Basejumper.com - archive

I wouldnt like to weaken any material/stitching.... but my PC smells damp and my slider has lost it whiteness

Has anyone used a low temp washing machine cycle with a whitener like vanish?

Solution: Buy a black slider and dry PC

If I need to clean any of my BASE gear I use a damp cloth to take the dirt out/off.

Troll?

Asylum

The ONLY time I have ever heard anyone
mention using a machine to wash jump
gear it is always a joke as in:

Newbie: Geez, my new canopy is slippery

Joker: Ah, just daisy chain the lines and
then run it through your washing machine

All gear should be washed gently by hand.
Water hose or bath tub depending on the
job at hand, use little if any soap (I prefer
Woolite), and dry in the shade w/ a fan.

So, be very careful. Tip, As for the musty smell and static tendencies, Never use "Bounce" fabric softener!
,
Your time mucking with your gear would be better spent inspecting and maintaining it inside and out rather than flailing with inconsequential cosmetic issues.

Imagine this if you will: You are lying injured or dying because you failed to keep your gear maintained. And the rescuer says "Dang, that is the whitest slider I ever did see except for the blood stains, What is your secret?"

Ok, I admit I a being slightly harsh but you can see where I'm going with this.
Take care,
space

Bounce!

Fair point... Although there must be a safe way to gently hand wash the material without affecting it's properties. I know nylons aren't the best to work with.

I might try washing some blood stains out of my skydiving PC 1st (cut finger).

The correct washing info would be useful for future reference...

IIRC you can find that info in Poynter's Manual or Parachute Rigger HAndbook

This is actually a reasonable question. I used to make ZP BASE PCs and sliders and one thing I did with the mesh after I cut it was to wash it. I did this mostly out of paranoia because of the acid mesh problem that compromised many round reserves years ago. The idea was to get rid of any unwanted chemicals.

As I recall, I used Tide powder laundry detergent because that's what we used on our round reserves after the acid mesh problem was first identified. I used the gentle cycle.

I also tested some pilot chutes by filling them with water and lifting them by the attachment point. Certainly not a definitive test for strength but it could identify symmetry problems.

The point of all this is that (1) getting a properly-constructed ZP BASE pilot soaking wet will not hurt it, (2) laundry detergent and cold water with gentle cycle does not hurt the mesh, and (3) I never encountered any broken stitches or other noticeable problems. That was years ago. I would not be surprised if some of those pilot chutes are still in service. 460 may still be using one.

I don't know enough about the ZP coating to give you an opinion on whether laundry detergent will harm it or not but this article by Mike Turoff implies that mild detergent, not used at full strength, is ok for spot cleaning.

If I had a PC or slider that was funkified, I would use a solution of water and a small amount of a mild liquid soap (Woolite or baby shampoo), soak it overnight, rinse, immerse it in clean water for a few minutes, rinse, and immerse in clean water again. Then hang and let dry--not in sunlight and with no heat applied.

I'm not recommending the above--it's just what *I* would do.

That being said, I have seen some stuff done that made me cringe. One time after Bridge Day, I walked into the laundry room at the Holiday Inn at Oak Hill and someone had their canopy in the dryer. They had it on the no heat setting. I don't recall whether they had run it through the washing machine. I thought it was pretty fucked up but they did not consider it to be any big deal at all.

Walt

Pop quiz for the newbies:

What's the best way to inspect a PC?

When space said, "inside and out", he wasn't kidding. This is especially true for PCs. Inspect it thoroughly on the outside, looking for damaged fabric or mesh and broken stitching, then turn it inside out and do the same. You cannot see a lot of the stitching on a PC until you turn it inside out.

In fact, that's how PCs are made. They are sewn together inside out and then reversed.




Walt

I would like to get some blood samples and spread it all over my gear, to look cool.

For some reason that gave me a mental image of O.J. Simpson putting on a bloody BASE rig in the courtroom and Johnny Cochran proclaiming, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit!".

Maybe I need to cut down on my caffeine intake....

Walt

Could you imagine the reaction of law enforcement officials who caught you on a base jump wearing a rig that is bloody as hell?

Smell : use febreeze ignore it.

Dirty slider: either ignore it or just wash it in the sink with like warm water and mild dish soap.