badlandz 0 #1 January 10, 2009 Maybe this is a stupid question, but I just got my new rig and while I'm waiting out the winter, I was thinking about getting a shot bag or some other weight bag to weigh my harness down while I'm packing my canopy. I'm just wondering what makes for the best shot bag and what is a good weight to use ? I've been looking at some 10lbs weight belts that can double as something to weigh my harness down as well as something to weigh me down when I begin doing more RW with people larger than I. Would 10lbs be enough to use ? I could wait till spring and remind myself what my local DZ uses, but I'd like to practice packing while the white stuff is still all over the ground outside. Thanks !"Jump, and be free" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indyz 1 #2 January 10, 2009 I use my 14lb weight belt as a packing weight and it works fine. You can also make a weight out of heavy-duty plastic detergent bottle or similar container filled with something heavy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badlandz 0 #3 January 10, 2009 Right on ... Thanks :D"Jump, and be free" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #4 January 10, 2009 One of these (attached) is best for packing, in my opinion. It won't roll. Just run your risers under it and pull your rig against it. Never spills. Never breaks. Doesn't rust. Goodwill - a few bucks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #5 January 10, 2009 A 4l milk jug full of pebbles works fine. Comes with a handle too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badlandz 0 #6 January 10, 2009 I was actually looking at that exact weight and comparing it to a 10lbs weight belt. I liked the weight belt since I'm only 150lbs. When I start doing more RW with heavier people, it could have dual function. I just don't think 10lbs is enough weight to hold the rig in place. I was considering a 20lbs weight like the one you posted, but is that a little too heavy to be using ?"Jump, and be free" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TitaniumLegs 8 #7 January 10, 2009 QuoteA 4l milk jug full of pebbles works fine. Comes with a handle too. We use the big detergent jugs full of sand. Same thing. (>o|-< If you don't believe me, ask me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pchapman 262 #8 January 10, 2009 Quote I just don't think 10lbs is enough weight to hold the rig in place. It all depends. One can learn to pack with no weight on a rig, but it is more awkward or takes special techniques. Or if the floor is slippery one may want an lot of weight, but it the rig is on 'sticky' carpet one won't need as much. Or if flat packing some big F-111 canopy it can be nice to have a hook in the wall to be able to put lots of tension on it when flaking. But basically a weight belt or the aforementioned plastic bottles with sand or gravel work well. People place weights all over too - on the rig in general, across the main risers, in the main tray, within the leg straps, whatever. Not saying that some ways aren't better than others, but generally there are a lot of ways to get the job done. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gearless_chris 1 #9 January 10, 2009 When we pack outside at boogies we use tent stakes through the legstraps. Inside at the dz is normally the detergent bottles with sand/pebbles. At the Loveshack/barn where the riggers were packing they had the dumbell weights shown elsewhere in this thread. At boogies, my friend Audrey uses her weight vest in the main tray. I think she uses between 6 and 12 pounds depending on the jump. That's probably what you're after, a weight you can use for multiple purposes."If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane. My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lastchance 0 #10 January 10, 2009 Use a one gallon milk jug full of sand or gravel. Oops. I didn't see the post above till I posted this. I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllisonH 0 #11 January 10, 2009 QuoteI was actually looking at that exact weight and comparing it to a 10lbs weight belt. I liked the weight belt since I'm only 150lbs. When I start doing more RW with heavier people, it could have dual function. I just don't think 10lbs is enough weight to hold the rig in place. It depends on how much you pull on the canopy while you're packing it. I pack mine with a 5-8 pound weight belt as a packing weight quite frequently. If I lean/pull on the canopy a lot it will slide, if I don't it will stay put. I think the weight will be more important when you're first learning to pack - I think I used to pull on my canopy a lot more - but once you get the hang of it it isn't a big deal to pack without a weight. I use one if it's convenient (and my weight belt almost always is), but I'd rather pack without a weight than go searching for one. In our packing room we have a dumbbell like the one pictured earlier in this thread. It's either 10 or 15 pounds, and works very well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #12 January 10, 2009 I can now pack with no packing weight if I pack on grass, although I tend to drag the rig slightly so I need a few more feet of packing 'runway' in that case. A tent stake solves that problem. I have a weight belt with only 8 lbs of removable weight (in 1lbs and 2.5lbs increments), and it is heavy enough to keep it in place, unless I'm packing on slippery painted concrete. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erdnarob 1 #13 January 11, 2009 You got a lot of good advices here. The fact is that all depends where and in what conditions you are packing. I guess you want to pack inside your home or apartment. The cheapest way to hold your harness is to attach it with a line to an anchor like : a hook screwed low and horizontally inside the wall skirting, a little piece of wood or else placed behind a door with a line around it passing under the door, the leg of a sofa or the leg of any piece of furniture even if you have to move it a little bit temporarily. You have plenty of choice. But unless you are a rigger I wouldn't bother to get shot bags or whatever. If your floor is slippery like wood, an anchor is still the best and will provide you with a good tension when needing it (ie. setting the brakes, checking the lines, at the flaking...).Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Genego 2 #14 January 12, 2009 Maybe I'm getting old, but isn't weighing down your container while you pack a job for your girlfriend? Thats the reason I take mine to the DZ. I live with fear and terror, but sometimes I leave her and go skydiving. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 36 #15 January 12, 2009 Well, it used to be. Girl friends were for holding tension when packing your round. Along with the stakes made from valves. Don't quite need that much weight for packing a square. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
