Stinky Canopy

[kkeenan 13]

A Jedi 105 was recently unpacked from storage with some other gear. All of the gear is pretty old and the DOM of the Jedi is sometime in the 90s. The Jedi seems to have very little use and fabric is still crinkley and new-feeling. The problem is a smell that hasn't gone away with airing out and a few jumps. There isn't any apparent mold or dead animals involved, just a rank, puke-like smell that almost cleared out the packing area at the local DZ. It was bad enough to gag some packers, which is a pretty high bar for funky smells.

With the great knowledge base connected to this forum, I imagine that every sort of smell that a parachute can possibly acquire has been encountered. I'm hoping that someone can share a good remedy for a canopy that flies great but can't be exposed in polite company. Thanks for any ideas you can share.

Kevin K.

_____________________________________
Dude, you are so awesome...
Can I be on your ash jump ?

[gowlerk 1,901]

Possibly cat or other pet urine? In any case:

http://www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com/odor_control_products

Use activated charcoal, several small bags, a couple in each cell. Put it in a plastic bag for a week then dispose of the charcoal. Repeat as needed.

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

[skytribe 16]

Similar question about washing canopy came up on a facebook group.

Manley C. Butler Jr.

"Daisy chain the lines and put them inside a long gym sock then zip tie top and bottom to hold the sock in place.

A big tub is a far better method than a machine. In fact, if I were faced with that task today (learned a lot in the 30 years) I'd put the canopy in an "overpack" barrel with about 50 gallons of water and the minimal amount of Woolite. Seal it up, lay on its side, then roll it around the parking lot 20-30 minutes; drain the water then rinse and repeat rinse till the water comes out clean and clear.

Then carefully hang it on the tail rack and then raise the tail a foot or so per hour to allow the water to run out the nose."


Seems like pretty good advise.

Also thinking about things that happen these days - swoopers landing in the pond. I don't think water is a big issue, as with any washing of skydiving equipment. Rinsing until all detergents have gone, using a mild detergent without bleach and hanging up to air dry rather than forcing drying using artificial heat. All bits of useful info.

[Chemtrail 0]

After a very mild organic soap washing and good rinse with a natural open air dry. Store it for a week in a bag of dried Lavander flowers. You could even end up being a big hit with the ladies. So there you go, you have a real "Return of the Yedi".[url]http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/AXE-Smell-Study-103093009.html

[jumpwally 0]

Put it in a 20 x 30 plastic bin ( approx ) and dump 4-5 boxes of baking soda on it,,cover shake good,,,,1 week later take it outside,,dump it out,,shake well,,let air out. You will be amazed at how much odor gets absorbed,,,works great with camping gear as well....

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[RMK 3]

My rig got wet in our basement (drain backup) and developed a similar funk - could smell it from 10-15 feet in packing area.

A soak in a Dettol www.dettol.co.uk solution worked perfectly.

"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

[hackish 8]

jumpwally

Put it in a 20 x 30 plastic bin ( approx ) and dump 4-5 boxes of baking soda on it,,cover shake good,,,,1 week later take it outside,,dump it out,,shake well,,let air out. You will be amazed at how much odor gets absorbed,,,works great with camping gear as well....

If the canopy ever needs a repair you're going to be really hard pressed to find anyone willing to sew it. Certainly you can say no to a factory repair! The gritty baking soda is death to a sewing machine with all its unsealed bearings and bushings.

-Michael

[Anachronist 2]

Quick question on lines. I had an old stinky main, I hung it up and washed it, got the lines all wet, let it air dry in A/C.

Anyway, I'm sure the lines were out of trim before, but this seemed to put it over the edge, started having really funky deployments, inspected, lines were 4 to 6 inches too short. They were "microline."

Anyway, anyone have line shrinkage issues after washing, any lines more or less susceptible? Or were my lines already totally f'ed and it was just a coincidence?

[hackish 8]

Anachronist

Quick question on lines. I had an old stinky main, I hung it up and washed it, got the lines all wet, let it air dry in A/C.

Anyway, I'm sure the lines were out of trim before, but this seemed to put it over the edge, started having really funky deployments, inspected, lines were 4 to 6 inches too short. They were "microline."

Anyway, anyone have line shrinkage issues after washing, any lines more or less susceptible? Or were my lines already totally f'ed and it was just a coincidence?

Lines, no. Canopies are built using pre-shrunk tape and all that but when you get them wet there can be a bit of shrinkage here and there. I washed my diablo and after that it always turned left, even after a reline. Getting a canopy wet can be a bad deal.

To get back to the original post I've heard that packing them up with a dryer sheet or some febreeze can be helpful. I've never looked too closely at the chemicals present but it's probably going to be OK. Nylon is surprisingly difficult to destroy unless you attack it with Acid, UV or velcro!

-Michael