betzilla

I'd recommend NOT putting white on any part of your rig that gets handled a lot (think dirty hands giving you a pin check, etc...), or that will make contact with the floor of the plane or the ground under normal conditions. Other than that, go nuts!

"double wide" leg straps are standard on all Relative Workshop rigs, along with thick, cushy padding. It's super comfortable under canopy. And I just got a new Icon that's really comfy. I'd wager that as longs as the leg pads are long enough (but not too long), you shouldn't get bruising with any rig that's a reasonable fit...

If you reset your brakes right after you land, before you let go of the toggle, they won't get twisted. Of course, it kind of makes you a sitting duck in the landing area...

A Cypres screwdriver works wonders.

Yeah. What Skybytch said. Except I'd sing it ON key.

Speedo also makes nice ones (intended for use swimming). you can PM me if you want -- I think I have a blue pair in stock here... -B

2:0:1 beer is owed for my first save. Now I feel like a real rigger

But more perforations right alongside the originals suck even more: check out how perforated paper with the holes closer together is easier to tear than with the holes far apart... I'd be pretty happy with what Precision sent you. Kirk (the master rigger/DPRE here. also my fiance

I just had a Raven dash-m reserve come in, where SB 1221 had been done, but it was completely botched (needed sent to precision for them to remove and replace the line attachment tapes). The second set of bartacks was put right on top of the original ones -- basically just perforating already weak tabs even more, and increasing the likelihood of the tabs failing during reserve deployment. The owner was pissed at first (the previous rigger had claimed to send the reserve to Precision to have the work done -- obviously not true), and initially refused to have more work done on it. Naturally, we refused to pack it, and even decided that it wouldn't leave our loft without being marked unairworthy unless she let us get the work done correctly. But after being made to understand that her reserve had been weakened by the botched work, I believe the owner is very happy to have had it inspected here this time. I'm proud of this catch, since I'm a pretty new rigger.

Dude, you only have 72 jumps? I'm going to ahve to stop being nice to you . Some people are just stupid. Don't let them get you down. -B

I'd keep my membership only because of my instructor rating. Otherwise no. But it did make me feel cool to be a member, back when I was a brand new jumper

spiral tib/fib when my tandem student sat/fell on my leg on landing. This was student number 13 (). Two years later, I haven't yet worked up the nerve to finish getting the rating [wussy-faced smiley]. I sprained my ankle once when my toe caught a clump of grass on landing. It sucked (and it hurt more than the fractures did)

You could save $$ (I think) by sending it to T at Unfeathered (which is in Florida), and having HER send it to italy for you. You can PM me if you want her address... -B

Hey there, I'm just wishing you good luck and lots of strength through all of this. I have a friend who's had AIDS (yes AIDS, not HIV) for 9 years. I'm not sure the specifics, since his partner told me, and he doesn't know I know. In any case, i think you're right -- it's no one's biz but yours. Live your life and stay strong and healthy. know you have lots of people out here pulling and praying for you.

A trick that works for me is to push the big fold into the bag (the whole thing is s-folded at this point -- it's not the reverse fold method), then shove the "ears" in after that. When I started doing it that way, my life got a LOT easier.

oh, I'm a big sucker for tiny kittens. But I swore I wouldn't take in any more this year...

Get slinks -- I had a rig where I couldn't reach the slider once (it had abnormally long, ape-length risers

I agree -- I've read that once you've washed off the oils themselves, you can't actually spread it anymore. I'm one of those lucky people that aren't allergic to the oils -- I've never had poison ivy in my life, even though my yard is full of it...

I think it really depends on what the student program is like. I was a static-line student, so it wouldn't have made any sense for me to have been required to do a tandem first. Plus, i would've been totally overwhelmed by the experience, and probably never jumped again... I don't think it's a bad idea for AFF programs to require a tandem first, if the tandem is used as an instructional jump, and not just a carnival ride. A student will have more confidence on his/her first solo if they've deployed a canopy in freefall before (on that tandem), and flown a pattern before. Just my 2 cents -- there are lots of methods that work to produce good, safe jumpers. -B

ON the fifth anniversary of my first jump, I was out running in the morning. I'm a pretty big-boned girl (really -- i have thick bones), so I actually said out loud to myself, "shoot girl, with a bone structure like this, you'll never break a bone." WRONG! 4 hours later i was inthe emergency room with a spiral tib/fib, wating in line for my pretty external fixator. The moral of the story: When a tandem student with bigger bones than you sits on your leg on landing, all bets are off... I've healed completely, so the whole thing's in my life experience file now.

Or borrow the BFL book from me -- I have 2 copies. I also whole-heartedly recommend the eating-for-life cookbook. For foodies like me, it's a great way to keep eating healthy without going nuts. The recipes taste like real, gourmet food, because they are. I totally agree about dumbbells being the best way to work out -- especially if you're not looking to pump up specific muscles, or parts of muscles. When you use dumbells, you have to engage all the surrounding muscles too, in order to balance the weight. By doing this, you increase your defense against injury.

HiYAAAAAH! (that was a high note for your birthday, Lolie.) Make it a good one! -B

BO, Come talk to me in the store on Saturday. You might be interested in Body-for-Life (it's how I've chunked off 30 pounds since new year's), or at least the diet portion. Trainers at my gym are asking ME questions. It's weird.

My first canopy was a Sabre 170, and I weighed about 160 at the time. I bought that one at 50-ish jumps, and before that had jumped a Manta (25 jumps), a Raider (1 jump), a Triathlon 220 (10-15 jumps), Triathlon 190 (5 jumps), and a Triathlon 175 (5-10 jumps). After all that, the Sabre 170 was no big whoop for me. It was really fun and easy to fly. You'll be at a pretty conservative wingloading, and your instructors think you're ready, so go for it! Try to get a few jumps on something in between the two sizes first, and if you're nervous, have someone put you on a radio for your first couple jumps on it. Respect the new canopy, and it'll treat you fine.

containers or canopies...? I'm pretty sure PD made a main called an Excalibur.