying to tuck the fabric inside the spring evenly, without the base moving or getting the fabric caught in the pull up cord is tough. It does have a good launch though. Should RI make the spring shorter? Not at the cost of how well the PC launches. I'll deal with a difficult PC to pack in return for a good launch. I really like the G3 and if I ever get another rig, that would be it. Derek Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realwildone2 0 #14 September 13, 2003 I purchased mine after the research and physically seeing one that a friend bought, very nice. I liked the quality of the work and if the trade-off is a little heavier, then that's ok. You are right about cost not always a reflection of quality, but I think this case is different. Anyhow, thanks for the input. Exactly what I was looking for. Not only for my sake but my riggers too. BSKZ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ber 0 #15 September 13, 2003 I´ve my G4 for 2weeks with a spectre 150 and a pd reserve 126. I love it, its really conf. Its so small i cant pack it alone :/ Can be lots of money but for sure not expensive, if I go back for sure I buy it again. I dont have enought experience to give security opinions, but my instructor/rigger have enjoy it so much as I.Ber --------------------------------- "Who Needs Oxygen Anyway?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiverRick 0 #16 September 14, 2003 The only complaint that I ever hear is the price. The quality is excellent, the delivery time is low, customer service is good. I like my Mirage and would buy another, even if it costs an extra hundred dollars. never pull low......unless you are Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
