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Is there any mileage in PD's new "low volume" F111 for BASE? Imagine one of VKB's funky rigs or even a conventional WSX-treme with a dramatic reduction in volume. Seems like there's potential for ultra lightweight / low volume rigs. But I don't really know much about the fabric, would it be strong enough? Would you trust it? Is the BASE environment too tough for it?

Gus

From another thread (which I can't find 'cause so much rubbish has been posted in the meantime ) I noted that the company that was supposed to produce this stuff for PD has now gone bancrupt.

Is the question now just theoretical?

Do you mean bankrupt? I thought you had a PDH and was clever.

No. Well yes, because it's only ever been talked about in relation to reserves before but I talked with John LeBlanc at the SPAcials event in Belgium last week and he was jumping a reserve as a main made out of the same material. It was a 143 that he said packed as small as the 90 (but that is probably a cross-braced Velocity) his Power Racer was sized for. It did go into a tiny little bag. I said that I'd assumed that the idea had fallen by the wayside due to the collapse of Perserverance Mills but he said, "You don't think we'd have all of our eggs in one basket do you?", with a wry smile on his face...

Plus Shawn's recent post alludes to an announcement from PD soon.

Bit of an oxymoron that.

[well, I found it funny]

What you really need is a BASE parachute made from "Cuben Fiber". It has the feel of a Walmart shopping bag, but is considerably stronger than F111 with lower pack volume. Absolutely amazing stuff that has been tested in skydiving canopies.