Basejumper.com - archive

Going to be ordering a rig for bridge day and wanted to get every ones opinions on hardware. What do you like and why do you like it?

stainless steel is a total fuckin ripoff, not necessary unless you're a complete idiot who has no clue how to properly maintain gear. its a way for the manufactures to sell you a "bling bling" product at a HUGE markup that has nothing to do with the function of the equ.

choose wisely young jedi

cadMium

like dride said - it's cheaper and just as functional.
but sure doesn't shine as much as SS :(

Go with 24 karat gold-plated hardware. Looks are everything in this sport, and make you perform better at bridge day.

and a GoPro!

24K hardware is a great idea. It would match my grillz.

word.

In all seriousness... cadmium is fine, just be nice to it.

I have found that my black phosphate hardware has rusted after exposure to humid environments, wouldn't personally recommend it.

salt-water environment at all?

What the others have said.
Cadmium is fine and SS is expensive, un-necessary and can add 25%+ to the cost of the container.

If you don't jump often and or don't take good care of your gear, rust is possible especially after water landings or jumping in rain and not drying it thoroughly. Which may result in you having to replace rusting bits. Shipping back to the manufacturer and replacing d-rings may cost as much as SS would have cost.

If you are buying a new container and canopy you are spending over $2,000 so the extra $200 may be worth knowing that in 10 years time the hardware will be as good as new.

none.

all that shit does is add weight.

No salt water, just a humid environment in south east asia. The gear was looked after, well maintained and never landed in water, but still formed a layer of surface rust as soon as it was cleaned off. Other people had the same issues, once I returned to a drier environment the problem disappeared.

on black hardware

Yep, same problem here in Florida.
I have a dedicated gear closet with
two damp rid buckets and keep the
rigs inside stash bags and it still
has happened to both of mine.

I have cadmium hardware, live right next to the ocean, and jump near salt water all the time, and have had several water landings (not in salt), my rig is 5 years old, and no hardware damage other than slight dis-coloration. Take care of your junk and it's fine.

Should probably clarify, that was on black phosphate hardware too.

I have 2 rigs.

One with custom made titanium for the hardware. It's stellar to the max.

The other with custom made aluminum and it's not as stellar as the Ti.

Everything and anything that was metal was converted. Even the cute little buttons the closing loops go thru... Ti and Al.

Right now I have one of the manufactures working on Carbon Fiber Hardware for my next rig.

Wow. That's nice.

How much did the titanium hardware cost you?

..." How much did the titanium hardware cost you? "
.
No SHit, that must be spendy-$$ being CNC from solid Ti stock .
.

Wow, a rich BASE jumper....you don't run into those very often.