Working for BirdMan over the past few years I have noticed (and smelled) that many people don't realize they can wash their BirdMan suits.
The suits can be washed in any normal washing machine, gentle cycle with normal color safe detergent. Remove any cables and your hook knife before washing. Hang it to dry. (No dryers.)
Hehe, I was worried about washing the suit until you told me to wash yours ... Cold water, light detergent, removed everything and it came out nice! Thanks for letting me try it on yours first, lol
I washed my GTI last night and I'm man enought to admit it: I was scared. Oh yes.
The good news is that it didn't come out all melted and deformed and f*&£$ed up. Infact it came out great . Washed it on normal cotton wash (40 degrees centigrade).
I washed my GTI last night and I'm man enought to admit it: I was scared. Oh yes.
The good news is that it didn't come out all melted and deformed and f*&£$ed up. Infact it came out great . Washed it on normal cotton wash (40 degrees centigrade).
Gus
Just something to note, washing your suit isn't going to kill it - however every time you wash it you decrease the tinsle strength of the thread. So while your suit is still fine when you pull it out, it is slightly decreasing it's longevity.
My suits are pretty beat up (even my S3), but I attribute that to excessive use. I washed my S3 two times this season. The only thing that looks like it gets beat up a bit in the wash is the mesh inlets.
On the other hand, not washing your suit or yourself, helps in the ride to altitude, when you need room to zip up. And the body oils are a swell lubricant for the zippers. Plus you don't have to inform the pilot that you are on board, he/she can tell pretty soon. And consider the contrail if you're leading a flock. All positives for staying aw'natural. But you may have to consider being asked to ride to altitude on the camera step. (outside).
No problem! You just hang on real tight with one hand. The pilot will make the necessary stabilizer adjustments. And if you pivot outboard you can aid the aircraft's banking .
This last weekend, I landed off DZ by a bit. (Yes, I managed to fly myself to a bad spot.) I had a wide choice of outs, but only one was not the middle of a big, sloppy, mud pit of a field. It was a small grass strip next to some strip barns on a cattle farm (stink? Whew!)
I, of course, chose the grass, not taking into account that this was the only spot where I would most likely encounter severe rotors from the buildings. Boy, did I! These are actually low buildings, a good 10 feet or more lower than our hanger.
All went well until about 20 feet when I initiated my flare. There was no flare. About the same time I started my flare, the canopy stopped flying and just dropped me out of the sky, about 20 feet straight down. This was quite visible by looking at the divots my knees left in the soft grass. They were pretty much straight down. Luckily, I'm fine, but it left some pretty nasty brown crap on the suit.
It's in the washer right now, and I'm running on faith in your posts here....
This last weekend, I landed off DZ by a bit. (Yes, I managed to fly myself to a bad spot.) I had a wide choice of outs, but only one was not the middle of a big, sloppy, mud pit of a field. It was a small grass strip next to some strip barns on a cattle farm (stink? Whew!)
I, of course, chose the grass, not taking into account that this was the only spot where I would most likely encounter severe rotors from the buildings. Boy, did I! These are actually low buildings, a good 10 feet or more lower than our hanger.
All went well until about 20 feet when I initiated my flare. There was no flare. About the same time I started my flare, the canopy stopped flying and just dropped me out of the sky, about 20 feet straight down. This was quite visible by looking at the divots my knees left in the soft grass. They were pretty much straight down. Luckily, I'm fine, but it left some pretty nasty brown crap on the suit.
It's in the washer right now, and I'm running on faith in your posts here....
What is this 4 letter word called work you speak of?
I've been laid off since July 28th, and I'll go back to work right after I finish remodeling my house. I'm hoping that will be about a month or less now. Just in time to get in a truck and drive around the warm parts of the country again, BirdMan suit and rig in tow.
The back (polycotton?) pilled up a bit, but other than that it looks pretty damn good. I just wish whoever it was that owned it before me, and I'm assuming before Phreezone, had washed it like that after an obvious butt-slide landing.
If you dirty one up, wash ASAP, or they will stain.
As Im taking my wingsuit out of the washing machine atm, maybe a friendly reminder to all of you flying your suits every weekend (or more)...suits DO start to smell if you jump, sleep, sit, fart and pack on then enough times..
Though the concept of washing and cleaning might be new to some...do give it a try...
And a small edit. If you're afraid of damage to your suit, put it in a pillow-casing (or whatever you native english speaking folks call em) or other bag/sack in the washingmachine...
And remember to turn of the dryer
(This post was edited by mccordia on Jun 23, 2008, 2:56 PM)
I just washed my GTI (bought used last week) in the washing machine (gentle cycle, cold water with tide). The inside coating of the suit peeled off. I'm a little bit pissed right now. Is it gonna effect the performance of the suit ? It's the same coating used in some backpack to waterproof them.
Most older suits loose a bit of the plasticy inside coating layer over time. It doesnt seem to do a whole lot (if anything at all) to degrade performance. And in a lot of the older suits Ive seen (classic II, GTI's, S1/S3), this layer also peeled off over time, just due to use..
Most newer suits are made of parapak, which is far more wind-permeable then the older balloon zero-p.
Also seeing its the inside coating you're talking about, I would be more then surprised if there is any visable or noticable change the suits performance.
Aside from loosing a layer of invisble dryed poo-smell and sweat stains from previous owners
. Washed it on normal cotton wash (40 degrees centigrade). 
) or other bag/sack in the washingmachine... 
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