DocMallard

I purchased the Cookie Fuel helmet due to problems with
I was very disappointed in my Bonehead Echo helmet. It had poor padding, and has a flat forehead cut that bit my head very painfully. It seemed design for a more simian type of head!
The Fuel has none of these shortcomings. It looks great, has lots of padding inside, and fits very well.
I was very satisfied with this helmet.
The only shortcoming, is that the bottom of the helmet is somewhat tight on the outside of my jaws. This was quickly gotten used to. It is NOT anywhere near as bad as the pain caused by the Bonehead

I love this canopy a lot.

Yesterday, while packing it, I read the warning label closely.

I was shocked to find "Made In Honduras" on it.
I imagined the awesome crew at PD lovingly constructing my canopy. I was aghast to discover it was built in a third world sweatshop!
Makes me wonder now!

I started jumping in the early 1980’s. When I switched from the T-10/static line progression to AFF, the rigs I jumped were Racers.

Eventually I got my own gear, a Talon like my friends had. I jumped a few years, and then life intervened. I had to put my jumping, and flying on hold to pursue a dream.

Two decades later, I finally got to the point where the skies started calling my name again. My initial challenge was losing enough weight to jump. As I started losing weight, getting a rig came to mind.

I looked at the gear on the market. Oh how everything has changed! No more Velcro. The pilotchute has moved from the easily accessible leg-strap, to the bottom of the container.

When I looked at the current Talon models, it wasn’t anything like what I jumped in the day. The one rig that seemed familiar to me was the Racer.

I called Jumpshack, and started asking questions. Nancy did more than simply explain the product. She spent lots of time helping me learn where the sport had gone. What was new, and what was the same.

She patiently helped me with a lot of very technical questions that I had. The features I wanted in my gear began to take shape.

Well, the DZ I returned to the sky at used clunky, tent pack like, Student Vectors. I was stuck with these as rental gear, until my finances were in order to procure a new rig. They really were stiff and hard to move around in.

I finally got my order in, and some weeks later, my new Racer Classic arrived.

I jumped it the next day. It was quite a change from the stiff, box-like Vector! The fit was perfect, and I had much improved mobility around the aircraft. This is a very comfortable rig!

The rig is very well made. The magnetic riser covers work exactly as advertised. The rig is completely “Free Fly Friendly.”

The main bridle routing is designed to prevent the pin from snagging the bridle, and causing a pilot chute in tow malfunction.

The reserve pins are well protected from any external forces.

While there was a minor mix-up with the lines I ordered, I am very, very satisfied with my new rig.

The bottom line is that if I had the money, I would order another Racer tomorrow!

I first met Sherry at the old Antioch Parachute Center. I was a novice jumper at the time. She ran the manifest at this very fun place to jump.

Now she runs her own business making fantastic jumpsuits.

There were no “Off The Shelf” designs that were what I was looking for, but it didn’t matter. She made just what I needed at a very reasonable price.

When the suit arrived, it was better than I thought possible. It is very robustly constructed. Every place a jumper will wear out a suit, is well reinforced.

The suit looks great, and is quite comfortable to wear.

It is everything my old “Flite Suit” never was!

I am planning to order my camera suit from her as soon as I am ready to return to my camera work.