Opinions on tube-stows

[rapper4mpi 0]

I had a friend have a bag-lock even at terminal deployment using Tube Stows. He is highly experienced over 1,000 jumps and very meticulous. When we found the bag and inspected it we could clearly see that he had a "locked" stow. Who knows if it would have broken with a rubber band either.

[billvon 2,405]

>The words "bag lock" come to mind.
Odd, then, that unbreakable stows are used on many reserve freebags.
-bill von

[lazerq3 0]

I have tubstows for my 4 bands that close the canopy and the rest are rubber bands......No piticular reason its just how the bag came to me and I havnt had any problems yet....!!
jason

[E150 0]

I use small tube stows on my microlines. It's seems fine, never had a problem.
As they say, bands break . . . . but tubes roll. Some people don't like tube stows because they roll off easy.
I don't think it's what you use, more how you use them. If your unsure, get a rigger tocheck out what your doing.

[SpinDoctor 0]

I was p---ed off with having to replace bungees (rubber bands) every 1 or 2 jumps so i paid £8 ($11) for a full set of tube stoes. As far as i am aware - i installed them correctly.
After something like 30 jumps - i had 2 line stoes break, 1 line stoe roll off and 1 mouth lock stoe break. Since then, about 50 jumps, i have had the second mouth stoe break and another line stoe break.
So, as far as stoes being more durable - i dont think so... I have sent the broken ones to Skysystems for thier opinion and they have promised a replacement packet in the post.
As far as bag lock, line dump etc etc - i havent had any of those problems - then again - i have only got 50 jumps out of them.
The lines at the mouth stoes are reasonably tight and the lines on the other stoes are quite loose - but i do loop about 3 - 4 inches through them...
I will see how the replacement stoes perform, when i get them, and hopfully they will be a lot better
Rgds Phil
---
If you have to ask - you don't understand

[E150 0]

<>
Phil, mine are like that two. Im happy with the mouth stoes (they are just right - not too tight), but as you say, the others are a little loose. I still only put about 2.5" thought them, but have to be v careful putting the bag in the container.

[lummy 4]

Question: Fact or fiction????
I was told never to mix tube stows and rubber bands. Is this true, and if so could you explain why?
Thanks
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I would have thought that as long as you have equal numbers of each on both sides, it wouldn't make a difference
When you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or you're loose, its how drunk you get.

[PhreeZone 15]

I've got a mix match of everything on my bag and they all work just fine....
If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will....

[scottbre 0]

SkyBands are where it's at as far as I am concerned. "Yea, I didn't think we'd actually be turning any points..." ~ Goat #4

[Dumpster 0]

I've got a full set of tubestoes on my bag and have no problem- But the opinions at our DZ are just like here- from mild to wild- Most folks are using bands for any number of reasons - I like 'em cuz there easier to work with- My .02-
Wanna buy a duck?

[lummy 4]

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've got a mix match of everything on my bag and they all work just fine....

Are they evenly distributed like someone else was mentioning?
ScottBre.... I'm interested in what makes you such a strong supporter of Skybands....
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?

[scottbre 0]

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ScottBre.... I'm interested in what makes you such a strong supporter of Skybands....

Well, I'm definately not "experienced" when it comes to all sorts of gear, being that I have only been jumping since September of 2001 and have only jumped my own rig for 49 of the 61 jumps that I have done so far.
That being said, when I was doing some jumps on my rig when I was deciding whether or not to buy it, it had tube-stows on it and the lines came out of the stows really easily. I probably could have just done the locking stows and just put the rest of the lines in the container unstowed and would have had the same opening. My rigger and DZO pointed this out to me and said that if I bought the rig they would help me replace the tube-stows with skybands. Being a very newbie at that point I said ok, and when i bought the rig 2 jumps later, we replaced all the old loose tube-stows with skybands. Since then, I have only had to replace the 2 locking stows once, and have always had clean openings. So I guess the reason would be that my DZO and my rigger swear by skybands and have very strong opinions against tube-stows, and I have watched people break regular rubber bands before even getting them put all the way on their D-bags. And being that my DZO has been jumping since the fifties, I generally consider him to have a pretty good idea of what is and isn't a good idea, when it comes to equipment and maintenance.
Plus, they're black and match my D-bag.
200 feet of Saran Wrap and noone to play with. . .

[skymedic 0]

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And being that my DZO has been jumping since the fifties, I generally consider him to have a pretty good idea of what is and isn't a good idea, when it comes to equipment and maintenance.

just remember this can be a good thing or a bad thing...some times I find the older jumpers are "set in there way's"....BUT..you are right...Skybands are where it's at....I just need to find a place that has some in stock....everyplace I call they are always sold out.....
Cheers....vasbyt
marc
"I have no fear of falling, I just hate hitting the ground"-The Badlees...

[lummy 4]

Thanks Scott and Marc for the info. Being tired of replacing rubber bands myself, maybe I'll give them a try
Conjunction Junction, what's your function?

[scottbre 0]

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just remember this can be a good thing or a bad thing...some times I find the older jumpers are "set in there way's

That can be true, but he's been a rigger for a really long time and it is probably safe to say that he knows the positives and negatives of most of the gear that is out there. 200 feet of Saran Wrap and noone to play with. . .

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Hell, I mix and match when I run out of tube stoes. I generally keep black ones on my locking loops and small ones everywhere else, but lately I have been using those small blue superband things on the sides when the tubies wear out. They last a long time and keep my line stows tighter than even small tube stoes.
My webpage HERE

[eames 0]

I use Super-bands all around and I've had great luck with them. They're small enough to hold HMA well and they last a lot longer than standard rubber bands. They're much stronger than standard rubber bands, and many people are hesitant to use them because they think they won't break, but I've had them break on me on many occasions. Even when they were brand new. I recommend super bands...
Jason

[Deuce 1]

Ive got just over 150 jumps on my Spectre 170 (1.3 wingloading) and I switched to the Aerodyne Research Super Bandz for my last 20 jumps. They're like regular small rubber bands but made of latex. I'm happy with them. Openings are softer/smoother. They're real hard to break.

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

It's interesting to hear that some people are against tube stows becuase they don't break easily, but yet they'll use these bands that are really hard to break. Just a thought.
Danger could be my middle name. But it's Paul.

[Zennie 0]

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It's interesting to hear that some people are against tube stows becuase they don't break easily, but yet they'll use these bands that are really hard to break.

Not me. Plain 'ol military grade rubber bands.
"Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense."

[eames 0]

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It's interesting to hear that some people are against tube stows becuase they don't break easily, but yet they'll use these bands that are really hard to break.

Who is they? Who are you referring to? I don't remember anybody saying that they won't use tube stoes because they don't break, then say they'll use super bandz instead. Furthermore, I just said that I've had many break on deployment. I was trying to convey that they're not "...really hard to break."
Jason

[billo 0]

i'm kinda torn on the whole tube stow issue. first off, i do love packing with them...when i pack for other people. it makes that $5 all the easier, and if that is what they want, cool.
i just heard so many negative things about tube stoes at the place that i was trained. if you hear it enough and your ears are open, the info will eventually soak in. that is why even though i love their durability and how easy they are to pack with, i will probably never use them myself.
it's just kinda like how your mom always told you never to do drugs when you were younger and so since you heard bad things about drugs so often that you never did...kinda like tube stoes...ok no wait that's a bad example.
holy shit! ka-chink!

[lazerq3 0]

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it's just kinda like how your mom always told you never to do drugs when you were younger and so since you heard bad things about drugs so often that you never did

Uhhh....yeah......(speak for yourself!!!) jason

[Tonto 1]

When I pack for myself, I use tube stows. I've always had excellent results from them.

Other packers replace with regular bungies, and about once a month I remove those and replace with tube stows.

t

It's the year of the Pig.