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Stow your excess steering line!

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People! Stow your excess steering line!

This weekend I (again) found 2 experienced jumpers that are not stowing their excess steering line, and when asked, they said something like, "Oh, it will be OK." No it won't! It can be deadly, and has contributed to reserve rides and fatalities.

I just don't get it. It is so simple to have your rigger put something on your risers to hold the excess. I would do it for free for anyone that brings their gear to my house.

Some manufacturers are not providing something easy to use, so people are making excuses. Quit doing that. Fix it.

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JerryBaumchen

Got any specs on how you rework risers? [for stowing excess steering line].



Yes, actually I do, but many people will not like this version of how to do it because it includes Velcro, which many people now think is evil: http://www.pcprg.com/slstow.htm

My point is that people should do something. It does not need to be perfect.

Often, simply providing elastic of the proper size and strength on the back side of the riser will do.

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A quick & easy way I use, is a small loop of tack cord on the riser - and a small stow-band through that loop...


If ya think little things like that don't really matter...face that GoPro backwards for a dozen jumps & take a hard look at the chaos going on during the unpacking at terminal!










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

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wasatchrider

this is something that I have never done before what are the dangers other than putting you hand through the eccess and pulling the toggle through?



The excess loop can wrap around all kinds of shit back there (dive loops, camera mounts, etc)

Never a good day when that happens.

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peek

Often, simply providing elastic of the proper size and strength on the back side of the riser will do.



I did this for a local jumper recently. Took a few minutes on the zigzag machine. It works great. I've got a couple more to do soon. I have a picture I can dig up and post when I get home.

juggalo

Why not just larks head a rubber band on the connector link/slink east and no damage to risers.



I've done that too. It also works well.
"It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

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juggalo

Good Point Gary
Why not just larks head a rubber band on the connector link/slink east and no damage to risers.
brew



There was an issue with rubber bands that people were using on their hip rings that were causing a massive acceleration of wear to the harness. I wouldn't put rubber bands in a place that could cause unnoticed wear, especially on a harness/riser.

If I can find pictures of how I modified my risers to allow the stowing to be a little neater (and cause much less wear on the lines), I'll post them.
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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I did like this one especially. Toggle on the left is how I got the rig (both toggles looked like that).

On the right is how they left.B|

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

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There was an issue with rubber bands that people were using on their hip rings that were causing a massive acceleration of wear to the harness. I wouldn't put rubber bands in a place that could cause unnoticed wear, especially on a harness/riser.

Interesting, never heard of anything like this. Regular bands or some other kind? Tube stows or the black bands that were around?

I've used regular bands for years on some rigs with no problems.
thanks for the input
brew
waving off is to tell people to get out of my landing area

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... There was an issue with rubber bands that people were using on their hip rings that were causing a massive acceleration of wear to the harness. ...

................................................................................

That harness wear problem is only vaguely related. Rigging Innovations did not even see that wear pattern until a Flexon had been jumped hard (Airspeed hard) in the Arizona desert for four years. The wear is caused by the folded edge of one leg strap rubbing against the folded edge of the next piece of webbing. It took four years for the wear pattern to develop with the original, large RW-0 hip rings.
Relative Workshop/UPT issued their Service Bulletin after they noticed unusual wear related to smaller RW-8 hip rings. The rubber bands were forcing leg straps closer together and forcing them to press/rub harder against each other, accelerating wear.

The moral of my story (and yours) is: if you don't understand something, copy it exactly.
IOW when sewing stows onto main risers, copy the factory pattern.

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peek

People! Stow your excess steering line!

This weekend I (again) found 2 experienced jumpers that are not stowing their excess steering line, and when asked, they said something like, "Oh, it will be OK." No it won't! It can be deadly, and has contributed to reserve rides and fatalities.

I just don't get it. It is so simple to have your rigger put something on your risers to hold the excess. I would do it for free for anyone that brings their gear to my house.

Some manufacturers are not providing something easy to use, so people are making excuses. Quit doing that. Fix it.



It drives me mad, that an idiots on 110 size canopies who can't be bothered to de-twist their brake lines - fucking idiots.

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