After jumping a used Mirage G3 for my first 400 skydives, I received my new G4 4 weeks after placing my order. That means that four weeks after sending the order form through the fax machine, the rig was in my living room. It's an MXS-1/2, with a Stiletto 97 and PD113 reserve with Cypres. It's my first custom rig, and since I'm 5'4" and weigh about 105 pounds soaking wet, this is the first rig that has ever fit me perfectly. That bias revealed, I like this rig for a lot of reasons. Every detail on this piece of equipment has been thought out to the fullest.
The risers with velcro-less toggles are the best I've ever seen. Hard housings for stowing excess cable ensure that if I need to cut away a spinning main, I will have no problem doing so. The toggles tuck securely into the risers with tabs at the top and in the middle, making them easy to grab after deployment without worrying about a premature brake release. There are convenient loops to put the excess brake line away after stowing the toggles.
Pin coverage of both main and reserve is unsurpassed. One improvement from my old Mirage is that with the shorter reserve pin flap, coverage is just as secure but allows for an easier pin check without fumbling to tuck the flap back in. I ordered the hackey handle for my pilot chute, and even though I do a lot of freeflying I feel secure with this design that I will not have a premature opening.
The back pad--wow. At first I noticed that it felt really comfortable in the air and on the ground walking out to boarding point. Last weekend, it occurred to me that I was enjoying my landings a lot more than usual, and realized that it's because of the way the rig sits on my back after opening. It makes flying and landing my canopy a whole new experience.
The shape of this rig is less square than the G3, tapered at the bottom, and actually packs more easily with the split deployment bag. I got the full options with the Unisyn harness, which I love and recommend. I have never felt as mobile in the air as I do with this harness. It has actually made a difference in my flying. More importantly, my confidence in the care, testing, and improvements that go into Mirage products let me focus on my jumping.
Mirage customer service is incredible. After plenty of phone calls with Justin and Trisha, while I was in both South Africa and the USA, I was more than impressed with how I was treated as a customer. No question was too stupid for a prompt and thorough reply, both on the phone and by email. Last week I got a follow-up call from Kim to see how I like the rig. That's a long-distance call, to my South African cell phone. When she missed me on the first try, she left a message and called back a few days later. Truly international service, too. No 3am "whoops, I didn't realize what time zone you were in" calls.
This purchase did something that made the money totally worth it: it eliminated gear fear.
Even if you go for fewer options and opt for the non-articulated harness, the Mirage G4 is a lot of rig (and peace of mind) for the money.
Mirage G4
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in Containers
The risers with velcro-less toggles are the best I've ever seen. Hard housings for stowing excess cable ensure that if I need to cut away a spinning main, I will have no problem doing so. The toggles tuck securely into the risers with tabs at the top and in the middle, making them easy to grab after deployment without worrying about a premature brake release. There are convenient loops to put the excess brake line away after stowing the toggles.
Pin coverage of both main and reserve is unsurpassed. One improvement from my old Mirage is that with the shorter reserve pin flap, coverage is just as secure but allows for an easier pin check without fumbling to tuck the flap back in. I ordered the hackey handle for my pilot chute, and even though I do a lot of freeflying I feel secure with this design that I will not have a premature opening.
The back pad--wow. At first I noticed that it felt really comfortable in the air and on the ground walking out to boarding point. Last weekend, it occurred to me that I was enjoying my landings a lot more than usual, and realized that it's because of the way the rig sits on my back after opening. It makes flying and landing my canopy a whole new experience.
The shape of this rig is less square than the G3, tapered at the bottom, and actually packs more easily with the split deployment bag. I got the full options with the Unisyn harness, which I love and recommend. I have never felt as mobile in the air as I do with this harness. It has actually made a difference in my flying. More importantly, my confidence in the care, testing, and improvements that go into Mirage products let me focus on my jumping.
Mirage customer service is incredible. After plenty of phone calls with Justin and Trisha, while I was in both South Africa and the USA, I was more than impressed with how I was treated as a customer. No question was too stupid for a prompt and thorough reply, both on the phone and by email. Last week I got a follow-up call from Kim to see how I like the rig. That's a long-distance call, to my South African cell phone. When she missed me on the first try, she left a message and called back a few days later. Truly international service, too. No 3am "whoops, I didn't realize what time zone you were in" calls.
This purchase did something that made the money totally worth it: it eliminated gear fear.
Even if you go for fewer options and opt for the non-articulated harness, the Mirage G4 is a lot of rig (and peace of mind) for the money.