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Anyone want to share some info on cool containers/deployment methods for rounds? What is the best way? Does anyone jump something like a 1988 phantom 26? If you were making a container for one of these what would it look like?

Here are a couple of ideas...
I like how the last one is called Tension Not.

I'd buy that container:)

I have several phantoms in service in the student gear. They're a good round for water jumps, although I'd prefer a smaller one (like a 22) for faster/cleaner pressurization.

The simplest way is to put line stows into the bottom of the pack tray. Don't use the diaper. If you want the lines stowed on the canopy, you can build a nose pocket, but it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

I also like to put a rubber band down around the apex about 12-18 inches to close off the air channel (for faster pressurization).

Thanks Tom, so you make the same stows as the diaper but in the bottom of the tray instead. I wonder if more or less stows or changing spacing (spreading them out into more z shape) would be good/bad. what kind of rubber bands do you use? Less rubber+less stows = faster...? I also wonder if the size and shape of the tray would change the deployment much. What about pc and bridal? The rounds I have seen from afar looked slow is there anything to do packing to speed deployments up? Thanks

More or less, yes.



As far as I can tell it makes almost no difference. I've got 6 different round rigs running right now, and they all have slightly different stow configurations. I can't see any difference in the deployments.



I usually use tailgate bands. But I've used full size large bands before without issues.



I doubt it. I just don't see any appreciable hesitations caused by line stows.



I've used both very tall and thin (Apex builds theirs that way) and very short and wide (converted skydiving main tray only). They seem to be about the same.



Normal bridle--about 9 feet. PC should be sized for the delay, but I think there is less danger in an overly large PC because center cell stripping is a non-issue.



Jump a square with the slider down or off. Seriously. If you're worried about deployment speed, a round is the wrong tool for your job.

how big of a cliff do you think one needs for ski base with a 26ft round sans diaper, rubber band at apex, in proper base rig w line stows and a 42 inch PC?

not many reference points on this... Rick Sylvester mt Asgard and Rick Sylvester at El Capitan are the two round parachute ski base jumps that I know of. never heard of anyone jumping one on a slider down sized cliff, but i would like to.

So I'm pretty sure if you were doing a "regular" base jump, I'd want at least 375' for the 26' round to open all the way up and the 42 to have enough air speed to work properly... It would probably work below there, but at least 350' for comfort. I'd say for ski base, there is a decent chance you could lower that height a little bit given a speedy launch for increased airspeed... I wouldn't do below 325' until you've tested your particular system out to make sure it'll open as fast as you want.
(My numbers are a bit of a guess, a lot of research, and a little bit of personal experience. So only take them for what they are worth.)


TBH, it would probably work at 300 feet at least barely well enough... but it feels like pushing it without some hard data on the performance of the system.

How fast will you be traveling at exit? The forward throw is going to help you get lower, I think.

I assume you're landing the round on a downslope and "skiing off" the extra fall rate?


I'll PM you. I think that the lower limit for you is likely to be less than the lower limit for most readers of this forum, because you'll have a much greater ability to help both the deployment and landing with your skiing skill.

How is the heading performance and how hard is it to correct with a round? Successfully skiing of the excess fall rate would depend greatly on impacting facing the right direction.

Type1 deployment (stows on the backpad)

To answer your question. it is easy to correct heading on a round parachute, but I don't actually think heading is a big issue at all. Even if facing the wrong way you wont be surging in the wrong direction. The goal is to ski off of a cliff with speed that achieves enough distance from the right sized (low-ish) wall that will not allow the round parachute enough forward travel to hit the wall. But the key is that it needs to be open all the way and that means defining what low-ish is. Hence my post and inquiry. Tom sent a very informative PM to which i am grateful for the reference points. I also get why it is not a public post... why condone poor judgement publicly? a 7 cell rectangle parachute is a far better tool for a base jump.

Whoever goes for it should have a big juicy overhang and a lot of speed... just like Rick Sylvester http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWvOlQH_Snw