JaapSuter

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Everything posted by JaapSuter

  1. BASE jumpers will appreciate this short animation: [url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs"]KIWI[/URL] p.s. Tom; just delete this post if you disagree...
  2. I can't comment on the velcro. The only Odyssey I have jumped had terrible worn-out velcro that was due for replacement. Also, the Odyssey has less velcro (area-wise) than, say, my Vision. The real problem with Odyssey is that some older ones don't have stiffened side-flaps. This can allow the side flaps to shrivel with the shrivel flap, creating a shear force again, making it much harder to peel it of. Later Odyssey's have this problem fixed.
  3. Just prime it before you put it on. Then put it on very carefully, listening to make sure you don't hear velcro peel prematurely.
  4. This comment makes me wonder if you think that pin rigs take more force to open than velcro rig. This need not be the case. In fact, it is often the other way around. One jumper had a noticable and scary hesitation on a velcro rig this weekend, because his PC took a while to generate enough force to rip it open.
  5. "Because he's an ABBA fan, son."
  6. And by calling it out on a forum like that, you just joined his alleged ranks... Come on Nick, you're better than that. You edit your post, I'll delete this one. Of course, I'll still love you...
  7. Woah, brilliant. I hadn't thought of that. The thumb loop is actually quite small, but nonetheless a risk. Good thinking!
  8. I sense a hidden mature joke, but I'm struggling... It doesn't matter. I've had it on either side.
  9. That's a no-brainer to me... b) Try to climb above the twists and steer the canopy away first The object is the enemy. Get away from it. Not sure, never really tried it. But I'm in the riser-camp when it comes to offheadings, so a line-twist pointing at the object gets my same reasoning; climbing and yanking will be quicker than trying to release a toggle and using that. Hard to say. Probably curl up in foetus position and cry. But a skilled BASE jumper would probably climb above the line twist and steer away (the twist appears to be quite low in the video, but it's hard to tell). On this note; don't underestimate the use of body-weight in your harnass to fight line-twist and offheadings. It's amazing how much control you have during an entire slider-up opening sequence. Proper shifting of your weight can slow down a developing twist a lot. I have to get a copy of the music of that video for my own BASE videos. That's awesome...
  10. I've tried a static system but I like bungees much better. For the pants it's a no-brainer. Just go from shoe to shoe through your pants. For the jacket, you have a few options. Some people have two bungees from their hips to their hands, one on each side. I personally use a single bungee from thumb to thumb going along my back. I experimented with putting it across my chest too. I don't think it matters too much.... I use a pretty tight setup, but since the bungee can slide up across my back I can still reach the risers. I have a long bungee with three thumbloops. One on each end, and then one a little further in. When gearing up I put the ends of the bungee around my thumbs so I can still reach everything, tie my shoelaces, etcetera. Getting close to jumprun I pull one of the sides further out, put my thumb into the tighter loop (cue Abbie) and stick the end back into my sleeve. Ready to rumble...
  11. You probably already know this, but I'll just add it for the unaware; dynamic corners on a velcro rig are a bad idea. Aside from the fact that wingsuiting with velcro rigs isn't recommended anyway, the bigger problem is that the velcro on the bottom flap isn't enough to keep the container closed. You need the support from the sidewalls through regular corners. I've seen first hand what can happen otherwise (imagine fellow jumper running away from security guard with his modified velcro rig when suddenly his entire canopy dumps out the bottom of his container....)
  12. Ask him to try playing it on his computer using Video Lan. I have yet to meet a video that doesn't play in that thing.
  13. I do think the difference in drag is bigger than that. Realistic drag models that take all aerodynamics into account are pretty much impossible to come up with. Get a car and a scale, and measure it on the highway. An interesting experiment. That said, there's a secondary difference between a 42 and a 36 that is possibly more important. It's less exposed in the BOC. With the 42 (presumably without a handle), you'll need a pud sticking out. To make this sufficiently grabable, you'll want it decently sized. A 36 will most likely have a handle (internal or external). You can keep more fabric inside the BOC and still have it easily grabable. This reduces the changes of a premature during aerials. All imho of course...
  14. Even if the crane has the cabin off to the side, there is still a hatch through the middle. I've only seen this be locked off once (on a repeat visit to the same crane, oddly enough ).
  15. I've done seven different cranes, four from the counterweight boom and three from the tip of the crane. Two had a catwalk till the end, the third didn't. I shimmied across on the outside. I ran into a locked cabin twice, but climbing around it was quite easy both times. It was very much the same as what somebody described in this story... Remember that a biner-backup costs extra time, increasing exposure on the crane. Shimmying across is one of those things that you'd do blindfolded when it's two feet of the ground, but suddenly gets scary when you're at a height. If the crane allows (e.g. it's not a static-line jump); put your rig on as soon as you start to climb around the cabin or start shimmying. If you fall, pitch. You won't have great body position, but who knows what'll happen... I second the comment about the grease. Stay the fuck away from it. Don't touch any cables. It makes things very sticky, and can probably do bad things to a pilotchute when you throw it.
  16. He didn't have a 36 or 34? Edited to remove judgemental smiley....
  17. Hello, I just changed the spam-handling of BASE WIKI. That means it's now possible to post comments again. I'm still finetuning the block-filter so it might be too strict. When a post gets blocked I get an email though, so over the next few weeks I can loosen the restrictions and replace banned words with banned IPs (from spam bots). Thanks for the patience, Jaap Suter
  18. JaapSuter

    cutaway?

    Unless you're being chased by cops or in the water, always cut-away carefully, removing just enough of the yellow cable to clear the loop. Never take it out completely. That makes it easier to put it back in. I learned this the hard way. My Warlock didn't have cable routing towards the riser on the opposite side. I ended up fumbling for half an hour trying to get that bitch of a cable to reappear through a tiny hole on the other side.
  19. JaapSuter

    going fetal

    I've seen it from first person perspective. I'd like to say it was bracing for impact but I'm not entirely sure. More likely I was just going back to some pre-natal intuition. I attribute the last-nano-second inflation of my pilotchute to this change of body position so I don't think it's a bad habit per se...
  20. Ah yes. A valid concern in my opinion. Not because of its seriousness, but because there are so many equally cheap and easy solutions that don't have this problem. But as mentioned above, some people will argue you're a douchebag worrying about such little things. I'm not one of them though... I suppose, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
  21. Do a skydive with a medium to large sized canopy and slap six or seven wraps on that thing. It'll break. Then use two to four on your BASE jumps. If you're concerned, you can always put a tiny millimeter sized tear in it as you pack it to prime it. Do not use duct tape... The main thing to watch out for with masking tape is how it performs when wet. Some brands get stronger when wet. Buy some, soak it in water, then try to tear it. Not that a packed rig would get soaked that easily, but remember the story of that guy that had a block of ice come out of his tray...
  22. The term slidergate is used for two different things, but direct control is not one of them. Slidergate was originally used to name the piece of rubberband attached to the center of the slider to which you put your steering lines (and not the center Cs and Ds, as opposed to the tailgate). It was used by Vertigo and Consolidated Rigging although Consolidated Rigging later discontinued it because they were were concerned it distorted the trim of the canopy during inflation too much. The slider that came with my original Vertigo Rockdragon still had the slidergate loop on it. I've only used it once. More information on that use of the term slidergate can be found here: http://www.basewiki.com/wiki/pmwiki.php/Packing/Slidergate These days, most people use the term slidergate to refer to a tailgate sewn to the middle of the slider, which is then used as a regular tailgate (containing all the tailgate lines). There has been concern that such a tailgate could be a risk on large hole mesh sliders because it can poke through a hole in the mesh, deforming the slider. As far as I know, no manufacturer actively recommends using a tailgate this way (also because many think that the slider alone does enough reefing already on a properly packed canopy, removing the need for a tailgate). On the other hand, some people hold the opinon that worrying about the tailgate poking through your large mesh slider is like worrying about running out of toiletpaper when you don't even have to take a dump; i.e, a petty concern. Ofcourse you could always use masking tape instead of a tailgate. Here's the link above linkified: http://www.basewiki.com/wiki/pmwiki.php/Packing/DirectControl I personally put a half-rubber band (same as my tailgate rubber bands) on both center C attachment points. I'm not sure if it matters, but symmetry gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling. Again, take all this with a grain of salt. This is just me pretending I know what I'm talking about, which I don't. I highly recommend ordering a small-mesh slider for your Rock Dragon before you try using the sail slider. They're cheap, they work great.
  23. Are you using a large or small mesh (marquisette) slider? Are you using the original sized slider that was made for the Rock Dragon, or a custom one? I believe Jimmy has experimented with different sizes, although I think that was more for the subterminal range. From your setup it doesn't seem like you are using direct control, and only loose indirect control. Direct control might stage your opening sequence better, keeping the slider up there just a tad longer. Might be worth trying. But then again, I only have about ten terminal jumps with a BASE rig so I don't really know much. Probably wait till the experts chime in... As to your actual question, In BASE I'll take a hard opening over a snivel any day. So no sail for me..
  24. I just recalled somebody mentioning this technique, in relation to wingsuit BASE, a while back. I imagine you put one strip of duct tape laterally covering the top of your shrivel flap, the idea being that the wind can't peel underneath it and start opening it. Anyway, jumped it twice today. No duct tape, no problems. And Raven's are fun, thanks Raistlin...
  25. Is Meagan the Meagan I've met in Twin Falls or a different Meagan?