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Magically enough, Trango 285 (equivalent to 300sq.ft.) fits into skydiving rig (Infinity) which normally fits Spectre 190. No need to lengthen the loop, the canopy is not sticking out, and the rig is even slightly lighter and more comfortable (softer). I jumped it and everything was fine.

But making 4-5 folds to fit it in is a bitch. Any packing tips&tricks? How do you fold your canopy? Tailpocket up (the opening through which lines feed is towards BOC) or down? Any issues with riser covers not opening until linestretch? (i.e. toggles remain inside the covers because until linestretch there's virtually no tension on the lines.) I wonder if installing an extra rubberband on tailpocket to hold a bite of lines closest to risers would help to give the risers a tug on initial extraction to pop the covers?

I use more clamps when freepacking a canopy into a SD rig than when I pack into a base rig. I fold it into the main packtray and take the clamps off as I seat the folds. Most important thing for me has been making sure that I don't overstuff the BOTTOM of the container (Especially with the Mirages, as they curve the bottom due to being teardrop shaped). And use a non-collapsible PC.

Packed my dagger 222 into a mirage M3 built for a 135 for a ton of wingsuit jumps. most of the canopy was sticking out the corners and the closing loop was a foot long. it worked great.

Hey Yuri,

I'll try to describe this but it's a lot easier if you see it.

1. Pack canopy and stow lines in tailpocket normally.

2. Flip entire canopy lengthwise so that tailpocket is in pack tray facing floor and rest of canopy extends past bottom edge of main container. The nose is facing toward the ceiling at this point.

3. Fold canopy in half so that bridle attachment point is just above top edge of main container.

4. Fold canopy in half again.

5. Close container.

I use this method all the time when packing for CRW and it is much easier and cleaner than s-folding.

Walt

Thanks, Walt. This is what I do now after a PM from experienced jumper (thanks again, Randy!) Much easier than S-folds.

I still can't believe that a 300sq.ft. BASE canopy freepacks a bit smaller and lighter than a Spectre 190. Fuck the dolphins!

vid666, calvin19 - thanks guys!

couldnt write it better myself. thats exactly how i do my lightning, ive also put my Fox into my crw rig looked the same, canopy hanging out etc....but thats CRW ;-). how well did it work for wingsuiting i might try this next time im at the DZ.

Walt,

You Mentioned - 2. Flip entire canopy lengthwise so that tailpocket is in pack tray facing floor and rest of canopy extends past bottom edge of main container. The nose is facing toward the ceiling at this point.

Q - Where abouts do you position the tailpocket in the container? At the bottom perhaps? This would leave nothing in the upper half of the container at this stage.

John

place the tail pocket flat against the back wall of the container (i.e where it would go on your back, but on the inside) keep it flat then make your first folds,

Correct.

John, It's difficult to describe the pack job because the words "bottom", "top" can refer to different areas of a container depending on context. That is why I used the term "pack tray".

If you look at the main container as an open top box, the pack tray is the part that rests on the floor.

After you do your normal pro pack and then stow the lines and get the canopy into the tube shape, the tailpcket is facing the ceiling. Flip the canopy over the container so that the tailpocket is resting face down in the pack tray and the nose of the canopy is facing the ceiling.

Does that make sense?

Walt

After a few jumps trying both methods I came to conclusion that S-fold stacks open much much nicer than double-folds.

S-fold stacks: sweet openings, definite but not hard, on heading.

Double-folds: whacky-smacky openings, quite hard, off heading.

I think this is easily explainable.

S-folds: paying out of lines from tailpocket does not start until the whole canopy is stretched. The deployment is in sequence, just like from a BASE rig: extract canopy from tray, stretch it, pay out the lines till linestretch, inflate.

Double-folds: paying out of lines and canopy unrolling the double fold is happening simultaneously (due to rotational momentum of the "roll", just like string pulling on yo-yo cylinder makes it not only to rotate but move in direction of pull). The deployment is out of sequence: the rolled wad of canopy is extracted from tray while lines are payed out, at linestretch the canopy may still be not stretched, inflate the wad.

So, I'll stay with the messier (packing-wise), but sweeter opening S-folds for now.

I agree with Yuri on this one. That's been my exact experience too and I agree with his logic.

My Trango 220 freepacks into a Javelin J3 (150-170 normally) without even changing up the closing loop! Think that canopy is a PIA spec 235ish, no problem at all.

When I packed my Fox 245 into my Javelin J4 (where I <usually> pack a Sabre 190)(but afterwards I successfully managed to pack into my Javelin J4 a Flik 242, a Troll 245 and a Flik 266), I <simply> BASE packed it with 4 clamps.
Once I had the <sausage> on the ground kept in position with 4 clamps, I placed the tail pocket part of canopy on the tray against the BOC (the inner part of container where outside there is the BOC), in the end exactly as you would do in a BASE container.
Only difference, obviously, is that in my Javelin J4 I do 5 layers of packed canopy (instead of 3 layers I do in my Prism); what I do while doing the layers, after having placed the first layer, was to play with clamps sliding them in the best way along the length of the <sausage> to keep the canopy properly packed and in its <original> shape.
Every time I have to do a fold, I try to push the fabric as much as possible in the upper (or bottom corners) of same fold.
End result is a very compact bunch of fabric filling every single cubic inch of container, still using the same loop as I use with my Sabre 190 (obviously, jolly tighter with Fox 245 than with Sabre 190); measured with a scale, when packed with Fox 245, the force to pull the loop is around 4.5÷5 kg - 10÷11 lb.
Just my 0.02 €

maybe its just simpler to get a crw dog to show you how to get it in the container. by the sounds off it, it takes you a while to pack it for skydiving stop being a girl and get it in the container!!!

i would change your closing loop to the bottom hole too and put it in place by black masking tapping it. your canopy may be alright for one or two jumps but by my personnel CRW experience the loop can catch the canopy and cause holes on the top skin, it will still fly alright, you may not notice it at all, id just rather not have holes in my base canopy by skydiving with it and if you ask your rigger im sure he/she will give you one. if not it costs pennies.

Pack it in the D-bag and remove the D-bag once you get it in the rig. It will be sized great for the rig and no clampage needed.
Take care,
space