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Does anyone have any experience jumping with a Camelbak? I just bought one for running and also with the idea that I might be able to wear it on a BASE jump. Its pretty compact, 70 oz, and fits pretty well in the middle of my back with my rig on. The straps are also very thin so they are comfortable under my shoulder straps.

I’m curious if anyone can think of any problems that could arise from wear one. I can’t really think of any… As long as its tight, the tube for drinking is stowed safely, and your rig is on tighter than usual to prevent any movement of the CB or your rig it should be fine.

Anyone got any input?

Thanks
Coco

drain everything but the tube before you hop... stash the tube inside your shirt.

-smd7

By tube you mean the pouch? Just drain the nozzle and drinking tube but not the pouch right?

My idea was to not only have more water and easier access for A climbs but also if I do multiple jumps in a night I won't run out of water.

Or drain the pouch too and just keep extra water on the ground if I'm doing multiple jumps in a night?

Coco

Just flip it around and wear it on the front. You can keep your water that way.

Or you can buy a platypus. Small and compact. When empty it's about the same bulk as a ziploc bag.

Hmmmm Yea I could try that but it might be a little too long, I also wear a stomach pouch that I hold my wind meter and other shit in. I can try that though.

What is a platypus?

Coco

Here is the CB I have (Black not the ugly green )
http://www.brmsstore.com/...1341&next_id=816

Coco

Edit to add. The holder is actually a little more compact but its very close.

 

Yea I thought about that but then I won't have anywhere to put all my other stuff I need to take with me on jumps (wind meter, gloves, streamers, laser distance finder).

I'm gonna try what Chad said. Climb with it on my back under my stash bag and put it on my stomach when I jump. Got a good PM also about the fact that I wouldn't be able to wear it on my back if I were wearing a spin protector and also having it on my back with any water in it could also distort Pin tension.

Thanks for the PM!!

Coco

Now I'm thinking I might need to find an even smaller one if I'm gonna put it on my chest. The one I have seams like it will get in the way if I'm doing an aerial. I might just have to suck it up and continue taking a waterbottle and put it in my belly pouch.

Coco

just buy a $0.69 gallon jug of water. bring it with you and take a good swig before you climb... then stash it at the lz. hurry up and jump if you're thirsty. stop complicating shit!

Why are you drinking water anyways? Dont you know what fish DO in water? sick stuff, unmentionables if you know what I mean...

Well when you climb 1100 feet in ~30-40 mintues you get a little thirsty. I need more than a sip.

Coco

30mins!? damn, you must be hanging out with scott too much.

i prefer to take my time, well you know... preserve my strength.

maybe you could just pour some of the jug into a ziplock bag... then dump it in your mouth when you get to the top. then it'll just fit in your pocket.

Yea I climb pretty fast! Its fun though, I look at each climb as a workout so I put a lot into it. And I'm a fitness nut so any workout is a good workout!

My last climb to 900 was in 32 minutes and I stopped at 350 and 600 to throw a streamer, check wind speed, and have a little water. Was at least 3 minutes per stop. But by the time I get to 1100 I’m pretty tired. If I were doing a 2k tower, I’d probably pace myself a little differently. Also if I do multiple jumps in a night I don’t put all my energy into 1 climb or else the rest that night my climbs will be much slower.

Yea yea...Preserving your strength my ass!

Hey, what about if I get one of those beer helmet? Strap two water bottles in that puppy and I’d be set. I don’t think it would offer much Head impact protection though.

Coco

Go for the platypus, it's just a collapsible water bottle, rolls or folds flat when empty. I use one, works great.

Ahhhhh so thats what they are! Now that is pretty sweet! And they sell them at the same store I got my CB at. I could keep water on the ground and just re fill it. I could refill a regular water bottle too but they are bulky, which was the purpose for the CB.

Very Nice!

Coco

There are a few styles from DaKine. Check it: http://www.dakine.com/base.cfm

The Winter Hydration and the Bike series have backpack/hydrator combos.

PM me if you want more details.

Wear it in front when you gear up to jump and your rig will fit better.
~J

Hello,


take a collapsible bottle, as mentioned. I use it on pretty much every jump where I have to walk more than 30 min and it works perfectly. You can take enough water with you (there are bottles up to three liter I think), just put it in the stash bag and drink during a break if necessary, and when not needed any more I usually stuff it into the pants or the jacket (no belly pocket needed), they get really small. Only if you do not want to take small breaks during the hike a Camelbak makes sense in my eyes. Otherwise it is just another bulky piece of equipment that uses space and distracts me. I did not like it when I tried it on some jumps.

There are various manufacturers for the collapsible bottles, Platypus being one, I have some from Deuter (but I live in Germany).

yeah... id stay away from that one... j/k

what you really need is about six beers, in you, and then one in each pocket for when you get to the top...


cheers....2, 1, cya

Use one of these:

http://www.thebeerbelly.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1

Hey Coco,

I wear one on most of my jumps because of the Hike in being longer than a few minutes. Also, the hike out or a possible injury or being stranded on the cliffside gives me good reason to carry water and snack for a 12-24 hour stay. I would have to talk to Jaap on that to confer, god bless'em:)

I think i was jumping with you down in Moab at the boogie and I was wearing one the whole time. Before I jump I usually empty it to half or a 1/4 full. I have never had any issues with premature saturation from opening shock or anything that may be mistaken for a blood pool on my back. And that whole trip had bang on straight openings even with the crosswinds, so maybe that is telling me something too.:)

All in all, hydration seems relatively important. Of my different camelbaks my jumping one is their plain and simple bag with no zippers or anything hanging off the sort. The only thing to note is that it can float around your back so buy one with a chest strap and size properly, but if you are used to wearing one with a backpak over top like skiing or motrocycling or whatever then you get used to the fact that not everything sits even. However, for the BASE application it is very important that the camlebak is not putting extra and uneven tension across your legstraps or main lift webs for the onbious reason that such tension may affect the forces reacting with your parachute to attain flight and directional control. However, you will find that a 1/4 bag does very little to affect such a disposition.

Missonary Man!

I wore the plain style one while jumping in Moab in July. Didn't have any problems - but then the bladder wasn't clear full either. I just put my rig on over it, and did a thorough gear check to make sure everything was clear.

My buddy did the same at the Turkey Boogie but forgot to turn off the valve on the mouthpiece. He's all geared up and we see water dripping from between his legs....looked like he was pissing himself! You had to be there.

Yea I made sure I got one with a shutoff valve so that won't happen. I put on the CB without any water in it and it’s pretty thin. It fit very comfortably with my rig on so I’m gonna have a buddy check my pin tensions with it on sometime to see if it affects it but I doubt it would when its empty. Keep water on the ground, re fill it each climb or hike and then empty it before I jump.

I bought a platypus water bottle but it would be nice to not have to stop to take it out for water. The CB would allow me to just keep climbing.

That is 5 people now I've heard that have jumped with one without any problems so........... We'll see.

Coco

well the internet says youll be fine, so what could possibly go wrong?

Well a few on the forum have said they have had no problems, a few in pm’s and I also talked about it with a friend of mine at the drop zone this weekend and he mentioned a very experienced jumper jumps with one also and never had a problem.

The way I see it from everyone’s input: As long as there is very little to no water in the CB and it does not create a significant gap between your back and the rig, pin tension should not be affected because it will not cause a curvature in the rig around the CB. With an empty CB I see no other issues other than the fact that you can’t wear a spin protector as Chad stated. I have tried wearing it on the front with my rig on and it isn’t very comfortable and will get in the way while doing aerials.

I am planning on doing some tests before I jump a CB with a buddy to make sure this thought is correct. Check it at 0 water all the way up to about ¼. Anything more than ¼ of 70 oz is a no brainier that it will be too thick. But if pin tension in not an issue my plan is to chug a red bull, then take about 25-35 oz’s up the tower with me and at the top, dump out whatever I don’t use. Take a piss and jump. Then if I’m doing multiple jumps I can refill no the ground.

The main purpose of my desire to wear a CB is so I have less stops. Then I can climb even faster.

L8er
Coco

im j/k man... youll be fine. dont worry to much about it.. you are a base jumper, you know what to look for, and will know when shit wont wrok...who cares what the internet says

wrok wrok wrok

I put mine under jacket or shirt and stow the tube also after dumping leftover water out. My cb is pretty small so space is really not an issue.

Pete,

I know you built a rig with a little pocket in it for what was undoubtedly an FCC approved use of some radio equipment. Have you ever built/used one with a camelback pocket?

UPDATE:

Did some low tech testing and did not notice any change in pin tension. Decided to go ahead and give it a try and jumped with the CB on my back under my rig earlier this evening. Took all the air and water out of the punch and geared up. With all my warm cloths on it was pretty bulky and slightly uncomfortable. Despite that once I stepped off I didn't even realize it was there. So...It worked fine but I probably will just stick with a platypus in a stomach pouch.

Thanks for all the info everyone!

Coco

No, but I am considering a water storage "option " for my redesigned "cliff pack".Civilian radios are so small these days you could put one in your pants and make believe you have a BIG package.