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Nothing against Johnny, but the credit in Parachutist says "Peter Wiedemann took this shot of Scott Palmer, Josh Aikins and Dan Drage posing as former United States presidents on a jump over Skydive Ogden in Utah." Did Parachutist get it wrong? (they have before) Bryan

Can you believe that the NPS arrested some paragliders awhile back and charged them with aerial delivery just for kiting their canopies in Tuolomne Meadows? If I remember correctly, it may have been posted here on this forum. Bryan

Tom Aiello and I spent 3 days trying to jump that exit point in 2002. Scary, scary, scary launch and deployment. Did I mention that it was a scary exit? As we waited and waited for the winds to simmer down, I kept looking at the angles and thinking we were crazy. And the fact that the late Dwain W. and TVPB had jumped it already didn't help either -- they're hard as nails! But something was calling us to that jump...but Mother Nature simply did not cooperate. That's ok, I'll be back there again. Tom, you are right. It's a 9,000ft canopy flight... Bryan

How about an option for those of us who have not been busted?

Hello -- Salt Lake would be a hefty drive (8-10 hours). Either Denver (DEN) (2 1/2 hours) or Colorado Springs (COS) (1 hour) is your best bet. Bryan

Avenfoto -- You and Magot are a worthless piece of shit. I'm sick and fucking tired of the attitude that you guys portray on here. You might think you are funny, but trust me, your not. Your attitude fucking stinks. And your comments towards a non-jumper who just experienced seeing a fatality first-hand are completely inappropriate. You're way out-of-line. I've never slung mud on the internet before now, but damnit, someone needs to step-up and call it like it is. Bryan

You should take MB38's advice -- your chances of living longer will greatly improve. MB38 may not have a lot of jumps, but he has given solid, good advice to someone who is considering BASE. I consider what he said to be spot-on. Bryan

Just thought I would add my 2 cents: A month ago I bought my first Apple. A 20-inch Intel iMac with 2gb Ram / 500gb HD / 256mb video upgrade / .mac subscription / 3-year protection plan. And I love it. I'm hooked on Apple and will soon be buying a laptop to roam the rest of the house/world. Best decision I ever made... Bryan

I really like this idea! I'm going to think about it some more...and then get with you Ray to learn more. I'm fairly confident that I'll convert my gear over and try it for myself. Thanks Obi, Hookit, and Ray!

Ray -- I knew that Hook-it was onto an idea when he first posted it, but Ray, your idea looks even better. Like Obi, I was wondering if you've ever had any "harder than normal brake releases" when the velcro is brand new? (you've made a lot of jumps on this set-up) Bryan

Hi Obi -- I would venture to say that the BASE community, and hence manufacturers, have stayed with velcro over the years because of its simplicity. Snaps have been used (there are still some in use) and various other ideas implemented, but when it comes down to it, snaps and other ways of securing the toggle add complications to the system. Any complication, no matter how small, will rear its ugly head at some point and time -- and that is not a good thing when you have little or no margin for error. Properly maintained velcro works great and is as simple as it gets, but its down side is the fact that it wears out and you have to replace it often for it to perform properly. (as you've already pointed out) Worn velcro seems to be highlighted even more now-a-days because jumpers are doing more jumps in a shorter amount of time. It still wears the same, but a jumper is more likely to become complacent if he needs to replace velcro every couple of months. (human nature) I've experienced the same problems as you. I've found that after I replace the "pile" side of the velcro twice, I need to replace the "hook" side of the velcro too. Jumpers often neglect the hook side of the velcro, but that side gets worn too and needs to be replaced. (dirt and grass will also reduce its effectiveness) I live in the United States, so the bulk of my jumps are slider-down...and a good percentage of those are from slider-down cliffs. Although I've never had a premature brake release in over 600 jumps, I cringe at having a toggle sway around in the breeze when I'm opening close to a solid object. Not just for the worry of a premature release, but also because I may fumble for an extra 1/2 second trying to get my hands into the toggles. For this reason, I take no chances. I routinely check both sides of the velcro on my toggles and if it is even close to worn, I have it replaced. Gear maintenance is one of the variables I can control, and like you, I'll take every advantage I can get. Back to your question: would a velcro-less system similiar to what is used in skydiving today be safe and effective on BASE jumps? Possibly, but I have reservations. As you mentioned, you may have to slightly adjust the way you release brakes (depending on the design and your current technique). I would also be concerned about the toggle coming out of its hoods during the deployment sequence, leaving you in the same situation as before. (properly maintained velcro is very secure) But a better design may be out there... Can anyone else think of any complications or issues that may arise? Bryan

I placed my vote in the "Experienced jumper who has not had an object strike" category. I have 598 BASE jumps from 71 objects. Statistically, the most dangerous objects that I routinely jump are in Moab, of which I have 168 jumps from 34 objects in that area. I have not had an object strike yet, although I have come close on 4 occasions. Sorry for the short reply....I'm on a BASE road trip right now! Bryan

Gabo -- Congratulations to you and your crew! It sounds like you guys are having fun. I still have many smiles from the trip we shared together 1 year ago... C-ya, Bryan

MB38 -- Thank you for all of the updates and insight that you've given us. It's always helpful to get info from someone on the inside! Miami -- Something kind of funny....when you were in Mtn Home, I was in Colorado for the weekend. I'll shoot you a PM tomorrow to catch up... Bryan

Miami -- Thanks for all the updates. As someone who is getting ready to make the switch over to Apple, I follow these threads closely. I'm going to go with a Intel 20-inch iMac, 2G RAM, 500G HD, and 256m video card. A few months later, I'll likely add a MacBook Pro to the collection for the DZ, traveling, etc. Keep the updates coming...especially if you buy Aperture down the road. Good to see you're doing well! Blue Skies, Bryan

What I'm about to post did not have anything to do with the Baffin expedition that DexterBase is thinking about organizing, so I wanted to start a new thread. In the other thread, someone posted a link to an expedition that "Polar Safari" is planning for this May. When I went to that website, I found something interesting. They are going to use "balloon jumps" to access the top of the cliffs that are not accessible by hiking. Considering that balloons go where the wind happens to take you, and the intricacies of landing on top of an icy cliff, this ought to be interesting! Bryan

Something to consider: some life insurance policies do not pay out if you commit suicide. By the incident being ruled as a suicide, the deceased's family may be left high and dry. Bryan

Hello -- This has been a long standing problem in the BASE community and I'm not sure it will go away. I was initially excited when the ABP came out. There were many people involved that I know and trust, except for one -- and that was Robin Heid. Pretty much every endeavor that Robin has been involved with (and there are several) has ended up in controversy and drama. I can't (and won't) judge him personally, but I'm simply stating what I have observed over the last 10 years. So when the ABP came out, I had my reservations. Unfortunately, my reservations were confirmed when virtually every board member was kicked out of the ABP by Robin Heid. As soon as this happenned, I knew it would become a lame duck. And I'm fairly certain that it will travel the same path as the rest of Robin Heid's endeavors. It's a shame too, because I think it was the best effort yet. With that being said, I wish the ABP as a whole the best of luck, and I hope they succeed. Gardner Sapp is still with them, and I have a lot of respect for him. Gardner has fought many a battle for the BASE community and is a very good guy. I have known Gardner for awhile and stand by him as a friend. Simply put, I will not put a dime, or a moment of my time, into something that Robin Heid is being involved with until I'm proven wrong by the results of his actions. I have had no personal interaction with him -- I'm simply basing my opinion on what I have seen. Again, this is not a personal attack -- just an opinion. Bryan

Trae -- At some point or another, every manufacturer gets backed up on delivering their products. Trust me, they don't want to, but it is often out of their control. Sometimes it's employee related. Most manufacturers are a 1 to 4 person operation. Sometimes an employee gets sick, or perhaps injured. Sometimes an employee gets laid off. Shit happens, and when it does, it can seriously hamper their production line. Sometimes a delay is related to materials. Small operations cannot afford to stock massive amounts of materials. When a Lot # is recalled, it may wipe out their entire stock. Sometimes the companies providing the materials are slow on their delivery time... So, what does all of this mean to you? If you need gear sooner than later, consider used gear. If you must have new gear, and you're planning on having that gear for a particular trip, be very cautious about your timeline. I've been involved with helping folks order new gear and I always tell them to add 4-6 weeks to the manufacture's delivery date and plan from there. It's better to err on the cautious side... A little off-subject, but somewhat pertinent is allowing yourself enough time to "dial-in" your brake-settings once that new gear arrives. This is a good thing to plan for before heading out to an unforgiving object. So in closing, a manufacturer that is "on-time" today may not be "on-time" next month. The best thing you can do is plan accordingly. This way, there are no surprises... Bryan

Slider bumpers serve several purposes. For one, they are used to protect your lines from a rapidly descending slider. (imagine the slider grommet smashing into the link, weakening and eventually severing your lines) Second, and perhaps more importantly, they ensure proper orientation of the rapide link during deployment. Imagine side-loading a link on a 3 second slider-down delay (links are dramatically weaker when side-loaded). Or a line getting wrapped over the barrel, and subsequently yanked off, during the deployment sequence (which could easily sever the line). No matter what you choose for a slider bumper, ensure that the bumper is secure on the link and will not easily slide off. If it does slide off during deployment, it is theoretically possible for it to travel back up the lines, potentially causing a hung slider. Remember, when using a single-parachute system, it is imperative to stack the odds in your favor. Bryan

Tom -- I'll bring the magazine to you this weekend. If you need it sooner, the best bet is to have someone scan it and email it to you. Do you need it before this Saturday? Bryan

Congratulations Tom and Cheri! Anna Grace is a beautiful name. Much better than Junior! All my Best, Bryan

Although I've been reading this thread every day, my heart has been too heavy to post until now. The first time I met Tom was several years ago in Moab. He only had a handful of jumps, perhaps around fifty or so. Myself, Tom, and two Swedish girls, Anne-Marie and Lena, hiked up together and jumped from Tombie. I took a liking to Tom right away. He was kind and very non-assuming of others. And I also found out that he was a sucker for pretty girls! Four months later, I ran into Tom during a visit to Idaho. He had moved there for the summer just to jump, and I was surprised to find out that he had made 350 jumps since I had last seen him. We hung out together for several days and developed a friendship that would grow in the years to come. Random memories over the last 3 or 4 years: 1) I remember the first time I climbed up and out from the Perrine. Tom stayed right behind me, calm and quiet, but was always there to lend me a hand if I needed it. Fearing that I was holding him up, I encouraged him to go ahead, but he insisted that he always went slow and the pace was perfect for him. Like others have posted here, I knew he was lying through his teeth...and was just making sure that I was ok. 2) On another random trip, I rolled into town and called to see if he wanted to grab dinner. Tom was irritated because he had a downwind landing and "jammed his ankle pretty good". I went over to the Holiday to check out his ankle and sure enough, it was definitely broken. Finally accepting the fact that he needed to medical care, Tom decided to head home to Ft. Worth to get it checked out. I tried to talk him into going to the hospital in Twin, but he insisted on going home first. So I helped him load up his car and the next morning, he drove 24 hours straight through to Ft. Worth (with a broken tib/fib!). He hobbled into the emergency room and calmly said, "Excuse me, I've broken my leg. Can you put it back together please?" I called him the next day to see how he was doing and when I asked him about his leg he said, "Aggh, I'm not thinking about my leg -- I'm thinking about the pretty doctor that fixed it! 3) Earlier in this post, someone posted a story of Tom's cameo in their video, where he said, "Oh, you want a count before I go? Ok. One" and then he jumped. Well, here's another one: There's a video floating around out there that is classic Manship. On the video, there are about 10 or 12 jumpers standing around on the bridge, all geared up and ready to go (Tom is one of them). Most of the jumpers are young jumpers, with just a few jumps under the belt. Marta is there, and the jumpers are asking her all sorts of questions and gleaning information from her. So the video shows Marta talking for several minutes, with all of the jumpers giving her their undivided attention when all of a sudden, Tom loudly declares, "I can't take it anymore, I gotta go!" And he proceeds to charge to the rail like a rabid animal, and rolls over it completely out of control. The look on everyone's face, and their gasps, were absolutely priceless (they thought Tom was some random old man with only a few jumps under his belt). Tom did an out-of-control barrel roll after catapulting over the rail, but quickly righted himself to a rock-solid position, followed by a dead-on opening... 4) Tom's declaration of his new invention for the BASE community, "GAP Packing" (Gravity Assisted Packing). It's interesting to note that he made over 500 jumps with that pack job, with no noticeable degradation in heading performance... 5) One day we were hanging out when some up and coming BASE jumper asked him if he ever got tired of jumping the Perrine. Tom said, "Are you kidding me? I love this place. That's why I wake up and do it every day". Tom Manship loved BASE...simply for what it was. It was obvious that BASE made him happy. 6) Some months later, someone asked him the same question and he responded with, "BASE jumping is like vitamins. I take 4 a day." 7) No matter how hard I tried, I never made Tom's first load of the day. I'd get out there at very first light, only to find his hands gripping the rock wall, pulling himself up from his first jump of the day. 8) With that said, take a moment and imagine jumping and then hiking, 3 or 4 times a day, every single day, for 5 months in a row. Now really imagine it... Tom Manship was born from the experience. One of the things that BASE has taught me, is to live and love today, not tomorrow. Live your life unconditionally...and always let people know what they mean to you...now, not later. Seven weeks ago, I was visiting the Carolinas and paid a visit to Tom. We shared stories for a few hours and then a 300ft exit point at 1am. When I left that evening, we exchanged smiles, and I told him that I was lucky to have a friend like him. I'm glad I did. Bryan

Oh my God. Click Here