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I saw that there is a company trying to make removing your slider more simple. but to me it doesnt look like it saves much time, maybe just the need for tools. being that i go from up to down kinda regularly, this grabbed my attention, but as i said, i am not sure it makes that big of a difference. My question to the community is, is leaving the slider on but packing it down that big of an issue, has it caused any major mals, seems to me that it is a non issue, as it is out of the way. obviously the brake lines re routed...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIui8Ak2n7Y

No but really blocks the view of the backward facing gopro.

Small amount of time saved, I think the bigger advantage is reducing some potential rigging mistakes.

That is so true

The two main pro/con's I've heard are: 1) In the unlikely event of a riser detachment, having the slider still on can save you. 2) if you take the slider off then it's an itty bit harder for you to twist up in the event of offheading leading you spinning into line twists.

I haven't taken my slider off since my FJC and I go between slider-down and slider-up all the time with most of it being slider-down.

My question to the community is that does anyone now a single real issue that packing the slider down would have compared to taking it off? Apart from the obvious issue of blocking the rear view gopro of course. :) I have packed the slider down for my last 500+ SD deployments and cannot think a single issue with it but if there is one, I´d be more than happy to be enlightened with it.

I do of course also skip the re-routing of the steering lines but that is completely another topic and I think completely out of scope for this thread. :)

issue # 1 your canopy flies 8.3 % more efficient. ;-)
Issue # 2 If one gets deployment out of sync doing flippydoos or bad exits and half front or back loop during deployment it can break your back.
I cant think of anything else. But I will state that fear of misrigging should not inhibit the configurations of gear. If you cant rig, you shouldnt jump. Sky or BASE. But thats just me.
Take care,
space

Hey Space,

I hear you and I do agree with you on this! But I also think that the fact that you are comfortable to rig your gear does not mean that you do have to excessively rig them! So even though you are fine with rigging I think for convenience reasons (I at least) try to minimize the rigging and therefore I leave the slider on and just pull it down as I cannot think any issues with it. Even though I´m quite sure I can take it off with no issues, why to take the 1/100 or 1/1000 or even 1/100000 chance that I fuck it up if it is completely unnecessary?

Rigging unnecessarily? If one feels that way, then that should be the reason IMHO. Not because one is afraid of rigging. I would have no problem doing any of it 1000 times or more. Being afraid of rigging is what i am on about. Can you suggest a good marker so I can mark my toggles L and R hahahahaha!! ;-)
Take care,
space

im not understanding the 2nd reason, of flippy doos fucked up pitch, braking backs, being different from slider down or slider off...

Regarding the question of keeping the slider on or off, in my opinion, if it’s not solving a problem or being used, remove it. To each their own, but I remove mine (433 Slider Off / Slider Down Jumps and I am guessing 50-70 were Slider Down). It is worth 5 minutes of my time for the peace of mind. A couple of other reasons that I have had personal experience with (the rest are through banter with other jumpers):

Talking to some CRW guys, it can also can create a problem that caused malfunctions in CRW as a result of what is tantamount to cross connector configuration. There was another thread on here about this (http://www.basejumper.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1102783;search_string=front%20to%20front;guest=74009855#1102783).

I have definitely had line-twists and off-heading openings as a result of the slider "down" configuration. As Space said, as well, If you over rotate an aerial and pitch on your back, the slider can slam you in the back of the head and cause neck / back injuries.

A big one for me is that if the slider is tied down improperly, it can move up the lines on deployment. It is even worse if this happens and only one side slides up the lines on deployment. It has not happened to me, but I have see it first hand. Luckily, no injuries resulted, but better to be safe.

A tied down slider can get entangled with a camera if you are flying one.

Removing it answers the question..."Am I packed up or down?" without having to reopen the container to check. I know this is kind of a no brainer, but when you have multiple rigs, especially 3+, I get it.

Just my $0.02.

The FL BASE crew all watched in silence after PCAing
180-K**** from 315 feet and seeing the slider higher
than risers and wondered did she just pull a M**-D**?

She was packed slider-down but as you said the slider
sneaked up the lines a little bit which had her under an
inflated wing lower than expected.

So keeping the slider on but pushing it down also is
not error-proof either. I personally prefer the UP or
OFF modality but on the way to Bridge Day usually
just put it down for the one we sneak in SC or TN.

As for owning multiple rigs and knowing instantly if
she is set up for low or high jumps: I use two rolls
of PVC Vinyl flagging "tape" which is a mis-nomer
since it is non-adhesive.

They are cheap plastic 1/2 rolls, one red/pink and
the other is green. American traffic lights have the
red on top and the green at the bottom so if a rig
sits for a week or two when I go to attach a PC
there is a bright reminder at the end of the bridle.

I've done something similar. I have three rigs, two of which look almost identical. And sometimes a rig will sit for a couple weeks without being jumped. So I made myself a set of laminated cards that say "Slider Up", "Slider Off", "Deep Brakes", "Shallow Brakes", and "Slider Down".

When I finish a packjob, I pick the appropriate cards and shove 'em under a riser cover.

I haven't once been surprised by what comes out of my rig.

Jumpers have flipped thru the risers upon opening.in a slider down config, the slider can stop the flip thru from happening but it can cost you a broken back, neck etc. Without slider, this is not possible.
Is this explanation sufficient?
Take care,
space

"fear" of misrigging is one of the reasons we all skydive with a reserve, no?

No Colm, It was just forced upon us.
Other's fear of miss rigging is why we are required to use a reserve on skyjumping. Maybe a little bit to do with malfunctions also
Take care,
space