Nervous about Packing my own chute

[dankleinstuber 0]

Hey everyone!

So I have about 20 jumps now and I'm all in. I love skydiving to the point that it's scary. I bought my own gear and it'll be coming in in about a month. I'm getting ready to take the packing class and I'm experiencing a lot of new anxiety at the thought of packing my own rig. I know people say, "Wouldn't you rather trust yourself with your own life than to trust a rigger?" Clearly thats a valid point but these guys/gals pack 100's if not 1000's of a parachutes a year.

I'm assuming others have felt this anxiety in the beginning at first as well, i guess I'm looking for some advice, reassurance or tips. Did you guys just practice practice practice packing when you weren't jumping to gain the confidence that your rig would open correctly? Is packing super difficult?
The thought of going from never packing my own chute to packing it and jumping it right out of the gate is a little scary...Is there a good instructional video I should watch? Is there a certain packing technique thats best for beginners?

I haven't had much anxiety with this sport until now. I got thru AFF in 7 jumps no problem, but this seems like a giant leap forward and I just wanna make sure I'm being cautious here i guess.

Thanks everyone!

[wmw999 2,114]

Don't know what the best videos are now, but my husband was very happy with "Pack like a Pro." Practice is key, once you know the things that really need to be right. It'll take you over an hour the first time probably, and you may give up. Don't. It'll be a little easier the next time, etc.
and once you've packed a few times on your own, get someone to watch you again, because you'll be able to understand more of the advice.
Packing is an excellent thing to practice at the DZ when it's too windy or you're waiting for clouds to dissipate; people are probably around, and not hurrying to make the next load.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[councilman24 36]

Your first jump with a canopy you packed is a little like your first jump. Millions have people have done it, it's just that you haven't.

Now shut up and jump.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[Maddingo 21]

It is not rocket science. Remember that. You should strive towards packing perfection but trust yourself it's gonna be fine.

Other than that try to understand and visualise what are you doing and how the deploying unfolds.

[dankleinstuber 0]

haha right on, thanks for the encouragement

[dankleinstuber 0]

Thanks, Wendy

[dankleinstuber 0]

Thanks man, makes sense

[DemolitionDarby 0]

Yo dude! Not sure how your packing went, but, if you haven’t heard about the reverse ’S’ fold technique, inquire about it. Once I learned that, it made getting my canopy into the bag 1,000,000x easier than the standard ’S’ fold. Which I find to be the hardest part of packing.

Besides that make sure your lines are always tight and even, quarter your slider (huuuuuuge important thing to do) keep your line stows on the bag on the smaller side (somewhere between 1 - 2”), and when putting the bag into the container, make sure your line stows aren’t near or touching the extra 18” or so of line slack.
I was having out of the container line twist pretty consistently for a while (no, not a body position problem) and it turned out my stows were a little big, and clipping the 18” of free lines upon deployment which would spin the bag off my back and cause line twist. Here’s an example I filmed of exactly that happening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-wgdYPs1OQ

But, besides that…cock your pilot chute, close your flaps and route the bridal in accordance with the factory recommendations, and have fun!

[wolfriverjoe 1,339]

Have you seen how they get packed yet?

You will learn this when you take the class.

Short version:

You pack it so that it comes out smoothly and straight. If it goes in right, it will come out just fine.

There are a few things that are important (slider up against the stops, lines straight and to the inside/fabric to the outside, lines neat and straight, even and proper length bights, proper tension on the bights with the rubber bands, bridle routing, PC stowage)
But those are reasonably easy to learn and get right.

What people struggle the most with is getting the canopy into the D-bag.

That has little to do with whether or not it opens.

Once you learn how to pack, you will understand how it opens. This knowledge should reduce your anxiety.

The first jump on your own packjob will still be "interesting".

Keep in mind that malfunctions are pretty rare.
I've often heard (and said) "It's a modern ram-air canopy. It wants to open and fly.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[dankleinstuber 0]

thanks man thats helpful... I think I just need to start packing and see for myself...I'm really in my head right now and psyching myself out a little

[dankleinstuber 0]

Thnaks for the reply...I'll definitely ask about the reverse S...and that video is exactly what I'm trying to avoid haha

[RiggerLee 61]

You should be nervous. You should be very nervous. Packing your own CHUTE? That's fucked up. I know some people out there are into some really kinky things but some acts are just unnatural. Not to mention dangerous. Anal tears, infections, etc. I strongly advise against things like this and if some one is pressuring you into doing some thing you are not comfortable with then you should just walk away. They do not love you.

On the other hand if you want to learn to pack your own CANOPY. We will be happy to help you with that. But these discussions of your chute do not belong here in this forum.

Lee

Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com

[FlyLikeARaven 0]

I don't know if I can follow....that^...but anyway, practice packing at home or away from other skydivers if you can. The constant stares and comments from the peanut gallery are distracting and can destroy your confidence. Obviously you're not gonna want to do this until AFTER you've taken the course and your instructor is confident that you can do it competently. And if you get to the DZ on jump day and want to pull it out of the bag and repack it under supervision, nothing at all wrong with that. But struggling to get the damn thing in the bag with a bunch of people watching and offering well meaning "help" can make the whole process even more discouraging.

Inspect your brake lines each time you repack, or at least at the end of the jump day. I walk mine back every pack job if I can, or at least once a day, because I tend to get twists somehow (still not totally sure how this happens, and it's only on one side) and brake lines will retain those twists if they're not corrected, which can shorten the life of your brake lines. Double- and triple-check that your pilot chute is cocked.

If you get stuck, ask someone you trust to watch you, and remember, the thing was designed to open.

I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

[dankleinstuber 0]

Thank you! all great advice

[dankleinstuber 0]

Really dude?

[RiggerLee 61]

Really. Don't ever call it a chute again.

Lee

Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com

[Blis 1]

FlyLikeARaven

I don't know if I can follow....that^...but anyway, practice packing at home or away from other skydivers if you can. The constant stares and comments from the peanut gallery are distracting and can destroy your confidence. Obviously you're not gonna want to do this until AFTER you've taken the course and your instructor is confident that you can do it competently. And if you get to the DZ on jump day and want to pull it out of the bag and repack it under supervision, nothing at all wrong with that. But struggling to get the damn thing in the bag with a bunch of people watching and offering well meaning "help" can make the whole process even more discouraging.

Inspect your brake lines each time you repack, or at least at the end of the jump day. I walk mine back every pack job if I can, or at least once a day, because I tend to get twists somehow (still not totally sure how this happens, and it's only on one side) and brake lines will retain those twists if they're not corrected, which can shorten the life of your brake lines. Double- and triple-check that your pilot chute is cocked.

If you get stuck, ask someone you trust to watch you, and remember, the thing was designed to open.

It's the way you rotate toggles when setting brakes, usually you end up twisting the other every time you pack...

[mr2mk1g 10]

If anything I found transitioning to packing for myself actually made me less nervous as a newbie skydiver.

That little "what if I get a line over mal" thought at the back of my head became "I know I'm probably not going to get a line over because I did all those things I need to do to minimise the risk of one".

Ditto any "what if I get a >insert mal type here<" thoughts. I knew the risks had been minimised because I had packed my main myself.

[dthames 0]

Everyone makes mistakes including me and the person that will be packing your parachute.

Imagine what you will learn when you jump a pack job that is not ideal and you had someone else pack it.

Imagine what you will learn when you jump your own pack job and it is not ideal.

Imagine what type of person you will be when you are more (sorry to be harsh) responsible for yourself rather than depending on someone else not to mess you up.

If this makes little sense, keep hiring a packer.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[MikeJD 0]

RiggerLee

Really. Don't ever call it a chute again.

Lee

Little harsh, don't you think? At least he didn't call it a 'shoot'.

To the OP:
I pay for more pack jobs than I should because I've become lazy, but I'm still more than capable of doing my own and I'm completely baffled by experienced skydivers - and yes, they exist - who are stuck on the ground after their first jump of the day because there are no packers available. Don't whatever you do end up being that guy!
Packing is an art, and the more you practise it the better (and quicker) you'll get. Once you've learned the basics, the way to build up your confidence in your packing ability is really just to keep jumping your own pack jobs. And remember that if worse comes to worst and you do end up with a mal, that's not your only shoot. I mean, chute. I mean, canopy.

[OneLow 0]

Heres some decent videos to help understand packing. Part 1 and 2:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=5JiAegc8EOw

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyM_LkW8DVI

Take your packing class, practice on student rigs or other jumpers rigs during down time like others have mentioned (I didn't because winter came so I'm being a hypocrite here, but it should help).

When it's time to assemble your rig ask the rigger if you can watch him/her assemble your rig. Learn how to attach your toggles, slinks, D-bag set up, everything. Ask what to look out for, wear points. Get to know your rig intimately, it's your best friend up there. It might help with your anxiety you knowing what everything is and suppose to look like. Tip your rigger.

Read your manuals, reread your manuals. The rig(s) you're practicing on might be slightly different than the way you need to pack and close yours up.

I was able to put a new canopy in the D-bag first time at 27 jumps and having only one prior pack job for my A license which went well too. People were surprised, guess I was too because people doubted me but it's not really difficult if you execute what you learned. Rigger gave me a good packing lesson which helped a lot with controlling the new fabric.

What I do find surprising is people with more jumps than me that don't understand their gear or don't/can't pack their own rig. I guess I'm a bit more interested in the gear.

My first jump on my new rig I did a hop and pop, there was a bit of anxiety but when I landed you couldn't smack the grin off my face I was smiling all the way to the hanger. Pretty awesome knowing I can save my own life and packing my own gear made the jumping process even more enjoyable. It's like instant confidence once it opened.

Good luck

[wasatchrider 0]

But he can pack his own parachute or canopy or whatever you want to call it.
Really though do a line check cock the pilot chute stow your brakes put the slider up and put it in the bag. It will work.

BASE 1519

[FlyLikeARaven 0]

That makes a lot of sense, considering when I look at the brake lines after deployment, they're perfectly fine, and I do a hasty, sloppy toggle stow in the field since I know I'll be redoing them upon packing.

I'm not a lady, I'm a skydiver.

[councilman24 36]

Blis

***I don't know if I can follow....that^...but anyway, practice packing at home or away from other skydivers if you can. The constant stares and comments from the peanut gallery are distracting and can destroy your confidence. Obviously you're not gonna want to do this until AFTER you've taken the course and your instructor is confident that you can do it competently. And if you get to the DZ on jump day and want to pull it out of the bag and repack it under supervision, nothing at all wrong with that. But struggling to get the damn thing in the bag with a bunch of people watching and offering well meaning "help" can make the whole process even more discouraging.

Inspect your brake lines each time you repack, or at least at the end of the jump day. I walk mine back every pack job if I can, or at least once a day, because I tend to get twists somehow (still not totally sure how this happens, and it's only on one side) and brake lines will retain those twists if they're not corrected, which can shorten the life of your brake lines. Double- and triple-check that your pilot chute is cocked.

If you get stuck, ask someone you trust to watch you, and remember, the thing was designed to open.

It's the way you rotate toggles when setting brakes, usually you end up twisting the other every time you pack...

No, its likely when you land you let go of one brake, turn your canopy into the ground with the other brake while turning to face the canopy. This puts a turn in the toggle your still holding. Think about how you land to see if that's what you do every time.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[gowlerk 1,901]

RiggerLee

Really. Don't ever call it a chute again.

Lee

It's allowed if you use proper punctuation. As in 'chute. And you of all people have no business correcting anyone's English!

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