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MotherGoose

PACKING REVISITED

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Ok . . . so I read throught the whole thread on packing, and there are a few questions left unanswered. Does everyone still "flat pack" student/tandem gear and "pro-pack" the experienced jumper gear? It seems that pro-packing tandems is taboo? I am a packer at my DZ and I would like to know what the going rates are at various DZ's for tandem gear and student freefall/static line gear. If it's not too much trouble to list your DZ and then the rates. I get the idea that the rates are not all the same. If you want, list the rate for pro-packing for exp. jumpers as well.

The going rates at S.T.I. :
$5 for student
$10 for tandem
$5 for exp. jumper

(all CDN funds)
You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

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I flat pack Sigma Tandems. I have always been told that pro-packing these is NOT ALLOWED. I am not disputing this rule or questioning it in any way. After all, anything more than 240 sq.ft. is horrible to pro-pack, at my experience level anyhow. I guess I was just wondering why ?? Is it safer to flat pack these ??
You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

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I am not disputing this rule or questioning it in any way. After all, anything more than 240 sq.ft. is horrible to pro-pack, at my experience level anyhow.


They are propacked on hanging from a strap. I've seen people pro-pack tandems on shoulder too.

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Flat packing, LOL, before I even checked I knew you were jumping at Skydive Toronto.

Joe, as far as I know is the only person around still flat packing his tandems.

This is a personal choice thing and since he owns the DZ and the Tandem equipment, he says they must be flat packed.

I do know for a fact however that there have been times that his tandems have been pro-packed:P

It isn't a safety or regulation thing, its a Joe thing.

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A lot of you Burnaby folks started out at S.T.I. ?? I don't really mind the flat packing, once you get good at it, its really only a couple minutes more work to get it to a cigar roll. Joe puts emphasis on safety at all times and I really like that about him. Since we only run a fleet of C-182's, there's no real need for a rush anyway, because there's longer wait times between loads compared to you twin otter jumpers. We had one of your packers at our DZ last weekend (remain anonymous), and let me tell you, this guy was fast !! I can tell things are a bit more hectic at Burnaby.
You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

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I always pro packed 384's but started flat packing them towards the end of my last packing job. I was much more comfortable flat packing them, knowing exactly where the lines were. Also, it's faster and it doesn't hurt your shoulder. Some TI's claim they open hard but the one guy who I packed for said he didn't notice a difference. Just roll the nose tight and put the slider all the way against the stops. :)

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I can only speak for my home DZ (SDLI)...i pack all parachutes PRO-Pack. over the shoulder, and all tandems up to 425sq ft. i recently taught (mostly harmless) how to pack better since he was getting hard opening.


and he is lucky i didnt charge him for the packing class

and it is $10 for a tandem; and $7 for a student

TIPS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!!!!!
"the sky is not the limit....the ground is"

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Euhm, flatpacking tandems is not old fashion, it is very normal. Flatpacking tandems reduces the risk on lineovers. I know that several tandemexaminers teach flatpacking.

Jurgen




I take packing very seriously, and it's tough to pack all day (10+ hours) and have the same enthusiasm on the last one that you had on the first one, especially on a very humid day. I want to know how to pack quickly yet consistently and safely at the same time. I much rather take a little longer to ensure safety even though some TM's are hanging over your shoulder and pressuring you to hurry because their load is waiting for your pack-job. I have no problems telling them to wait. If flat-packing is a good way to avoid mal's, then it gets my vote.
You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

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I think it's a tremendous waste of time to PRO pack anything larger than about 120 square feet. Others will argue that it's a tremendous waste of space to flat-pack anything. Whatever. When I flat pack the main is laid on it's side for maybe one minute before it's exactly the same width as the person PRO packing. I flat pack my tandem rig and every single student rig I have ever touched.

Chuck

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That's an interesting way to stagger the packing charges, tandem main and tandem drogue ?? Do you sometimes pack the main and not the drogue?




not usually, but on a busy day where there's only one packer trained on tandems it happens from time to time. (ex. I'll stow breaks on tandem #1, get somebody else to pack and close it while I pack #2, then I'll do the drogue on #1.) (Vector tandems)

It works, since the actual packing is just like a student main, the extra breaks and the drogue is the only "complicated" part.

It's not done often, and slightly discouraged when not required (since, its obviously a lot more work for the canopy packer, while the drogue monkey steals 5 bucks for 2 minute's work)

When I get somebody to help me with tandems on a busy day like that, I make sure to take care of their beers that night.


note: we are a small dropzone, with no actual packers. Most people pack just to help out the dropzone, while making a few jump credits. Nobody packs for cash or anything.


:)

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I think it's a tremendous waste of time to PRO pack anything larger than about 120 square feet. Others will argue that it's a tremendous waste of space to flat-pack anything. Whatever. When I flat pack the main is laid on it's side for maybe one minute before it's exactly the same width as the person PRO packing. I flat pack my tandem rig and every single student rig I have ever touched.

Chuck



Its really good to hear that from a jumper of your status. I have a better sense of the packing techniques now and I understand that when you pack all day, as I do every Saturday and Sunday, you want to get faster. But I will never, ever lose my safety consciousness no matter how pissed off anyone gets for the amount of time it takes me to pack the device that's going to prevent them from bouncing !

Thanks again.
You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

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I think it's a tremendous waste of time to PRO pack anything larger than about 120 square feet. Others will argue that it's a tremendous waste of space to flat-pack anything. Whatever. When I flat pack the main is laid on it's side for maybe one minute before it's exactly the same width as the person PRO packing. I flat pack my tandem rig and every single student rig I have ever touched.

Chuck



Its really good to hear that from a jumper of your status. I have a better sense of the packing techniques now and I understand that when you pack all day, as I do every Saturday and Sunday, you want to get faster. But I will never, ever lose my safety consciousness no matter how pissed off anyone gets for the amount of time it takes me to pack the device that's going to prevent them from bouncing !

Thanks again.



I Pro-Pack everything, Tandems, Student and sport rigs. I remember Scott Campos (LouDiamond) saying - AND I QUOTE "Anyway, Mike Forsythe told me that flat packing is just for pussies who don't know how to pro-pack" - I'm ducking and running now, 'cause I KNOW chuck could kick my ass :P
Pete Draper,

Just because my life plan is written on the back of a Hooter's Napkin, it's still a life plan.... right?

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Pro pack everything.. VII's Sigma's student gear etc.

Had 1 tandem mal in over 1'000 pack jobs.

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

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I've pro-packed thousands of tandems with no lineovers.

I can pack a tandem in about 9 minutes if I need to.

$5 for sport rigs and student rigs and $10 for tandems is fairly standard around the country. Some places pay a bit more, some places pay a bit less.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

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I've pro-packed thousands of tandems with no lineovers.

I can pack a tandem in about 9 minutes if I need to.

$5 for sport rigs and student rigs and $10 for tandems is fairly standard around the country. Some places pay a bit more, some places pay a bit less.







karenmeal....

i challenge you to a race of the tandem pro pack
"the sky is not the limit....the ground is"

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