kontiki

I packed a PD Pulse 190 in mine with the Optimum 160. It was tight but got it in there. I jump a 170 Pulse now and it fits like a glove.

That's definitely a "Smith" logo. I'm not sure which model but it looks like the Vantage.
http://www.smithoptics.com/Root/Men%27s/Helmets/c/1400

You're rad, thank you. The manual did not make nearly as much sense.

I swear I've searched and I'm also asking several local riggers and contacted Mirage. Yes I'm impatient...I just got a brand new rig after all!

Can anyone provide me with some clearer instructions (not the Mirage manual available on their website) for closing the Mirage G4 M2 size dbag? There are the three locking stows with accompanying grommets and then two large and 1 small attachment points above the grommets on top of the bag. How the heck are the lines supposed to be routed on this? If any of you could share a video for this, that would be extremely helpful.

In the attached pictures I put rubber bands on to illustrate where the attachment points are. On top of the bag, there are two bands on the larger attachment points and 1 on the smaller one.

I had something similar Ollieeeeee. I pitched and had enough time to think "holy fuck, it's not opening" and the next thing it was all stop with 3-4 line twists. That one hurt and it was the last time I let anyone pack for me.

Having witnessed the effects of jumping without an AAD first hand I am a huge proponent for jumping with one. However, I do feel that people should be allowed to make their own decisions on the matter.

Where would be the best location for this to be placed? I'm thinking the inside bottom of the dbag if a rigger were to sew a small velcro pocket there. I'm a newb so not sure if that would work or not.

DSE

I bought Cypres in the beginning, because my DZO told me it was the only way to go. After attending my first PIA, I realized there were better alternatives after seeing both products side by side.

Would you care to elaborate on this point? I'm looking to purchase an AAD and would love to hear your argument. I've been told that the logic employed by the Cypres 2 is more sophisticated and there are fewer ways to fuck up with it vice the Vigil (e.g. not turning it off between DZ's).

I wonder if those men are parachute testers...

I did a cannonball out the door and held it for 5 or 6 flips, got stable, checked altitude, then put my hand on my handle and practiced actually flying that body position for 5 seconds at a time. My biggest fear was being stable at deployment time and this really helped my confidence.

I'm currently at AFF Level 4 and had the same experience on jump #2. I was looking but not seeing. The next week after the jump I spent loads of time watching skydiving videos and purposefully looking for altimeters and reading out their elevations. I also spent a tremendous amount of time just visualizing jump #3 from exit to the first COA and so on, each time I practiced a maneuver visualizing checking the altimeter and taking the time to read it and have the elevation register. Now not that everything went to plan with the next jump, maintaining a heading was way harder than I thought, but I definitely had a ton more confidence in my ability to register what altitude I was at. I don't know if any of the visualization really helped or if it just gets a little easier each time, but I definitely felt much more at ease with this aspect.