Hey, this is a simple review - because the Atom rig is simply perfect. A really bold statement to make on a rig. We all know of the personal bias that any owner of a piece of jumping equipment has about it... but this is the truth! I have had my current Atom rig since 1997, when my 4-way team took it to the 1st World Air Games in Turkey, and there has been no maintenance needed (apart from closing loops) except for a wash to get the Eloy dust out of it! P de France have been the innovators in parachuting equipment for the last 8 years, coming up with all those goodies that you take for granted on "other" rigs nowadays. Things like stainless hardware, DECENT bridle protection, reverse risers (no grommet hole punched throught the riser and no chance of risers being snagged in a total mal if you have pulled the cutaway handle first!),narrow chest straps, velcro-less brake toggle stowage, detachable soft links, metal swage clip to retain the cutaway cable housings, etc, etc. (get the point?) The quality of manufacturing workmanship is fantastic. All of the finishing has been of the highest quality throughout. Comfort is exceptionally good when wearing the rig - but why would you buy a rig that is uncomfortable to wear - right? My rating as a rigger lets me into some areas that most do not see, and you should know about those as well. The reserve (Techno) is the lowest bulk available, which = fit more canopy into a smaller space. Nice small reserve pack-up. The line stowage of the reserve is a very "staged" affair which uses line stowages instead of the total free-stow of lines common to all other types of rigs. "Is it safe - do they work OK?" Yes, it works beautifully. A few reserve rides on my Techno leaves me in no doubt of it's functionality and performance! Overall: comfort, performance, quality, design are all fantastic. Negatives: Difficult to find one. Aha! The bungee collapsible pilotchute system that comes as standard (well in '97 it did). The kill-line is the best to use on a high performance main, but I will be confident that this will be a standard feature by now! Simply: find someone on your DZ who has one and have a look. Then have another GOOD look, and talk to any Rigger - they will like it as well! And you will look STUNNING wearing it on the DZ... Blue Skies!
