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All,

Last year we were doing mainly hand held jumps taking 2 second delays from a 420ft cliff using 42" vented PC's. We modified our containers by sewing a 1" patch of velcro onto the top right shoulder and then sewing a matching 1" square of velcro onto the bridle. We subsequently "progressed" to going stowed an have done about 15 stowed jumps each.

We are now very concerend that the 1" velcro patch on the bridle has created a snag point and could possibly cause a bridle entanglement.

Since reading various recent threads and especially the comments from Jeb I have already opted to return to hand held for 2 second delays.

Doeas any one else use modified bridles? Does this mod really create a snag point?

Your comments would be appreciated.

Regards

John & Mark

> Does any one else use modified bridles?
I do not personally have this mod on my rig, but few BASE jumpers have got it; it's quite common in certain rigs. Old version of Prism (the rig I own and jump) got a hook velcro strip (4" - 10 cm) along the right inner (=on the inside)/outern (=close to the right edge) part of bottom flap and, of same length, there was a pile velcro strip on bridle; such a set up was for keeping in place the velcro from pin to BOC/PC; such a setup has been substituted by a normal bridle (without any patch of any sort) and kept in "place" by a tuck tab sewn where there was the hook velcro strip.

> Does this mod really create a snag point?
No, it doesn't, provided that on rig there is the hook velcro and on bridle there is the pile velcro.
Being the "final" product a bridle that a certain point has got a small patch of pile velcro, it does not create a (real) snag point (provided it is sewn at "state-of-the-art" way).
I would see potentially dangerous a bridle that has got the hook velcro patch on it, though; this way (hook velcro on bridle), it could hang on virtually anything (any piece of cloth, for example).

If you put the pile portion of the velcro on the bridle, it shouldn't create any problem. The hook portion (the more likely to snag) is on the rig, and not hitting the PC mesh. Vertigo used this velcro configuration for many years, and in my opinion it's the best way to go for routing and controlling the bridle when handheld, and has no real entanglement potential when stowed.

To repeat: The key is to put the pile (soft) side of the velcro on the bridle, and the hook (sharp) side of the velcro on the shoulder.

Base689 & Tom,

Thank you for the solid advice.

Regrds

John & Mark

i would say the same as Tom,i jump the mod and has about 100stowed jumps on it now
Just make sure the right peice of vevro in on the bridel and that ALL coners are closed so it cant snag there aswell