You just bought a used set of gear from dz.com, you don't know the seller/rigger personally, but the gear comes with a repack which is still in date. Do you:

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Purely out of curiosity. I was just browsing the classifieds, and noticed most people are selling their complete kits and offering a free repack, or using the fact that the reserve is still in date as a selling point. Not that it's not a selling point, I had just suspected that it was standard practice to get it repacked before jumping so it was sort of irrelevant in my eyes.

I'm curious what is typically done elsewhere.

**If you mark "Other", please...fill us in.**

Thanks!

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[AggieDave 6]

It gets a repack, if for no other reason then that I want to personally inspect the full rig and the reserve.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

I agree FULLY. I suspect the 2 answers will be split, but after only 4 votes, I'm second guessing myself already.

I figured, most experienced jumpers would repack simply to inspect, and because you don't know who packed it etc...

Less experienced jumpers may not, because that's $60+ towards jumps, "the seller said it was good to jump", they don't think a rig could be damaged in transit/intentionally/by mistake etc...

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[BrianM 1]

I voted to repack it - but I'm a rigger, so it doesn't cost me anything. If I wasn't a rigger? I'd probably get it repacked both to make sure it's airworthy, and to make sure that the equipment is as described - it's hard to complain to the seller about that six months after the transaction.

I've done free I&R's for new jumpers buying their first rig when I knew they didn't have much money.

"It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

[BrianM 1]

Quote

Less experienced jumpers may not, because that's $60+ towards jumps, "the seller said it was good to jump", they don't think a rig could be damaged in transit/intentionally/by mistake etc...

I've found the opposite is often true - newer jumpers often have more gear fear, and will really, really want to have the gear looked at by someone they know and trust.

"It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

[Scubadivemaster 3]

In my more ignorant days, I bought my wife a Javelin that had just been repacked. Everything looked good and the guy I bought it from was solid. I did pull out the main and repack it, but that was mainly in excitement at getting the new rig and wanting to see it.

A few months later at repack time she pulled the handles and . . . Nothing. The rigger had trapped the PC in its own fabric / mesh and it would not launch. Our rigger was standing behind her to catch the PC and he turned white.

I did call the guy I bought it from to let him know since he was using the same rigger to pack his new Javelin.

[phoenixlpr 0]

It's not my trust. I have to get those stuff inspected and some gear logbooks to take in use if they are not from Finland.

So inspection and pack.

[billvon 2,380]

Depends. If I know the rig (some rigs seem to "make the rounds" where I jump) I am more likely to just jump it. If not I'd probably do as good an inspection as I could do easily; might even open the reserve to just take a look around, and if everything looks good, seal it up again and jump it until the next repack cycle.

If it was for someone else, then a complete inspection and a repack.

[tkhayes 124]

I have no idea why you would NOT want to see what you just bought. tear it down, check everything over, repack it and jump.

[Hellis 0]

Jump it.

BUT, I would repack the main, and by doing that I would be very super sure I won't need that reserve anyway.


If I was a rigger myself I would open it and have a look.
I have bought used gear that had a packed reserve, and I jumped it.

[jrmrangers 0]

You may find this hard to beleive , but not all skydivers are completely trust worthy and honest people!!! Your life depends on it , i think the money spent on inspection and re pack is money well spent!!

Wait , I pull what first?

[Squeak 17]

Quote

BUT, I would repack the main, and by doing that I would be very super sure I won't need that reserve anyway.

.

You should teach ua all thew Majic by which you do that

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[DougH 270]

I would inspect and repack.

First the sale just went down so if there is issues with the rig you want it to be raised now, not months later when the seller is less willing to play ball.

Second some things are hard to spot. I have seen rigs go thru one or two riggers before a third spotted that the reserve slinks weren't properly installed.

Be that third set of eyes and check your shit over!

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[rehmwa 2]

same comment -

I wouldn't put the money down until the whole thing is inspected. So it gets unpacked and repacked anyway by someone I know and I'll pay for it. Not a stranger.

If they are a rigger, well, if I don't buy it, they will repack it for the next guy.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Zymurdoo 0]

Other:

I would never purchase used gear without inspecting it first. Part of the negotiation includes shipping it for inspection prior to payment. If the seller isn't willing to do that, I am not interested in the purchase.

Blue Skies, Soft Docks and Happy Landings!
CWR #23
(It's called CRW, add an e if you like, but I ain't calling it CFS. FU FAI!)

[mchamp 1]

One reason why I would want it repacked would be simply just to verify that the reserve is indeed what the seller claimed it to be so that later on down the line if it isn't then it wouldn't be too late

For info regarding lift ticket prices all around the world check out
http://www.jumpticketprices.com/dropzones.asp

[hokierower 0]

No reserve inspection, no purchase. $60-70 is nothing in the long run.

[gowlerk 1,903]

Simply put. Trust, but verify.

Ken

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

[angrypeppers 1]

When I sold my rig, it had a fresh inspection and repack. I wanted to verify that I was selling a rig with no problems (hadn't been jumped for a while), and also wanted to know that the buyer's rigger wouldn't find any problems.

Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.

[bodypilot90 0]

I once sent my mirage back to the factory for some work. I had them repack the reserve. To my horror next reserve repack my rigger found the reserve risers had been worn almost in half, The "factory" rigger had laundered the container w/ the reserve risers lose. They fixed it, but from now on, I'll only jump my local rigger's repacks.

[tmcalan 0]

I Would make sure i inspect the whole system and and serial numbers ect. then repack it but its easy for me to say because im a rigger and don't need to fork over the cash it just some time on my part.

[davelepka 4]

Quote

When I sold my rig, it had a fresh inspection and repack. I wanted to verify that I was selling a rig with no problems (hadn't been jumped for a while), and also wanted to know that the buyer's rigger wouldn't find any problems.

I get the inspection before you sell it. You were probably shipping it to someone, and there's no reason to waste everyones time shipping a faulty peice of equipment. The inspection let's you advertsie the condition of the item with confidence.

Why include the repack? The buyers rigger is just going to have to fire the reserve to inspect it anyway, so why waste the money on a repack? Beyond that, what if your gear doesn't sell as a complete rig and you have to part it out? Then you have to open your own 'fresh' repack. One step further, what if it takes more than 6 months to sell? The repack was useless in that case.

It's said that the majority of the wear on a reserve is from packing, so the better move is to have everythying inspected, then bag it all up in some sturdy plastic bags. and put it in a closet until it sells.

[Trae 1]

in reply to "Purely out of curiosity. I was just browsing the classifieds, and noticed most people are selling their complete kits and offering a free repack, or using the fact that the reserve is still in date as a selling point."
.............................................

I bought a rig once from someone I knew , turned out the reserve repack was a perpetual pencil pack .
The gear looked great from the outside but inside the reserve links had corroded badly and the lines had been severly impregnated and discoloured with some signs of chaffing.

My rigger put it down to not having been repacked for years with the previous owners sweat building up and crystallising inside the reserve container. Then the salt attracts moisture and off it rusts.

The rig was salvagable but I should have opened it before parting with the cash.

[Chris-Ottawa 0]

Some interesting replies, thanks everyone. I'm in the same boat myself and I would have never jumped a packed rig if I didn't know the seller/rigger. I did but my first rig before any inspection and it checked out. Maybe I was lucky?

When I had my first repack on that set of gear, I trusted the rigger who did it. The second repack, I did myself (with all of 35 jumps). It was done as a side by side with my rigger. I did this because I was curious on exactly how it was different from a standard packjob. 3 years later and I now have my riggers rating and wouldn't dream of jumping a packed reserve (from someone else).

Still, interesting to see that 13% of jumpers would have no issue with this.

Now, to swing this around, something I just thought of is this: You're at a boogie, you have a mal, gear is in the shop and you were supposed to be on that 40 way at sunset. Joe Boogiegoer says "Hey, take mine!" I bet 90% of jumpers would jump that "foreign" gear without question, and only 10% would pass it up. Interesting to consider that the numbers would be completely flipped, but the situation hasn't really changed...

"When once you have tasted flight..."

[crotalus01 0]

Open it and inspect everything. The very first rig I bought at 28 jumps was a complete system - container with Cypress, 190 Sabre and a PD 210 reserve. It came packed and ready to jump from a friend of one of my coaches. I had my rigger open it and inspect everything - and found out that the reserve that was packed in it was a PD 160!
That could have really sucked when I had my first cutaway 23 jumps later, having to land a reserve 30 square feet smaller than anything I had ever flown before...

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...