Basejumper.com - archive

All,

Could anyone kindly make any comments to the following:

Q1 - Closing Option
Floorplate (standard) vs Topflap (optional)?

Q2 - Three Ring (I've had both on skydiving rigs)
Mini vs Large? (wrt Base environment)

Q3 - Riser Covers
Standard Stealth vs Streamlined Stealth?

Q4 - Spacer Foam
With or without?

Thanks in advance

John

You can use both closing options for any kind of jump. If you have the closing loop coming from the container bottom, it's a little more tricky to close the rig. But once you get used to that (after 2 packjobs ) it's as easy as using the 'normal' closing option with the loop coming from the top flap. Letting the loop come from the floorplate will make the rig flater which will give you a better performance on tracking and wingsuit jumps.


That's up to you A small 3ring is lighter! But you can't use riseres that have large 3rings. If you decide to get large 3 rings you could also use risers that have small 3rings. My personal advise is: get integrated risers! There you'll save a lot of weight and one point in the rig that can malfunction (even this is really unusual).


Definitely streamlined stealth!!!


It's up to you! The spacer foam is quite heavy. But it's also nice to wear on your back.

Take air
Jojo

I DO NOT have a Helium, but these are just my general thoughts :

small 3 rings - they are just as strong, but weigh less.

spacer foam is a nice option, but a bit hard to clean, also a bit pricey. Having jumped with and without, I would say when in doubt - choose it on the legpads only, it does feel quite nice.

Mini rings may look to be effectively as strong as large/standard rings, since most people would assume the failure mode on risers is failure of the webbing somewhere, not the metal hardware.

If you look around though at some test that were done by jumpshack or maybe RWS when mini-rings and Type 17 risers just came out, you will see that for mini-rings or big rings and Type 8 risers, the most likely failure mode is yellow (Lolon coated) cable pull-through, especially on reverse (integrity) risers.

It is exactly what is sounds to be, the yellow cutaway cable gets pulled through the grommet by the white loop due to extreme loading on the riser.

Mini rings will see this failure at a lower load, as they have a lower leverage ratio.

Reverse risers have a lower leverage ratio too, so reverse risers with mini rings will see this failure at a much lower load than big rings with non-reverse risers.

I believe from correspondence with Todd at Apex that this is the reason he favours standard (non-reverse) risers and big rings, especially for bigger guys, say above 200lbs.

If you do the math based on 6g peak decelleration that was measured during a parachute deployment once, assume Mr 200lber manages to be in a body position that places all that load on one riser initially, then you have a force on the white loop that exceeds those measured in the labs to cause yellow cable pull-through in the case of reverse risers with mini-rings.

Admittedly this would require require a very unfortunate series of events to occur and it is an extreme worst case scenario, but isn't that where you would want to draw the line with BASE gear?

Has there been any looks at a substitute for the yellow cable?

And if BASE gear is getting so BASE specific, do you think there will be any specific changes, or is this not a problem you see in BASE?

Large ring Harness and risers.
In the mid `90´s . Sandy Reid of Rigging innovations was doing a study on "mini riser failure". He subsequently change the title to "mini ring riser failure" because type 8 (Normal) as well as type 17 (Mini) webbing risers were failing. One of the failures that came into the rigging shop was the result of the smallest ring webbing sheared.
To sum it up, There never was a study done for type 8 riser big ring failure for solo rigs, for a reason.
take care
space

Thanks for the above.

What are your thoughts about "sewn-in" risers in respect of:

a - Jumping near fast flowing rivers? Is this really likely or a very rare event? Would the quick snap chest release option help?

b - Urban jumps when there is a chance of looping the canopy over a lamp post or similar i.e. your feet are on the ground and so is the canopy but the canopy has completely looped over the lamp post. Is this even likely?

( I have read the threads on Cut-Aways and the prevention of accidental Cut-Aways but they only gloss over the above specific points)

Clearly sewn-in risers have many major advantages but are they really practical on an "all round rig?"


John

As you probably gathered from
the Cut-Aways thread I
too was interested in avoiding any
problems with 3-rings.

I ended up getting a Gargoyle with the
risers sewn in, which is called 'Integrated'.
Spoke with Robert at Morpheous and many
others about this choice prior to deciding.

Besides weighing less, being simpler, and
having no chance of disconnecting it also
is more comfortable on the shoulders.


RE: The Quick PG Snap Chest Strap

It looked slick but I did not get this option
for 2 reasons: 1) After 2,100 jumps I am
more familiar/comfortable with the regular
chest strap and the last thing I need at the
exit is one more thing to be scared about
2) The regular chest strap allows you more
flexibility in regards to clothes you wear, any
weight gain or loss, and if/when you sell the
rig cuase the PG style chest strap is fixed.


RE: Lamp Post Problem

Open a rapide link, leave the lines on the link,
and remove from the riser.


RE: Fast Rivers

I wish I had so many bridges to jump that the
velocity of the water underneath them was a
concern


Yeah man, it all comes down to what gear is
gonna work best for you. I live in flat Florida
where the heat makes everything more laid
back, even our rivers.

And you can do that quickly and easily while hanging from a lamp post? So much for that quick getaway...

You forgot the cut away to more easily run from the cops, jump in your car and make your get away while still wearing your harness.