How are people packing for Norway?

[markamodeo 0]

Just wondering how people are configuring / packing for Norway's big walls? I hope to get there this year, for the first time.
According to CR, I should pack my Mojo 280 with a sail slider up and a 32" zp pc for any freefall over 7 seconds. However, I notice that many people are using mesh sliders, even at terminal. I don't mind hard openings, but I don't want to damage my canopy...
Also, what do you do with the nose? Leave it exposed? Wrap the center cell around? Roll it? Tuck it?
Also... pc choice: how does BR's 36" F-111 compare to CR's 32" zp? What about the 32" AV?
Last thing: any tips for taking a velcro Perigee 2 to terminal? Don't have a pin rig...
Thanks,
Mark.

[TomAiello 25]

For terminal, I'd recommend:
Slider: I'd go with a mesh slider. I generally use a large hole mesh slider at terminal. I've done plenty of jumps on this configuration, on a Mojo 260 (and various other canopies). Openings are brisk, but nowhere near damaging. I prefer the mesh slider because, in my opinion, it yields more consistent openings than a sail slider.
My recommendation is, of course, opposite the manufacturers. If you have a good track (i.e. lots of separation), and will pull reasonably high (i.e. can afford a little snivel), a sail slider would probably be ok. However, I have seen a friend with a sail slider pull higher than me, and snivel past my (mesh slider) opening. The same friend later snivelled into the dirt (hit the ground as the slider hit the links) on a sail slider. He had, again, pulled higher than I had (both jumps were on FOX's, which do open a bit slower than Mojos) Fortunately, aside from a twisted ankle, he was uninjured.
Using a mesh slider will damage neither you, nor your canopy. If you can tolerate some hard openings, I'd go with that. There are, of course, various compromise solutions (getting an illiterate Mexican boy to cut holes in your slider appears to work well, for example).
Nose: I'd recommend rolling cells 1-3 and 5-7 tightly, then pulling cell 4 (the center) around the pack job. If this opens too hard for your taste, you can tuck cell 4 into the middle, but you will sacrifice some opening heading in this configuration.
PC: I'd probably go with a 36 F-111, especially if you aren't going to pull too low. If you are smoking it into the basement, you might consider ZP, instead. The F-111 will oscillate less, and (because it inflates at bridle stretch above you, rather than to the side) orbit less. If you do go with ZP, get a vented (A-V) PC. (Please note that I'm only discussing terminal jumps, here.)
Perigee 2: Be sure to have someone check your velcro just before exit. I've seen some scary old P-II's. The older ones were very tight, and the velcro could sometimes blow open prior to exit (obviously undesirable). If you have a newer one, this shouldn't be a problem. Obviously, don't try a wingsuit jump with a velcro rig.
Hope this helps.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[blair700 0]

Hey Mark!
NEVER been to Norway, hell my only E so far was 132', so I can't really say much about how to pack there, but I can tell you how I pack my mojo 280/velcro rig for terminal. I pack EXACTLY the same as I do slider down, (like Adam's slider down pack job) mainly because all of my slider up solid object jumps (save one and I deployed facing the tower anyway so my 180 actually put me flying in the right direction) are terminal....if I was doing subterminal slider up deployments off solid objects regularly, I would probably have some variation, or at the least spend more than 10 minutes on it. I have NEVER used a sail slider and don't think I ever will on this canopy. My BASE jumps at terminal are with the mesh slider, and a non-vented external handled ZP 32" PC. All of my openings were fast, but not too hard, most of them I had 1 or 2 cameras on as well. I have, on a couple of other occasions, done some low altitude skydiving with the same configuration...once exited at 5500 from a chopper, videoed a 2-way and deployed at 700', no problems on opening (and I know I know, I pulled high).
I made these jumps with a rig that looks_alot_like the perigee 2, and as long as the velcro is in good condition, and your canopy fits the container, you shouldn't have any problems going to terminal...anywhere.
Anyways, take all this with a grain of salt, because I SUCK, and I've never jumped anywhere except close to sea level, so have fun!
C-ya
Blair

PS Just read tom's post,

[markamodeo 0]

Tom Aiello:
"If you are smoking it into the basement, you might consider ZP, instead."
and:
"If you do go with ZP, get a vented (A-V) PC."

Being a manly-man, I'll be pulling WAY low! (Not!)
But, out of curiosity, if I do sneak off to have a smoke in the basement, what size ZP would be good? And do basement smokers still go with vented pc's? Again, from a "damage to gear" perspective... how big is too big for a zp, at terminal? 36"? 38"?
Thanks Tom and Blair!
Mark.

[TomAiello 25]

I'd go with 32" ZP for terminal. I'd also go with vented PC's, if you are using ZP.
Theoretically, a vented PC will inflate very slightly slower than an otherwise identical unvented PC. The only person I've seen regularly going low enough that this might matter is Karin's boyfriend.
For the rest of us, I'd say if you're going with ZP, get vents, regardless of your basement smoking proclivities.
I've used a 38" ZP PC at terminal, but I don't think it's a good idea. Bigger PC's will tend to cause more pack job deformation, leading to a greater incidence of malfunctions and off-headings.
Edit: I meant boyfriend. Really I did.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[markamodeo 0]

last question, I promise!

brake setting, terminal:

my first mojo 280 had only one brake setting, which i found just fine for slider down AND sub-terminal mesh slider up jumps.
my current mojo 280 has two brake settings; however, i've used the DBS, again, for both types of jumps... i find that the DBS, sub-terminal, mesh slider up, gives smooth, controllable openings that can be corrected AS THEY ARE HAPPENING.
will the DBS be cool at terminal, with the mesh slider? or is the accepted wisdom to use the shallower setting? what affects will each setting have on opening, snivelling, etc?
thanks again...
mark

[Dd0g 0]

Wth an unvented canopy, brake settings that are truly too deep will result in a slider-up opening that feels (to me, at least) mushy, non-consistent, and like it's not really completely pressurized until the brakes are released. This could be bad if one is going very deep or has a hard object to contend with. Otherwise, it is at worst a bit disconcerting.

I've really only seen 3 or 4 people ever jump brake settings that were truly, really TOO deep. Nearly all folks are jumping brakes that are way too shallow. So, if you are using your "deeper" brake settings slider up and the openings feel more or less normal, I'd say stick with those. If you get a mushiness, try the shallower ones and see if it goes away. Note that I recommend this trial and error only on a very forgiving slider-up object, not some underhung, dodgy, "Portland-style" monstrosity.

The best way - by far - to dial in brake settings is (in my opinion) to do a bunch of jumps off a safe object with nil winds and watch video of the openings from above. This is mostly for slider down, granted, and for slider up I suppose jumping the canopy from an airplane to set the optimal stall point slider up is probably best.

I'm not sure I'd see any difference in "optimal" brake settings for terminal slider-up versus subterminal slider-up except insofar as the latter was REALLY subterminal (less than 4.5 secs or so) and folks are trying to do the "steer the canopy into an on-heading opening before it fully pressurizes" trick. I don't have firsthand experience with this trick, so I'll let others who do comment further on ideal brake settings for same.

Remember: too shallow brakes + hard object close to pressurizing canopy + 180 = DEATH. This gear mis-configuration has killed (directly or indirectly) many jumpers.

Peace,

D-d0g
[email protected]
Dog's Den

+~+~+~+~
But this, surely, was the glory that no spirits, canine or human, had ever clearly seen, the light that never was on land or sea, and yet is glimpsed by the quickened mind everywhere.

[TomAiello 25]

Quote

brake setting, terminal:

If you've got a brake setting that works slider up, I'd stick with it. You are unlikely to experience problems with that setting moving from sub-terminal to terminal deployments.
You might want to have a look at dialing in your brake settings, though. From your descriptions it sounds like your slider down setting may be too shallow for your body weight, which means that your shallow setting is probably way to shallow.
If your tracking is good, though, that shouldn't be a very big problem on a terminal wall, where you should have plenty of horizontal separation at opening.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[motherhucker 0]

I usually will bring some good rain gear, a bunch of summer clothes, and my GI Joe doll. A rig is good to bring, too. ;)