is it wise to buy a Pilot 188 with 120 reserve?

[CloudyHead 0]

(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy. Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

[dragon2 2]

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(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy. Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

You want to find yourself low, landing out, with adrenaline up to your ears after your first cutaway, having to land the tiniest canopy you ever jumped at probably a pro - to expert level wingloading, go right ahead and buy that combo.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[CloudyHead 0]

okay cool. I like Get Well cards anyway...

[Rugby82 0]

Totally agree with dragon2. Get a reserve that is similar or even bigger than your main. There's enough stress involved after a cutaway and you don't want even more stress hanging under your reserve.

Blue skies!

[flashvortx 0]

I have a Pilot 168 with a 200 reserve. Main and reserve don't have to be the same size (68 sq ft is probably a bit too big of a difference), but obviously you need to be proficient with both sizes/wing loadings. A 120 canopy is considered by a lot of people to be in the high performance category even for very light people. As always, talk with some instructors at your DZ before you invest in any gear.

[potatoman 0]

"assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase"

Means, you are able to jump 190's, not 120's, let alone a 7cell, and that your brake lines are probably not set to the correct length etc.

Container would look funny though, fat "ass" container.

NO, not a good idea.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[DaVinciflies 0]

Whatever reasons you can think of to not go smaller than a 188 main will apply equally (probably more so) to your choice of reserve.

IMO a reserve should be bigger than your main to allow for jumping an unfamiliar canopy at a high stress time.

[degeneration 5]

What container is actually designed for a 188 main and 120 reserve any how? Surely there aren't any like that?

Sky Switches - Affordable stills camera tongue switches and conversion adaptors, supporting various brands of camera (Canon, Sony, Nikon, Panasonic).

[piisfish 140]

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What container is actually designed for a 188 main and 120 reserve any how? Surely there aren't any like that?

yes there are rigs designed for that kind of difference, think Style + Accuracy rigs with a BIG main, but still wanting to have a smaller reserve. Of course you need to be able to fly/land/be competent with the smaller reserve parachute too.

BUt indeed, NO would be the correct answer to the original question.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[popsjumper 2]

Buy the rig with the reserve size in mind first. And buy it for what you NEED NOW, not what you may want in the future. THEN think about main size.

A 120 reserve would NOT serve you well at this point.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Andy9o8 2]

Is there a specific reason or scenario why you're asking this, or is it strictly a hypothetical?
(Not a trick question; we know you're a student and soaking up new knowledge.)

[hokierower 0]

Yikes, 9-cell zp main to a 7-cell F-111 reserve while downsizing 70sf, all in 3 seconds...that makes me shudder just thinking about it.

I only thought that containers were made for similar sized main/reserve canopies, besides the Wings EXT.

Heed the wisdom of the experienced jumpers.

[JohanW 0]

There's the PdF Atom 00, 170 main 128 reserve .. I unrecommend them to everyone.
(Dragon2 is familiar with this one as well.)

OP, would you consider demoing that reserve under ideal conditions? You can, you know.
Highly recommended, demoing a reserve as a main ..

Johan.
I am. I think.

[winsor 236]

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(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy. Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

I have a 99 main with a 218 reserve.

By the time I yank silver, I have had enough excitement for the time being. I want something overhead that is likely to keep me alive if I can't steer well or at all (think knocked unconscious or a kicked collarbone on exit or in freefall).

In addition, being able to sink it into whatever places are available to land is a good thing.

I have gone to Plan B on a variety of occasions, and have yet to look up and say "I could have gone smaller."

Regardless of what you jump for a main, a nylon overcast is the way to go for a reserve.


BSBD,

Winsor

[beowulf 1]

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okay cool. I like Get Well cards anyway...

It could be condolence card to your family that you leave behind. Do you like those too?

[DSE 5]

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(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy. Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

You have the basic idea down. You've already had a challenged jump; now you'll compound that excitement attempting to land something nearly half the size of the main you've been jumping. Add that you might be landing off or at least in an unfamiliary area of the DZ, potentially with a downwind landing, and while your reserve *may* have saved your life, the risk of broken legs, wrist, back, pelvis might make you wish you'd had a bigger reserve.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy.

It's an exceedingly bad idea.

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Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

Both canopies should be large enough to land you safely.

Given people's tendency to land reserves in less than ideal situations (like when unconscious after an AAD fire without a flare, otherwise injured, off the drop zone, etc.) when not current (about 1 in 600 jumps is a reserve ride) the reserve should usually be at least as large as the main.

At low wingloadings, they end up at the same size.

At high wingloadings the reserve should be much larger. I have a 150 reserve and 105 main, and could go larger on the reserve.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

One way to think about this is to pick the reserve that you want to land you without any input from you. Which canopy will take best care of you if left completely unattended?

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[-ftp- 0]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=114936;d=1

This one??

[phoenixlpr 0]

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(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy. Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

You choice might not fly together in any other configuration than down-plane in case of two-out.

[dragon2 2]

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Quote

(assuming i have transitioned down to 190's by the date of purchase)

I think the only thing worse than shitting myself during emergency procedures is shitting myself realizing i have to land such a small canopy. Is there something i'm missing here? Shouldn't both canopies be relatively the same size?

You choice might not fly together in any other configuration than down-plane in case of two-out.

I really don't buy the 2out argument for getting same-size canopies. I HAVE had a 2out with a student main & reserve and they still downplaned all by themselves. And no way is my vengeance 135 going to play nice with any size reserve anyway.

So, my advice always is to get a reserve you can land safely in a challenging situation, ie, not smaller than the smallest main you are comfortable jumping and preferably bigger.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[dragon2 2]

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let alone a 7cell, and that your brake lines are probably not set to the correct length etc.

While your general post is correct, what do your brakelines and a reserve being a 7cell have anything to do with this issue?
I've never heard of anyone re-setting the brake length on a reserve, and 7cells are quite common as main canopies too (spectre, triathlon etc) and are really not that much harder to land than a 9cell - in fact a lot of people think they are easier to land.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[NWFlyer 2]

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I really don't buy the 2out argument for getting same-size canopies. I HAVE had a 2out with a student main & reserve and they still downplaned all by themselves. And no way is my vengeance 135 going to play nice with any size reserve anyway.

So, my advice always is to get a reserve you can land safely in a challenging situation, ie, not smaller than the smallest main you are comfortable jumping and preferably bigger.

This, plus the odds of finding yourself under a reserve by itself are much higher than finding yourself under both canopies at the same time.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[dragon2 2]

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I really don't buy the 2out argument for getting same-size canopies. I HAVE had a 2out with a student main & reserve and they still downplaned all by themselves. And no way is my vengeance 135 going to play nice with any size reserve anyway.

So, my advice always is to get a reserve you can land safely in a challenging situation, ie, not smaller than the smallest main you are comfortable jumping and preferably bigger.

This, plus the odds of finding yourself under a reserve by itself are much higher than finding yourself under both canopies at the same time.

Totally correct. I forgot to add that

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[CloudyHead 0]

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http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=114936;d=1

This one??

I was just about to post the link, but you beat me to it! Yes this was the rig i was interested in. I was very interested in a Pilot 190 to begin with, so when i saw this rig my eyes lit up. But then i saw the 120 reserve.. hah. no thanks..