Nervous about Packing my own chute

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

gowlerk

***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!

He can correct their terminology. Like "canopy", or "rig" or that sort of thing.

If he starts trying to correct their spelling, I'm outa here. :p

"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

[sammielu 3]

I recently received the best skydiving advice I've gotten in a long time and I'll pass it on yo you: Skydiving requires a balance of thinking and doing, and right now you've got a whole bunch of thinking about packing and zero doing.

Packing takes practice, tons of practice. Take your class, practice a bunch, you'll be fine.

With all things, as a new jumper, be really careful who you listen too. Everyone wants to help the new jumper, especially to share their "tricks" - but not everyone knows what they're talking about. Plus if you are constantly trying to change your packjobs by incorporating this "trick" or that shortcut, you're taking away the repetition that is required to be a proficient packer. Tips snd tricks should come from your instructors or riggers, period. If you want to know why someone would do the "reverse S fold" and what to watch out for when doing so, that's a rigger questiin, not a friendly helpful jumper who hear it from someone else who swears it's easier.

To say it another way:
Take the class.
Learn to pack that way until you're proficient - then consider making changes only if you understand what you are changing and the risks.

FYI it IS easier to pack:
-used canopies (700+ jumps used, not 25 or 200 jumps)
-canopies properly fitted for the container, or possibly one size down

It IS harder to pack:
-canopies into a container where the reserve as big as possibe for the container size and the main is as big as possible too.
-brand new canopies. Save yourself some headaches, pay your packer for the first 10 packjobs ($10 is fair for the first 5 IMO, those garbage bag slippery brand new shiny things are terrible!) and strongly consider getting the first 25 packed for you.

It is super common for new jumpers to buy all brand new everything, with the biggest possible canopies to shove into their container, and they're new at packing so they have every way to make packing difficult all at the same time. They end up sweaty, tired, and embarrassed from just packing, so they jump even less than the slow packjobs require... people burn out that way all the time. Don't let that be you. I highly highly recommend mentally adding $200 to the cost of a new canopy vs a used one to cover packjobs. If that alone doesn't justify buying a used one, the effort to pack them should (because that effort could go into jumps).

[kat00 11]

When you learn to pack, you do so with guidance from a rigger who is trying to help you to succeed. Try and pick a slower day but not a bad weather day. This way you can take the class, pack your canopy under supervision and then go jump it. Then go back to the rigger and pack it again. Do that a few times and you will get past the basic anxiety.

[tred 0]

RiggerLee

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

Lee

what am I supposed to call a pilot chute?

[betzilla 56]

Quote

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

Yup. I hate, hate, HATE packing mains. But my openings are nicer when I pack for myself than they are when I use a packer - even my favorite packer.

OP: you'll be fine. You kind of have to go out of your way to do something that will cause a chop. Set your brakes, keep your slider where it belongs, keep the lines in the center of your packjob, and cock your pilot chute. As for the rest of it, try to keep it neat, and just go slow until it makes sense. And another little word of advice: do something fun on your first few jumps on your own packjob - that'll take your mind off it :)

[Maddingo 21]

Or do a hop'n pop so you won't wonder a whole minute what did you pack into the container and it will open sub terminal so there is less chance of anything happening. :)

[riggerrob 558]

...... Set your brakes, keep your slider where it belongs, keep the lines in the center of your packjob, and cock your pilot chute. ...........

[mxk 1]

This should make you feel much better: Outrageous Pack Jobs and Canopy Control

[kingbunky 3]

tred

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

Lee

what am I supposed to call a pilot chute?

call it a pilot chute.

your main and your reserve are canopies. chute (or 'chute) is kind of a whuffo term.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

1. Most of us were a bit nerved up when jumping our own pack job for the first few times.

2. Most new folks devote a lot of time, effort, and focus on getting the canopy folded and bagged. Without a doubt that is important. HOWEVER, proper closing is potentially more important. The kinds of mals that you get from poor folding and bagging are generally low-speed mals that give you a bit more time to manage. The kinds of mals that you can get from bad closing technique are generally high-speed and (in my opinion) scarier. Therefore, fold and bag carefully and then RE-FOCUS and close carefully.

3. My favorite discussion stimulus about packing main canopies:

How To Bag a Zero-P Canopy In 60 Seconds - Video

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[tzaman 0]

I'll give you what I think is the most invaluable advice I've been given by my instructor when I started packing my own canopy. Get someone really experienced to do it for you (bribe/pay them if necessary) while you watch and then ask why - all the time. Do that with a couple of people, if possible.

To me, this was a big revelation. Once you understand why you're doing a particular thing during a pack job, you'll feel significantly more confident in your pack jobs.

If you need help:
- why do we push the slider all the way up?
- why do we put the slider fabric between risers?
- why do we break the canopy?
- why do we put the cells' fronts together?
- why do we push the fabric between line groups?
- why do we fold the fabric around the canopy and how many times?
- why do we need to apply a bit of pull force when doing the S-fold?
- why do we put the d-bag into rig with lines on the bottom?
- why do we fold the pilot chute like we do?

Once you have all these questions answered (and a couple of your own, because each person has their own tricks, as others have stated), things will start making much more sense, and you'll quickly gain confidence in your packing. Good luck!

[Lawndarter 3]

My first few packs I was pretty nervous jumping. I remember asking the pilot if we could take a hop'n'pop a little higher even, and feeling pretty silly about it after.

I found the PD video on packing large canopies helpful, especially the slider down technique, which made me understand how the line groups work a lot better.

Everyone seems to struggle with getting the canopy into the d-bag most of all. The reverse S-fold I found really helped, and not making the the cocoon too narrow - it needs to be a little wider, that makes it easier to pack into the bag.

It just takes practice against the frustration, but it gets easier. Don't be afraid to ask for help, or watch what other people do while packing - everyone has their own tips and tricks, some might help, some might not. And don't overthink it. If the lines are straight and grouped, and the slider is all the way up, it'll open without much incident, as you get better you'll get more consistent openings.

I have the comical effect of sweating profusely while I pack - but I tell people at least it masks the tears.

[timski 80]

https://youtu.be/0jLfb76FzkQ

For the last year or two I've only been making a low number of jumps. Just got recurrent Friday. 

I've watched many packing videos over the years, this one I would say stands out as one of the best for NEW and old jumpers. IMHO

Edited June 4, 2023 by timski
I'm not nervous, you're nervous! Wanted to share this!