0
shah269

Jumping in the cold, things to look out for?

Recommended Posts

Skygod willing it will be a mild winter.
And maybe those of us here in the north east may get some mid winter jumps.

When jumping in the winter what should a new jumper watch out for with respect to both equipment as well as body?

Thanks in advance!
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Dress warmly using thin layers. you don't want to get too bulky; people have died because they weren't able to open due to bigger coats. Also be very careful about your hands. Invest in very warm gloves that don't hinder your sense of touch that much. Before you jump with anything unusual always talk to an instructor about it. And always do some practice touches and muscle-memory rehearsal before getting in the plane :)
Be safe and have fun; keep well hydrated in colder weather, it keeps your body temperature higher.

"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Yes I was amazed how much more thirsty i was after just one jump!
And on my last jump this past Saturday when it was 40F on the ground and very colt at altitude i had dressed in layers and my core temperature was warm. And though i was wearing wake board gloves...and though the palm of my hand was warm the tips of my fingers were painfully frozen.
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Don't have much experience jumping in the cold, but I don't think the principles are much different than those I learned when I only had a motorcycle for a year :P .

Layering up is a necessity, and it doesnt have to be fancy Under Armor. You'd be amazed how much warmth a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie will add to your standard jumping gear.

And yes, gloves. Honestly, if you plan to make winter jumping a habit, Id invest in some well-fitting leather motorcycle gloves (the real heavy-duty ones, not the thin vanity ones). I wore mine for my first cold jump (probably 35 at altitude) and my hands never felt any discomfort.

Finally, cover your neck! A huge amount of heat is lost there to the wind, so covering it makes a huge difference.

Weeeee!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

...and though the palm of my hand was warm the tips of my fingers were painfully frozen.

Quote


Col. Kittinger had some glove problems too...you should read up! :P



Yeah i know how he is. I just spent an hour answering emails from friends asking "So who was the old guy on tv!" Sigh...that producer needs to be taken out and shot! For not putting up his name when they showed him on Dicsovery..


Ok that aside, leather gloves? Right now I'm using neoprean gloves. I like them for two reasons. One they have feel. In that i can still feel the hackey. The other is that they are "sticky" and grabbing is much easier. But I will have to dig out my motorcycle stuff and see what i can find.

With respect to the cold. Is there anything we should be on the look out for with respect to our safety equipment? AAD's or other that may be affected by the cold?

Thank you!
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Up here in Ontario we have already experienced -20 Celcius at Altitude and Ice Pellets. Gloves are always a discussion around the DZ. I have about 6 differant types of Gloves and keep looking for more. You try a pair out and discover what characteristics are good and which are not in the Cold Temps.Some seem good on the ground,but become more slippery when they are colder at Altitude.
I have a Neoprene pair as well. They are exstremely warm , but they make your Hand sweat if you keep them on during the climb and it takes along time for them to dry out. So sometimes they may only be good for 1 or 2 jumps before they are to wet and Cold to wear comfortably.
Having Grip at the Fingers is very important for hanging onto a Wingstrut or Climbout Bars of larger Aircraft. You will not fel like you are losing grip.It may also help with your Grip on the Hackey at pull time, and your Handles at a Crucial time when EP's are needed.
Some of the Mechanic Gloves do quite well and have thinsulate.
Whichever gloves you cose to use always pratice your EP's several Times with them on before climbing onto a Plane and on the way to Altitude.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Don't have much experience jumping in the cold, but I don't think the principles are much different than those I learned when I only had a motorcycle for a year :P .

Layering up is a necessity, and it doesnt have to be fancy Under Armor. You'd be amazed how much warmth a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie will add to your standard jumping gear.

And yes, gloves. Honestly, if you plan to make winter jumping a habit, Id invest in some well-fitting leather motorcycle gloves (the real heavy-duty ones, not the thin vanity ones). I wore mine for my first cold jump (probably 35 at altitude) and my hands never felt any discomfort.

Finally, cover your neck! A huge amount of heat is lost there to the wind, so covering it makes a huge difference.



You sir, should stop giving advise that could get someone killed.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Don't have much experience jumping in the cold:P .



First mistake... If you don't have much experience in something, don't go about giving advice to others about it.

Quote

Id invest in some well-fitting leather motorcycle gloves (the real heavy-duty ones, not the thin vanity ones)



Second mistake... People have died because of this.

If you aren't in a position in which you understand things yourself, it's best not to go on preaching to others.
"Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way." -Alan Watts

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
OK, so Lindenwood is a frickin newbie and you know what kind of a pain in the ass they are. Yet presumably his advice isn't wrong about layering or not having to spend money on Under Armor or covering your neck. Doesn't seem particularly controversial to me.

So, what's wrong with "well fitting leather motorcycle gloves"? I'm asking, really.

I don't know anything about them, but looking at websites now, they look decent. Non-leather ones are sometimes too big and puffy looking. Some of the heavy leather ones, especially deerskin ones, look very much like the deerskin gloves I use here in Canada, that I got ages ago from Mark's Work Warehouse. Some motorcycling gloves with huge gauntlets look too bulky to be ideal but seem jumpable safely.

In the end, no matter where your gloves come from, or who recommended them, you still need to make sure you can grab handles and toggles with some dexterity.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
http://skipro.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/t/strada-glove.jpg
I'm using something like this.

I can move all my fingers and thumb and it keeps the hand warm but the tips of my fingers....OUCH! COLD!
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Some of the Mechanic Gloves do quite well and have thinsulate.

Quote



That's what I use in winter, a lighter version in summer. Relatively cheap and last a long time.

The winter one's are a bit thicker so I wear them at home doing chores for a day or two...breaks them in, loosens 'em up and gets my hands use to how things feel with them on.

My only concern is with the cutaway handle, I can get the hackey and thumb the reserve with boxing gloves on...the peel & pull on the chopper away gizmo gets sporty if the gloves are too slick or stiff to close my grip.

The problem 'I have' with leather motorcycle gloves is the cost, the durability and when they get wet they tend to shrink and stiffen up.



But hey, what do I know...I use to jump with snowmobile gloves back when it took TWO hands to cut`away! ;)

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=57479;











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

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

IMHO id say one of the most effective ways to keep your hands and feet warm, is to make sure your core is warm. thin multiple layers maybe fleece. I recently jumped with a hoodie and long johns under my RW suit and it was about 8 degrees at altitude and i felt fine. Granted I'm a polar bear and pretty much fall like one B|

a neck gator or balaklava under a full face is worth its weight in gold!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

IMHO id say one of the most effective ways to keep your hands and feet warm, is to make sure your core is warm.

Quote



Clapping your hands & stomping your feet to get core heat into extremities isn't always practical in free-fall though. :)

And the 1st thing the body shuts down when cold, is blood flow to hands & feet...just sayin' ;)











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

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Skygod willing it will be a mild winter.
And maybe those of us here in the north east may get some mid winter jumps.

When jumping in the winter what should a new jumper watch out for with respect to both equipment as well as body?

Thanks in advance!



So the thing is, it's a lot like packing. Everyone has their own preferences. The things we can all agree on:

1) Layer up. Make sure your core is protected...as well as your extremities.

2) Gloves.

3) If you're wearing a full-face, watch out for fogging.

On the 'things everyone has their own feeling about' bit...

1) Layering up. Keep your core warm. A neck warmer is also a good thing to have. You never realize how cold the wind is on your neck until you've jumped when it's freezing on the ground.

2) Gloves. Some people recommend using summer skydiving gloves with a surgical glove underneath. This technique has never worked for me.

The best I've found are Square One's winter gloves. Fleece-lined, very tactile, tacky fingers, and literally "fit like a glove." Worth every penny.

3) Full-face helmet. If you're wearing a full-face, your face will definitely feel better in freefall...but you need to be wary of visor fogging. The best stuff I've found are wipes made by Fog-Tech. They come in little individually-wrapped packets, and you can find them online at REI.

Seriously - don't scrimp on this one. If your visor is known to fog on occasion, add some anti-fog every day. Finding yourself unable to see your altimeter at 9k kinda sucks.

Good luck!
Signatures are the new black.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
>If your visor is known to fog on occasion, add some anti-fog every day.
>Finding yourself unable to see your altimeter at 9k kinda sucks.

In addition to this -

If you do wear a full face helmet, practice:

1) Taking it off in freefall. About 30 people had to take their helmets off in freefall during the 300-way to see due to icing. (-34F air temps.) You don't have to actually take it off and throw it away as those guys did, but make sure you can undo the velcro or fastening system, loosen it and get a finger under the front edge.

2) Taking it off under canopy. Landing without being able to see is bad news and has resulted in two broken legs that I can think of.

3) Opening the visor (if so equipped.) Some can't be opened in freefall without ripping off the visor and adding to your problems; some can. All can be opened under canopy. Make sure you know how to do this.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Shah those seem like excellent gloves, maybe try putting a pair of latex gloves on under it? Cuts off a bit of the wind.



The problem with this Is that latex gloves will make your hands sweat because they can't breathe and will get even colder.
In every man's life he will be allotted one good woman and one good dog. That's all you get, so appreciate them while the time you have with them lasts.

- RiggerLee

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0