How tight do you like your lag straps!!!

[koopa 0]

Just got my new rig and the leg straps seem a little lose. What are the pros and con's to this? They said they could shorten them up for me if need be.

[Casch 0]

I always tighten my legs straps as much as possible. I think most people will say this. When you were jumping student gear did you ever leave slack in the leg straps? Well I have and it can be pretty painful on opening especially if the straps want to migrate down your legs and are near your middle thigh/knees on opening. Mine haven't moved that much, but enough to be uncomfortable. Definately have them shorten the straps.

[bobsoutar 0]

I would get them shortened. Too loose, they are a pain for freeflying and you will be wearing your chest strap under your chin on a hard opening.

[quade 3]

I think you'll find that your openings will be far more comfortable if you have the leg straps high in your crotch, right up against the bones, and pretty darn tight. The less they slip around during opening the fewer bruises you'll end up with.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[skycat 0]

I leave mine loose enough that when I'm tracking I can shrug my shoulders to my ears.

Basically on the ground put your rig on and tighten everything up to where you like it, if you can't touch your shoulders to your ears your leg straps are to tight, which will prevent you from getting the flattest track possible.

On the other hand you really don't want them any looser than that.

Another thing is make sure they are even when you tighten them, off even a little could cause off heading openings or even line twists.

Fly it like you stole it!

[falxori 0]

keep them tight or get ready for a really big badaboom...

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero."

[beavdog 0]

I'd have to agree with bobsoutar...I once left mine a little loose while on student status and had to try to land with the cheststrap and alti glued to the bottom of my chin. It was uncomfortable and I couldnt tell my altitude....a scary thing for a student.

Here's to the Breezes that blows through the Trezzez.....

[billvon 2,400]

Generally, the better a rig fits, the less tight you need the legstraps. Tight legstraps can take the 'slack' out of other parts of the system that don't fit well, so a poorly fitting rig (like most student rigs) benefits from really tight legstraps. My Reflex, which fits really well, doesn't need its legstraps tightened very much. I tighten them until I feel the rig press down more firmly on my shoulders then stop.

[Cepheus 0]

And here I am, with horrible bruises on my legs from the student rig legstraps, thinking 'Ok so next time I won't tighten them as much...'

So much for that theory...

--
Skydive -- testing gravity, one jump at a time.

[Jimbo 0]

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And here I am, with horrible bruises on my legs from the student rig legstraps, thinking 'Ok so next time I won't tighten them as much...'

I'm not positive on this, so ask one of your instructors, but I believe one contributing factor to the bruises is loose legstraps.

FWIW: I wear my rig with my leg straps as tight as I can get them, and my chest strap as loose as it can be while still keeping me in the rig.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Spy38W 0]

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FWIW: I wear my rig with my leg straps as tight as I can get them, and my chest strap as loose as it can be while still keeping me in the rig.

Sounds like me when I was doing mostly RW, since I went to the darkside I've kept my legstraps tight, and started tightening my cheststrap more

--
Hook high, flare on time

[Sonic 0]

Mine used to be that loose I had to tie them together will a pull up !! I measured they were 10cm too long before I got them shortened. I jumped it lots of times like that as when they were tied together, they didn't slip down my legs. Openings were ok.

-----------------------------------
It's like something out of that twilighty show about that zone

[RebelMike 0]

They should be fairly tight. Nothing worse than tracking from a formation and having to reach for the leg staps and bring them up. the most important thing is that they are even, uneven legstraps can cause off heading openings and worse, they can cuase line twists. You are on a larger canopie (good thing) so body shift weight it not a big deal, but can renerate a turn. there is no good thing about loose leg straps!! Have them fix it

[novacaine 0]

By ALL means get the leg straps shortened. I loosened my leg straps once on the plane so I could sleep up to alti. I forgot to tighten them. I had two big bruises on my legs. I was lucky said my JM.

[Cepheus 0]

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I was lucky said my JM.

Lucky? What could have happened?

--
Skydive -- testing gravity, one jump at a time.

[cop 0]

I keep them very tight because everything I still have between my legs I want to keep

"You can call me Mike"

[AirMail 0]

I jumped a loaned rig once and even though I tightened the leg straps as much as possible the harness was too long. Result was that the container rode up with the harness high enough to prevent me from being able to look up at my canopy. The yoke of the container was pressing against the back of my helmet. Fortunately, the canopy was fine and I had no problems.

Patrick

--
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
Postal Rodriguez, Muff 3342

[novacaine 0]

Well my JM said that i was lucky to only bruises and not a broken leg.

[Iflyme 0]

I cinch my leg straps up pretty darn tight ... don't need them moving around my legs too much.

[Cepheus 0]

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Well my JM said that i was lucky to only bruises and not a broken leg.

Yeouch.

--
Skydive -- testing gravity, one jump at a time.

[nubain1 0]

I like mine as tight as I can get them.I've still got a burn mark on my leg from a hard opening . the strap caused a friction burn and hurt for a coupla weeks afterwards.I learned my lesson on making sure my straps are tight.

[skymedic 0]

Clint,

just wait till you have gear sized for you and that fits you....you will notice you dont need them quite so tight anymore...

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[skycat 0]

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just wait till you have gear sized for you and that fits you....you will notice you dont need them quite so tight anymore

Exactly. Mine are snug, but still loose enough that I can shrug my shoulders to my ears. Due to being very flexible though I do use a piece of bungy to keep my legstraps together in the back, otherwise I have legstraps moving when I'm in a sit or arching hard.

Clint, when you are at the DZ tomorrow ask Derek (hooknswoop) to show you how tight his legstraps are. You will see that his are snug, but still allow for a full flat track.

Fly it like you stole it!