Racer reserve packing tips?

[pchapman 262]

OK, there are always some riggers around saying that Racers aren't that hard to pack if you know the tricks...
but I rarely see any tricks mentioned

So I'd like to know of some, if any riggers out there don't feel they're giving away their hard earned competitive advantage.

(As with many things in life, plenty of practice and experience will also make the job much easier, beyond the 'book learning'.)

I can get by packing Racers, but it still seems an endless repetition of bodkin in, bodkin out, bodkin in,...

Peter Chapman
(own a Racer with a round and one with a square reserve)

[LouDiamond 1]

Too bad you wern't at the Eloy boogie. Howard gave a reserve packing class as a seminar one evening. Having seen other reserves packed and then seeing the Racer reserve packed I can tell you this, unlike all the other rigs, a racer is about technique not how big your biceps are. Some of the neat tricks he passed on were on how to keep the reserve risers taught, He gave out a neat little piece of material to make the cypress install even easier , as well as how to pack the hat down nice and neat. All in all I believe he used 3 tools(forceps, 2 bodkins) and a few pull up cords. After seeing the class I can honestly say as a non rigger I think the Racer isn't a difficult rig to pack and would have less trouble packing one than any another rig.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[skybeergodd 0]

one big trick that makes them easy to pack is to get a set of removeable handle bodkins from Sunshine factory.....they are the greatest thing since sliced bread when it comes to packing a racer.

[KevinMcGuire 0]

I'd be happy to share the tricks that I use for them but it's not really possible to do over the internet. You'd have to be in the room watching I will say that Racers are one of the easiest rigs to pack when you know how.
Back when I was a rigglett, I was packing my own rig (which was a racer) to satisfy the 20 pack job requirement. The guy that was instructing me didn't really know much about racers so I was forced to figure it out on my own. Long story short, it didn't go well.
After drop kicking my rig to the other side of the hanger, I stomped of to get a bite to eat.
while sitting there eating my lunch and swearing under my breath about John Shreman and what a poor design the racer is, a person sitting in the next booth turned and said something to me that I never forgot and has shaped my approach to rigging ever since.
He said "If you let that rig get under your skin now, it will own you for the rest of your career. Each rig is nothing more than a puzzle. If all the pieces are present, and you still cant solve it, it's not the puzzles fault.
I'm sorry if this does not part the clouds as quickly as you may want but there is a great deal of truth in what that person said. You can apply it when patching a canopy, or repairing a rig or for that matter, to your daily life. Oops sorry, I'm getting all motivational on ya.
Any way, seek as many ideas from as many riggers as possible. Combine the good ideas dissgard the bad and come up with something that works well for you. Oh yea, the spin off handle boddkins are the bomb
Good luck.
Kevin
P.S. the wise old man who spoke those words was a man by the name of Fred Bowan. If there are any REALLY old timers reading this they'll know who he is

[hookitt 0]

riggerrob has a cool home made tool and a description of it some where in this forums. The next time I pack a Racer I'll take a peak at it to see if I want to make it.

This is not easy to describe but I'll do my best. I don't have a Racer here to help out with this.

As with all rigs, it's a puzzle, so think it through and it's a snap.


All right, heres my best shot at describing one of the methods I've used.

Tools:
2 hard bodkins,
2 soft bodkins ( basically 2 cypress closing loops, tied together, or make one with loops at both ends.

A few pullup cords
2 locking pullup cords.
2 temp pins
and a molar strap, (or packing strap from a back packing store... REI is a good source)

ok, I think that's it.

I like to use the adjustable quickloop rather than tacking it down.

*Set the loop so it's too long.
*Route the ripcord.

*Pack the parachute how ever it is you pack it. Put the locking pullup cords through the freebag and cinch em tight. Put the parachute in the freebag. Stow up the lines.

Here's where the tricks come in. I'm going to use a cypres equiped Rig as an example.

*Push the soft bodkins through the back grommets and through the cypres cutters.
*Push a Hard bodkins to through the back grommet but to the side of the cutters and then through the Soft bodkins. put a pull up cord in each Hard bodkin.

*As you place the Freebag into the reserve container, Unlock the locking pull up cords and put the regular pull up cords through and pull the pull up cords trough the bag. This will help you guide the hard bodkins through the freebag,

*Put the flaps over the hard bodkins in the proper order.

*Collapse the Reserve pilot chute and hold it collapsed with the Molar or Tied down strap.

--Here's a cool trick. finger trap one end of each pull up cord, through the closing loop on each side of the pilot chute cap. Make the loop quite large becuse you have to undo it.

*Fold the bridle, and place the already collapsed Pilot chute in place. Turn the rig over ... pop top to the ground.

*Pull out the hard bodkins, all the way. Do this slowly. Also remember one end of the pull up cord is attachuted to the Pilot chute closing loop, so pull each cord all the way through.

*Now slowly remove the Soft bodkins. This will pull the Pull up cord through the cypres cutter, then pull the loop through and Temp pin it.

*Put the ripcord pins in place but leave the temporary pins.

*Tighten down the cap but not too tight.

*Remove the Molar or Tie down strap from the Pilot chute.

*With the Temp pins in place and the Rip cord pins in place, perform the loop tightening sequence.

--I like to also push each end of the cap down pretty hard with my knee or my heel. Then Tighten it some more. Do this several times untill the cap is sufficiently seated.

*Remove the temp Pins then undo the finger traps in the pull up cords and remove the pull up cords.


Check pull force.

This sounds like a lot of steps but it's actually very simple.

Good Luck.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[jdthomas 0]

The ol racer can be a pain until you unlock it's trick and then it is really easy.
But the real trick is to keep telling the owner that it is a pain, that way you can charge extra for racers and reflex's.. man what a scam..

no really get those bodkins and seek visual help from another rigger that has done them.

now where did I leave that molar strap? oh well I got to get this rig closed!

www.greenboxphotography.com

[linestretch 0]

Ok, here's one that I've sorta questioned about packing a racer that is small and has a cypres. A rigger who has packed quite a few racers in his time was telling me that if the bottom flap has roughly less than 1.5" from the side of the reserve container to the grommet, and it has a cypres, then he would run that closing loop around the outside of the canopy. Meaning, he would use a soft bodkin on the deeper grommet of the bag, put the canopy in the bag, and then run the other bodkin around the end of the folded canopy. Does any of this make sense? I've never tried it or seen it. He said it helped with the cypres unit, and made for an easier and tighter pack. I don't like the idea of the closing loop being pulled across the canopy that way. I have a racer, and I know I'm just gonna have to take more time to do it. I don't do them that often.


Anyone?

my pics & stuff!

[NightJumper 0]

We are presently making a video of our packing class. When completed, it will be available with a cypress tool for free to riggers. In the mean time we offer free rigging classes at our factory and at any events that we attend. The next class will be at the 5th Annual Collegiate Boogie at Williston, Jan. 16-19, 2004 followed by the Mardi Gras boogie at Moss Point Feb. 21-29, 2004. We will also be at the WFFC and probably others during the year.

P.S. It should only take two bodkins, two pieces of cypress line, hemostat and the cypress tool to pack. And the bodkins should only go in once and come out once.

[pchapman 262]

Quote

A rigger who has packed quite a few racers in his time was telling me that if the bottom flap has roughly less than 1.5" from the side of the reserve container to the grommet, and it has a cypres, then he would run that closing loop around the outside of the canopy.

Bottom closing loop below the canopy instead of between the ears:

The Racer manual online does say that a Racer can be packed either way, as desired according to space available. Even without a Cypres box lump in there, I pack one of my Racers with the loop below the canopy. The reserve gets 'dogboned' in shape, but that's something even other manufacturers have recommended for small rigs with a Cypres.

With the canopy well prepared like that, I figure the loop doesn't have to drag across the canopy to force it into position. (And there are also the little webbing tabs inside the bag to protect the canopy from the loops. Haven't seen a newer Racer freebag to see whether they're still used.)

[NightJumper 0]

(And there are also the little webbing tabs inside the bag to protect the canopy from the loops. Haven't seen a newer Racer freebag to see whether they're still used.)

Yes they are still there.

[hookitt 0]

Is the Cypres tool a thinner bodkin?
-- That would eliminate the need for the soft bodkins.

Do you use locking pull up cords (through bag cords) on the freebag?

I use temp pins until the Pop top is tightened down. I like to use them but that's optional. The finger trap trick is optional but I like it.

Thanks

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[riggerrob 563]

It took me ten years to get good at packing Racers.
The first thing I did was toss all my steel bodkins in the trash can.
Then I made a pair of temporary loops out of Cypres cord. Temp loops start with a lump of scrap iron (i.e. ring off an old riser) then I tie on a loop somewhere between 2 inches (Power Racer) and 8 inches (Tandem). To simplify tool control, I tied my two temp loops together - with 8 inches of slack between them.
To further simplify tool control I fingertrapped and sewed pull-up cords to the temp loops.

The first step - of packing a Racer - involves inserting the temp loops beside the ripcord pins and pulling them up through the pack tray, Cypres cutters, freebag, flaps, etc. much the same way you would pack a Vector.

A recurring theme during the folding and bagging and closing sequence is constantly trying to creat and maintain a "crater" in the middle of the pack job so the pilotchute will have a "divot" to sink into.

Late in the process, I wrap my molar strap around the pilotchute - to compress the spring - and finish folding the bridle. Then I route the pull-up cords through the real closing loops and everything (temp loops, pull-up cords and real closing loops) out beside the ripcord pins.

[rigging65 0]

As much as I disapprove of Molar Straps (an unnecessary tool, IMO...and I generally disapprove of all unnecessary tools that can kill you), they are certainly helpful with Racers. I, also, use it to help control, contain and center the reserve p/c...it works well!

IMO, the key to Racers is understanding where you have room to work within the container. Seems US skydivers, in particular, are all about shoving 10 pounds of crap into a 5 lb. sack. This makes packing a Racer very difficult. With the proper canopy in a properly sized container, good technique will get you a nice looking packjob at the end of the day.

My personal reason for disliking Racers has more to do with their limited ability to handle over/under stuffing than anything else. Their margin for for going above and below the numbers is poor, IMO.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[brits17 0]

Quote

*Collapse the Reserve pilot chute and hold it collapsed with the Molar or Tied down strap.

hookitt just mentioned my fav trick above... makes life a lot easier.

Throughout the pack job, I'm always making sure I've created the nice set 'hole' for the pilot chute to sit on. After folding the bridle when all flaps are 'closed' I'll take a packing paddle in the center of the folded bridle and basically 'set' the remaining bridle into the created hole. I do this by taking the small end of the paddle and pushing the bridle down in the center. I've heard a couple gasps when I do this, however try it. The bridle unfolds and stretches without any force.

This is difficult to describe in words without video or diagrams, but I tried

_______________________
aerialkinetics.com

[LouDiamond 1]

I have to say that from the descriptions that were mentioned, it sounds like a few more steps are being added as is equipment. I think once the video comes out a lot of people will find that their time to pack as well as overall technique will change. The demonstration I saw required 3 hard tools and about 4 pull up cords and was really pretty quick and easy. The hardest part looked like the flipping over process which really just requires you get a good grasp on the hat and freebag. I think the real trick is knowing when to thread pullup cords through the bodkins and to pull everything through pretty much at once and then pin it, flip and tighten the hat down and dress it up. Put it this way, after I saw the demonstration and how easy (IMO) it was I felt like all this time I have been getting charged extra for a racer because it was "hard" has been a rip off. Packing the spring loaded pilot chute on my MC-4 at work is harder than doing a racer IMO.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[Unstable 8]

I know I'm going to get flamed for this - But it seems to me like those who charge extra for a racer just need to either learn these tricks or simply do more and get better at them......

=========Shaun ==========

[rigging65 0]

Ok, but to be fair, it's the rigger's choice as to what s/he charges and what s/he packs. If they think it's worth more to do the packjob, and you don't, you can always go elsewhere. They lose the sale and you get your packjob done, but it's their choice...

If you don't agree, you can feel free to go out and get your own rigger's ticket...

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[BlindBrick 0]

For me one of the hardest parts was where you had to flip the nearly packed rig over to get at the backpad to finish closing it. Found me an old wooden table that was pretty sturdy. I then cut a hole near the center of the table and sanded the edges down smooth. Now when it comes to that part, I can just reach under instead of having to wrestle the whole rig.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."