Packing Style

[Bigwallmaster 0]

In response to your question Spiderbaby, I am a climber. I can honestly say that my climbing career is what got me interested in BASE. I'm certainly not the first in the climbing community to show an interest in BASE. I started skydiving about one year ago exactly, solely for the purpose of honing my skills for BASE. The prospect of climbing of big walls in Baffin and then jumpin' em seems to be a nice form of bliss for me.

Thanks for everyone's input out there. These are some great posts and they have pointed out much previously unknown knowledge. My goal is certainly to find an appropriate BASE mentor. Don't know who that is yet. I jump at Perris just about every weekend; I'm sure eventually I will meet some people who are BASE worthy mentors. An FJC is a must for me, and a seemingly perfect first step in becoming acquainted with BASE.

thanks again folks.

Bigwallmaster

[TomAiello 25]

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I am a climber. I can honestly say that my climbing career is what got me interested in BASE.

That's what happened to me, too. We were just finishing up a nice little three day jaunt in the Valley, when these two guys came flying by. All I could think was: "I've got to do that."

Four years (and forty pounds) later, I haven't climbed anything serious in three and a half years. I've done a fair bit of jumping, though.

Welcome to the club. There's more like you than you realize.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Zennie 0]

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Welcome to the club. There's more like you than you realize.

What's interesting is that the reverse also seems to hold true. 460 & I have taken an interest in climbing due to our involvement with BASE.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[andrewstewart 0]

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I am a climber. I can honestly say that my climbing career is what got me interested in BASE.

That's what happened to me, too. We were just finishing up a nice little three day jaunt in the Valley, when these two guys came flying by. All I could think was: "I've got to do that."

Four years (and forty pounds) later, I haven't climbed anything serious in three and a half years. I've done a fair bit of jumping, though.

Welcome to the club. There's more like you than you realize.

Personally I started skydiving first, then climbing, then BASE.

I was leading 5.11 after about 6 months of climbing ;-)

[park1231 0]

I started skydiving in april due to an intrest in BASE through climbing also. What did it for me was that part in the Masters of Stone 5 video when they show the two guys jumping the Polar Sun Spire on Baffin Island. Since I have 54 skydives so far and havent done any climbing outside of the occasional gym and light bouldering session since then... so little time so much to do

[Spiderbaby 0]

Thanx for the reply Bigwallmaster, and let me also welcome you to the club. I have always refered to my self as a climber witha BASE addiction. Bachar-Yerian, Astroman, 5.12 on the Diamond with Derek Hersey is all alot more exciting with this little secret you have on what you're gonna do on your rest days. It's so nice to appreciate the stone as a whole, the ascention, as well as the descention. Have fun and be safe dood!

"It takes a big man to cry, it takes an even bigger man to make that big man cry"

[Bigwallmaster 0]

All I can say Tom is. . . . . . . .yep! that pretty much sums it up. And I can understand the 40 lbs. I have actually forced myself to stay active in my workouts, but it has been tought since I started jumping.


well anyways, we're getting a little off topic. Perhaps a new post about the inter-relationship of BASE and climbing is better discussed in a different.

hey thanks again for the insight on packing. . . .i'm sure as I have more time to think and digest what i've read, I will most certainly have more questions.

peace,

bigwallmaster

[MathmatiC 0]

For me it went skydiving, climbing(because I wanted to be able to climb up, and then BASE a big wall in the future.), and then BASE.
I haven't made my first BASE yet, but hopefully real soon. I am lucky to have found a very competent mentor who is willing to teach me.

That is my story and I'm stickin to it.
Matt

[jonstark 8]

With that resume you must have known Earl. You a Valley Rat still?

jon

[base515 0]

Other than a weight or stake on the rig for line tension, why use tools? You can acheive the same results without them with practice. The more tools involved the more likely you are to leave someting in your packjob. I know of one person who left their pullup cord tied around their lines at the canopy on a slider down jump. The cord became a slider that barely allowed enough inflation to live through and not suffer any major injuries. You could use a hot iron also to get really neat and straight folds but I doubt it will help with openings in anyway. Go natural and you never have to worry about counting tools or leaving them at home and being forced to pack a unfamilar way. Clampers and flat packers need to go the way of the DoDo bird..

May we live long and die out

[TomAiello 25]

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Go natural and you never have to worry about counting tools or leaving them at home and being forced to pack a unfamilar way.

With better than 100 pack jobs "au naturalle", I don't really feel like it's that unfamiliar.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[base515 0]

Present company excluded, I know of some who probably couldn't do it at all without clamps, and if they did it would be so scary looking nobody would jump it. People should learn natural first, and then once they are competent with it, then they can use tools if they choose. I just don't feel like they give any benefit in regards to opening heading or reliabilty. I've seen clamped canopys that were absolutly perfect looking, evey line and crease and they still had a 180. Each to their own I guess

May we live long and die out

[meekerboy 0]

My old man introduced me to climbing when I was a kid, then I got into Skydiving at University then BASE a few years after. But I always had the potential to BASE. When I was kidda, apparantly I watched black and white superman on the tele. When the show was finished, I would climb the stairs in the house and jump trying to fly. My Mum had to ban me from watching Superman as her friends were starting to get suspicious of my bruises!
Meeker

[Faber 0]

i like packing whith out tools.however sometimes i use them as i get the canopy into the harness.But most times i dont use them(sorry Blair and Tom),i got some really nice tools,which i have used,but as times goes i just found out i prefere to pack whithout..

if i want nice folds in my canopy i simlpy pack it until the time were i will take the canopy into the harness,at that point i just find somthing big and heavy to lay on the canopy for a while..,psst just pack as soon as you get home,then it wont mess as much as staying in a stashbag

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[TomAiello 25]

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People should learn natural first, and then once they are competent with it, then they can use tools if they choose.

I learned that way--first without tools, then adding tools. Honestly, I think it's easier to learn in the opposite order. Use the tools first, then once you understand the process, start learning how to control things by hand. It just seems like learning without tools is like learning two things (how to pack the canopy, and how to control the pack job) at one time, where learning to pack with tools narrows things down to one task (learning to pack).

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I just don't feel like they give any benefit in regards to opening heading or reliabilty.

In the end, it always has to be about how you feel about what is on your back.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[base515 0]

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I learned that way--first without tools, then adding tools. Honestly, I think it's easier to learn in the opposite order.

The easiest way isn't always the best, or safest way. I think it well understood that most malfunctions and accidents are caused by pilot error. Throwing tools into the safety chain just increases the risk for human error to appear. People have left clamps and pullup cords in their packjob. Isn't this sorta violating the KISS method you suggest in your "My first BASE rig" article. I agree completetly with you on keeping it simple, which is the main reason why I have arguements with using tools. I would rather see someone struggle an extra hour getting their rig packed than see them go in with a pullup cord around their risers or some other self-induced problem.

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In the end, it always has to be about how you feel about what is on your back.