opt for B12 snaps?

[djro 0]

Good, not good or entirely personal preference?

[skybytch 259]

Good if you have limited flexibility in your hips/legs. Lots of older jumpers find they make it easier to get in and out of the legstraps.

Not bad if you don't "need" them, but you'll hear a lot of crap from other jumpers.

[airtwardo 6]

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Good if you have limited flexibility in your hips/legs. Lots of older jumpers find they make it easier to get in and out of the legstraps.

Not bad if you don't "need" them, but you'll hear a lot of crap from other jumpers.

Funny...I never hear any crap from other jumpers and every rig I've ever owned has B12's or QE's.

Makes a rig a lot easier to get on & off in a hurry, like in water, a tree, waiting for a bambulance...

It's a personal choice, and hey my flexibility is probably better than 3/4's of the jumpers out there, regardless of AGE!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[skybytch 259]

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Funny...I never hear any crap from other jumpers and every rig I've ever owned has B12's or QE's

I wouldn't give you crap either. You might hurt me.

[darkwing 4]

B-12's have their advantages. You can tack down the leg straps and the fit is perfect, without having to adjust again.

Mostly people who criticize are those who don't know what they are talking about, so their opinions are rarely worth anything. People who have experience with B-12's, which largely means old guys, have no problem with the notion.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[Halfpastniner 0]

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Mostly people who criticize are those who don't know what they are talking about, so their opinions are rarely worth anything. People who have experience with B-12's, which largely means old guys, have no problem with the notion.

So because they have a different opinion than you, they don't know what they are talking about and their opinions arnt worth anything?

IMO, B12's are uncomfortable, bulky, more expensive, and sometimes they jam open and you have to stick a screwdriver in it to knock it back closed. My employer is 65 years old and still manages to put on his rig without B12 snaps. Unless you have the flexibility of a 2x4 you probably could to.

But hey, its your rig. If you want them, go for it.

BASE 1384

[likestojump 3]

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Mostly people who criticize are those who don't know what they are talking about, so their opinions are rarely worth anything. People who have experience with B-12's, which largely means old guys, have no problem with the notion.

So because they have a different opinion than you, they don't know what they are talking about and their opinions arnt worth anything?

IMO, B12's are uncomfortable, bulky, more expensive, and sometimes they jam open and you have to stick a screwdriver in it to knock it back closed. My employer is 65 years old and still manages to put on his rig without B12 snaps. Unless you have the flexibility of a 2x4 you probably could to.

But hey, its your rig. If you want them, go for it.

I'll give you a +1.

in addition B12s are a big pain in the ass due to the weight of the V-ring buckle swinging around, and unless left hooked up at all times will eventually swing into something/someone and cause damage/pain. I am not theorizing, I am speaking from experience.

B12s are a great tool, but not for everyone. Just like split sliders are supposedly a solution to removable or stowable systems :)

[gowlerk 1,913]

As you can see by looking at the response here, The Answer Is:

"entirely personal preference"

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[skydiver30960 0]

They're the perfect bottle opener after the sunset load.

Elvisio "Not on my rig, but on my keychain" Rodriguez

[darkwing 4]

I want to clarify my statement above in light of a couple of subsequent responses. My intention in the "Most people..." sentence was to assert that many naysayers have no experience with them and are judging B-12s unfairly, based mostly on issues such as "they weigh more," or, "they are ugly or uncool...". I apologize to anyone who thought I was dismissing their substantive opinion. I'm only dismissing the opinions of the ignorant, which, unfortunately, represent a great many opinions one gets around a DZ.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[airtwardo 6]

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Mostly people who criticize are those who don't know what they are talking about, so their opinions are rarely worth anything. People who have experience with B-12's, which largely means old guys, have no problem with the notion.

So because they have a different opinion than you, they don't know what they are talking about and their opinions arnt worth anything?

IMO, B12's are uncomfortable, bulky, more expensive, and sometimes they jam open and you have to stick a screwdriver in it to knock it back closed. My employer is 65 years old and still manages to put on his rig without B12 snaps. Unless you have the flexibility of a 2x4 you probably could to.

But hey, its your rig. If you want them, go for it.

Uncomfortable...never noticed

Bulky...bigger is better

More expensive...yup, if ya want the best it costs extra.

Jam Open...never had it happen to me, then again I tend to take pretty good care of life saving equipment, keep your screw driver away from me.

Again...personal choice, but if you jump near water...think abouit it.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[MorfiusX 0]

I have them on my rig, but I bought used and it wasn't a choice per se. If I was to buy a new container, I probably wouldn't get them. They are handy, but one more thing to check during gear checks. I agree that it's really just a personal preference.

[lekstrom10k 0]

In regards to the bambulance driver ,they have an uncontrollable urge to slice and dice riga. B-12's and friends at the scene unsnapping you could be a benifit. Your friends might have you free from your rig but they would find it 10 feet away because their book said they had too. maybe thats why they could make more money at Mickey Dees.

[Halfpastniner 0]

If you don't have B12s, you could still unthread the legstraps before the squad gets there with the scissors.

BASE 1384

[firemedic 7]

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In regards to the bambulance driver ,they have an uncontrollable urge to slice and dice riga. B-12's and friends at the scene unsnapping you could be a benifit. Your friends might have you free from your rig but they would find it 10 feet away because their book said they had too. maybe thats why they could make more money at Mickey Dees.

As I was once one of those Bambulance drivers we operated on the ethos, "Primum Non Nocere" First do no harm. If they were critically injured I would cut. If they were not and I could un-thread a leg strap out of the hardware I would. If it meant moving the patient in a way that would potentially worsen their injuries I would cut. As a skydiver, I loathed to damage someones equipment but did it. But generally I agree most medics are ignorant of how expensive and how important a rig is to someone. They tend to be cut happy but they are looking at it from a patient care viewpoint, but, that is a good thing.
Edit: I know I got off the topic of this thread so in reference to B12s. My rig does not have B12s. I've jumped both Sigma and Strong Tandem systems. The Strong system had B12s and I was very happy with that feature. I wish the Sigma had them. Putting that on 8-14 times a day was a pain. I'm at a point where I'm looking at upsizing canopies and getting a new rig. I'll probably get B12s or some other releasable hardware for the legstraps. Personal choice.

[riggerrob 558]

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... I've jumped both Sigma and Strong Tandem systems. The Strong system had B12s and I was very happy with that feature. I wish the Sigma had them. Putting that on 8-14 times a day was a pain. ...

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About a decade ago, Pitt Meadows quit buying tandem student harnesses with B-12 snaps, because we had too many students un-hooking them "because they were uncomfortable while waiting for the plane."
Instructor harnesses still have B-12 snaps, but they slow me down so much that I prefer to leave them attached and step into the harness. It helps at lot if you have a table - about butt high - to rest the rig on while you step into the leg straps.

As an aside, four years ago, when I taught a rigger course at the busiest DZ in Canada (Nouvelaire serving Montreal), all the participants were surprised, because they had never seen B-12 Snaps before the course! None of the experienced jumpers had B-12 Snaps. None of their tandem rigs had B-12 Snaps, None of their student rigs had B-12 Snaps, because they had converted to thread-thrus years ago.

[JackC1 0]

I've jumped rigs with B12's. I found it was easier to leave them permanently hooked up. Unless you need the extra connection because you haven't got the flexibility to put on your rig, I wouldn't bother. Keep it simple.

[firemedic 7]

[About a decade ago, Pitt Meadows quit buying tandem student harnesses with B-12 snaps, because we had too many students un-hooking them "because they were uncomfortable while waiting for the plane."

That made sense. There's enough to be thinking about without the potential of a student releasing their leg straps.