Velocity Packing Suggestions

[crazydiver 0]

I just bought a use velocity and its still pretty slick. The thing has so much fabric and is so short in the burrito that I obviously cant double s fold it, as most velo owners know. The packing suggestions say to skip the first s fold, but I just can't get it down neatly into the bag. Any suggestions would be great. I'm trying to be extra careful bagging it for openings sake.

Cheers,
Travis

[tr027 0]

On a Xaos 88 I can still get both S folds in. Perhaps on canopies smaller than this though only the staking fold is done.

"The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. " -John Galt from Atlas Shrugged, 1957

[crazydiver 0]

I have a velo 96 and its still giving me trouble. I packed a 103 with the two s folds. Who knows

Cheers,
Travis

[Spizzzarko 0]

Cocoon it. Place your knees on the data panel. Pull the entire pack job up into youy chest. Squeeze the air out more. Fold the lef and right ears down leaving the bridle attachment point expossed. Roll the top of the pack job forward until you get to the top of your knees. Take your knees off the data panel, and fold the roll back onto the data panel where your were. Insert one side of the roll into the corrisponding side of the bag. Reach under the roll and pull the bottom of the bag under the pack job. Pull the other side of the bag around the packjob. Try to get into the mind set of putting the bag around the packjob, and get out of the mindset of putting the canopy into the bag. It's all about the Zen of the pack job. If you make the roll tight then you can get a lot of material into a small bag. Just remember: ZEN...

[crazydiver 0]

Shit zen is my middle name...at least it was gonna be...damn hippy parents. Just kidding. I kind of tried that. I'll have to try harder I guess. Gonna be out this weekend or labor day at all? i'd be interested in seeing you put your velo into the bag.

Cheers,
Travis

[Elisha 1]

I like that. I may even want to try that with my Sabre (getting the thing neatly into the bag is one of my weak points). Sounds kinda like a modified psycho pack.

[crazydiver 0]

actually, not really. A psycho pack, the tail is folded/wrapped differently and this one is not rolled like sleeping bag, its just rolled to curve the topskin over like an s fold. If you ever see a velocity and see how short the cocoon really is, you'll understand why a "roll" is really just a fold in the cocoon.

Cheers,
Travis

[genitor 0]

Quote

I like that. I may even want to try that with my Sabre (getting the thing neatly into the bag is one of my weak points).

I use the same method he described on my Sabre2-170. For me, it's a lot easier than the standard 2 S-folds technique, and I've never had anything but super sweet openings when I pack that way.

When I was first learning to pack, I always used to try and S-fold "properly", and I would get spanked on a semi-regular basis. I'm sure this was happening because I would lose control of the mess while putting the damn thing into the bag. Also, thinking of putting the bag around the canopy, instead of the canopy into the bag, has helped me tremendously.

[Elisha 1]

Quote

actually, not really. A psycho pack, the tail is folded/wrapped differently and this one is not rolled like sleeping bag, its just rolled to curve the topskin over like an s fold. If you ever see a velocity and see how short the cocoon really is, you'll understand why a "roll" is really just a fold in the cocoon.

I have, but memory is fuzzy.

[phoenixlpr 0]

You might get some ideas from here.

[flow 1]

Quote

I just bought a use velocity and its still pretty slick. The thing has so much fabric and is so short in the burrito that I obviously cant double s fold it, as most velo owners know. The packing suggestions say to skip the first s fold, but I just can't get it down neatly into the bag. Any suggestions would be great. I'm trying to be extra careful bagging it for openings sake.

I own Velo96 too and double S-fold it but the canopy has 700 jumps so it behaves nicely.

http://users.tkk.fi/~jsironen/velo.wmv

[phoenixlpr 0]

Nice video :).

[dzguy99 0]

alright flow how come I cannot view your video and just get a bunch o junk?

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Once I cocoon the parachute, I kneel on the line end, pull the fabric up and roll it back down like a sleeping bag. I then bag it, spin my body around to the top (facing the container now) and s-fold the bottom part into the bag prior to closing it. Very tidy and flawless openings for several thousand jumps now. I have never chopped any of the three velos I have owned, nor have I ever had more than one complete line twist.

Chuck

[crash 0]

Quote

Try to get into the mind set of putting the bag around the packjob, and get out of the mindset of putting the canopy into the bag. It's all about the Zen of the pack job...Just remember: ZEN...

I couldn't agree with you more about putting the bag around the canopy. I tell this to students who are learning to pack at my DZ all the time.

Do you mind if I add, "It's all about the ZEN of the pack job" to my mantra?

[flow 1]

Quote

alright flow how come I cannot view your video and just get a bunch o junk?

Don't know, it works fine for me? It is made with the Windows XP movie maker...

[flow 1]

Quote

Once I cocoon the parachute, I kneel on the line end, pull the fabric up and roll it back down like a sleeping bag. I then bag it, spin my body around to the top (facing the container now) and s-fold the bottom part into the bag prior to closing it. Very tidy and flawless openings for several thousand jumps now.

Your packing method sounds exactly same as mine, but I still get from time to time very odd inflations. They always start perfectly normal with the center cell being nicely inflated then something happens and it looks like the center of the canopy folds under and after that it tries to spin up.

See attached picture.

[4dbill 0]

I know this is an old thread, but I need to know if my Velocity 120 is opening normal or not. It seems to take significantly longer time to open fully than other canopies I have jumped. If it's the way it is, I'll just plan for it and open high. If not, please let me know, so I can take corrective steps. It definitely is an adventure on every opening, a little more excitement than I really would like to have.

End of this footage shows my typical opening,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I3yDVprlpk

and this shows a twist at the end, which happens around 1 out of 5 jumps or so,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP8hxyw645I

Is this about the right amount of dancing one can expect from a Velo? Thanks.

4DBill

[rhys 0]

Quote

I know this is an old thread, but I need to know if my Velocity 120 is opening normal or not. It seems to take significantly longer time to open fully than other canopies I have jumped. If it's the way it is, I'll just plan for it and open high. If not, please let me know, so I can take corrective steps. It definitely is an adventure on every opening, a little more excitement than I really would like to have.

For a start you can tell Stevo he needs to sort his exits out, and tell ashley her straddle is awesome.

As for the openings, I am no Velo pilot but it looks like the canopy is not loaded enough? just under 2.0 is not a light wingloading but a velo 120 is large for that type. The slider was staying up there for some time and looked as though there was extra friction there, check you slider grommets and bar tacks at the cascades? who knows.

Ask pete, for petes sake!

The second opening is similar to what I was having on my JVX when I first got it. The outside cells are inflating before the inside and creating that 'butterfly effect'.

What I was doing and potentially you are doing is pulling the slider out a little when you quarter it. if it is sticking out it steals air fron the centre cells and caused this type of opening.

These canopies have semi closed noses and will not tend to snap open like other types, you are also getting long slow openings. What I suggest you do is not push the nose in, and make sure you slider is about an inch into the packjob at the nose, not puled out like most people will tend to do with regular parachutes.

Quote

It definitely is an adventure on every opening, a little more excitement than I really would like to have.

Wait untill it dives in linetwists, then you will be excited, high performance parachutes, mean Potentially high performance openings!

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[davelepka 4]

That shit looks good to me.

The first one was right on the money. There's nothing better than the slider letting you call the shots.

The second one looked fine up until the end. I don't know what it was, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but you did something to make it come around on you like that. It was probably the way you weighted the harness, and I don't think it was intentional. You said it's 'exciting' and I think your tyring to 'fly' it around with the harness during the opening, or just tensing up your body.

I used to do the same thing when I first started jumping a Velo. I put thousands of jumps on a Stilleto 107, and was so comfortable with the openings, I would litterally toss the PC and forget it. When I switched to the Velo, which opens different that the Stiletto, I started to really focus on the openings and trying to make sense of it.

After awhile I started to relax more and just let it go, and that was the key. Littlerally like freefall, you just have to relax. Maybe take a deep breath or something, but it wants to open, so let it.

You could downsize the slider if you want it to open faster, but I don't think that's what you want. I'd be happy if every opening for the rest of my life was like either of those. I'll take slow and steady over anything close to fast and/or hard anyday, all day long.

[cderham 0]

Quote

That shit looks good to me.

The first one was right on the money. There's nothing better than the slider letting you call the shots.

The second one looked fine up until the end. I don't know what it was, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but you did something to make it come around on you like that. It was probably the way you weighted the harness, and I don't think it was intentional. You said it's 'exciting' and I think your tyring to 'fly' it around with the harness during the opening, or just tensing up your body.

I used to do the same thing when I first started jumping a Velo. I put thousands of jumps on a Stilleto 107, and was so comfortable with the openings, I would litterally toss the PC and forget it. When I switched to the Velo, which opens different that the Stiletto, I started to really focus on the openings and trying to make sense of it.

After awhile I started to relax more and just let it go, and that was the key. Littlerally like freefall, you just have to relax. Maybe take a deep breath or something, but it wants to open, so let it.

You could downsize the slider if you want it to open faster, but I don't think that's what you want. I'd be happy if every opening for the rest of my life was like either of those. I'll take slow and steady over anything close to fast and/or hard anyday, all day long.

+1 on all that! Body position is key I have found out. Usually when I see things like my second opening is when I am leaning in the harness.

Chris
It's Jimmy Time!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Fast-As-Fuck/6099474213

[hookitt 1]

Nice footage bill
Have Reno put her knees closer together also
Ashley has some tunnel skills [:thumbup emoticon]

The speed of the opening seems pretty normal. The slider may be hanging a little too long. I haven't been jumping a velo for a while but will start again this weekend to see how it compares to yours. They tend to be chaotic anyway.

Since the canopy is folding forward, it would lead me to believe the brake settings could be deeper. If I recall, a 120 could be almost 1/2 inch deeper. I will search for another thread that talked about it.

How many jumps on the lines? Talk to Pete. It may be worth your while to have a set of the HMA lines he uses on it.

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

[4dbill 0]

Thanks everyone for great tips. I bought it used, and according to the seller, it was re-lined a couple hundreds jumps ago.
From the general consensus of answers, it seems as the speed of opening is somewhat normal and that I just need to relax more under the saddle.
I had a diving line twist once right after a opening similar to the end of footage #2, and it took a 1000' to twist out of it. Good thing that I opened high!
I don't ever mind not having one again. Ever since then, I guess I've been fighting it, trying to shift under the harness accordingly. It's either working or I've been lucky. I'll continue to experiment and pray that I don't have to chop it right over the vineyards.

4DBill