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Had an interesting discussion last night. Both my canopies are patched up, and seems most other people that I know that jump objects other than Perrine or BridgeDay and have at least some jumps end up having patches on their canopies.

Does your wing, (assuming it has some jumps, I am setting the line at 50) have patches or need patches ?

2 patches, 2 broken brake lines......

I make my landing areas and they aren't trees or fences! I landed in some blackberry brambles once but the canopy ended up better than I fared, which wasn't that bad.

one of my canopies ( 150 jumps) has never been in a tree, on a fence, or barb wire. but it had a section patched due to bramble bush, and another patch on the tail due to suspect lineburn. Also has new set of lower brake lines. I am a firm believer that such wear is "normal" for BASE for your mixed BASE environment. Sometimes we have to stash and dash, and get branches in the canopy, other times we have to drag the canopy off the sidewalk or railroad tracks. All those I consider regular BASE jumps.

I've got a well used Blackjack that has very little original fabric left on it now. I hit the cheesy cliff in the UK and bounced down it, putting some serious holes in the canopy. A friendly rigger put it back together for me so it was ready once the swelling had gone down and I took myself back to the same exit to do it properly. And I did. Same 180, same strikes in pretty much the same spots, landed in the same tree. Same rigger and the same repairs, so now I have patches on the patches!
I also have a hole in the stabiliser on one side from another day out but I've left it there 'cos if I get it fixed I may hit the same thing again.
Apart from that and a few water landings (the UK is a small island, it's perfectly reasonable to miss it I think) it's in great shape. See my ad in the classifieds if you're interested, it's the one that starts "one careful owner..."
Dave M

I crashed my Flik through some 50-60' pine trees on my sixth jump, tore 5 lines from thier attachment points and put some nasty holes in the bottom skin nose. I had Apex repair it to like new condition. More recently I clipped the top of a tree and landed in the grass, put two small holes in the bottom skin. I bought a sewing machine on craigslist, practiced patching several times with some scraps from my last tree landing then pathched the holes myself.

Yes, 2 small patches, done by myself.

 

i have small tear on right stabilizer from landing at the base of a building and the canopy hanging up on a corner. there is duct tape on it right now.

IMHO...

BASE frequently means dealing with an assortment of landing hazards, or even the potential object strike. Few have the luxury of jumping into a wonderfully maintained lz.

If something goes awry, let the gear get damaged and NOT the jumper. Gear repairs happen quicker, cheaper, and restore functionality better than body repairs!

(I wish only my parachute had battlescars...)

Sorry - but what exactly do you need patches for? Is that some kind of badass basejumper thing showing how rad you are, like the patches that Freeflyer have on their jumpsuits?

Blue skies,
flummi

haha, funny guy.

The poll originated from a conversation I had with a friend. The short is that I have a low jump Flik 293 I have been trying to sell for 10 months now, but almost everyone who was interested in it, seemed to be scared off by the 3 Apex installed patches on it. Talking to some of those people further revealed a very strong aversion to any patches on the canopy. This has obviously puzzled me, because properly installed patches only degrade look, not performance, and I always thought that a black canopy doesn't loose much look by having two patches on the bottom skin and one on the rib :)

Most people that I know who have a fair amount of jumps on their gear, have patched their wings, replaced some lines, and don't seem to think it's a big deal at all. The purpose behind the poll is to figure out if I may be submerged in a micro climate of habitual canopy patchers or not :)

So I only commented earlier regarding my canopies with sub 50 jumps AND patches. I regularly jump a fox 265, white with baby blue center cell, that has had an interesting history. There are at least two matches, some tar (I think but its not stick anymore) and some other wear. One patch is quite large on the top skin nose, second cell on the left, it is black. It actually turned into a focal point for me. And I replace my lowers periodically.

In reference to your gear for sale, maybe people are having a hard time and WANT pretty new looking gear. maybe you are overpriced. I had an ACE 260 and it stayed up there for more than a year before it sold. I actually forgot I had it on here when some offers started coming thru, too bad I sold it to my student at a much lower than market value (same thing happened to me as a up and coming jumper from my mentor, had to pass it on.).

for shits and giggles, let's see how this poll will change 2 years from when it started.

anyone ?

All of the above.

I even have a couple canopies that don't need patches yet.

My canopy has 8 patches in it, 2 lick em stick um spots, and a little line burn hole on the stabilizer I haven't messed with yet. Seems to work ok most of the time...

among my three main rigs, with hundreds of jumps on them, i have no patches.

i did have one canopy i put over a hundred jumps on before it took a couple small patches on the stabilizer after a tree landing, but i sold it.

My canopy still has patches. They're not small and they're professionally done, as in factory quality. Good patches should not make much if any difference in resale. People pay good money to get good patches. You buy great patch work and then sell the canopy for a normal price means, the purchaser gets free patches!

I'm a freeflyer. Patches are important. I bought my jumpsuit with built in patches. The cordura knees and but are just patchest. The stripes are by all intents and purposes, just long patches.

Has ~200 jumps and still Opens,
Flies and Lands well/dependably.

It still has my 2 patches plus...
Kathy/Morpheus added 2 more
patches and a new Stabilizer.

Of the seven Daggers that I own........ 6 have 75-100 jumps ..... they are perfect.... no patches, or line replacemens. The last one went into the Black , caught on a rock, and split the riser in two . the canopy has two patches , and needed a full new line set.
Sometimes things go great...... and sometimes things go to shit ..... thats why its Base jumping, not knitting.

Ahhh...sometimes things go to shit in knitting too.

Even Bridge day can be dangerous.......

yes

Let's bring this poll back. And if any one of you has UL canopies and feels like they wear differently from the "standard" F111 ones, please feel free to state so :)

Are you serious? That's pretty incredible.
Did you go back a third time and get it right yet?

Hundreds of jumps on my main set of gear, zero patches,.....but it did go in with me. What does that count for?

It makes your gear almost as tough as you?


I've still got the canopy that went in with me, and mine doesn't have any patches either. It's got some really large blood stains, though.

It counts for gear that's safe enough to go slider up from below 300ft !

One wing with patches that were on prior to me jumping it. One had 500 jumps with only a quarter sized patch...Until I put a 3 foot rip in the center cell about a month ago :(

25 years 0 patches on any of my (base) canopies.

When i land in trees i do it gently

That's crazy talk!

$200 worth of patches, some ripstop, gaffers tape and blood stained lines.

Just starting to get her broken in.

How about now, almost three years later ?

Patched or not ?

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An authentic BASE jumper in search of purchasing a 'used BASE canopy' . but then turns there nose up and won't buy because it was being properly maintained being patched and repaired buy the owner . That's hilarious . ...LOL . .
I can even comprehend a good jumper even owning unpatched, repaired BASE Canopy's ??? . So How The Fuck Does This even Happen ? . It same impossible like owning a Stash Bag that does not have a razor-wire tear in it .
. Your Never going to be a well-rounded versatile BASE jumper if your regularly jumped BASE canopy remains perfectly unscathed, not patched repaired .
Because, IF your BASE Canopy has no patches, repair from the occasional small snag or tear, Truly Your NOT taking advantage in sampling of what is offered in types, variety and landing conditions of different BASE LZ's out there . All those surrounding circumstances in getting that occasional patches and repairs on your BASE canopy's is what is needed to make an impression on you, for forming proper assessments, judgment calls and skills in staying alive throughout your jumping carrier .
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