LearningTOfly 0 #1 May 28, 2005 I was browsing a manufacturer's website, and came across a statement that essentially said (or seemed to say): "your main risers can catch on your reserve container and (among other things) tear it off of your harness" (the manufacturer is irrelevant in this case, and not the topic anyways) I've heard about this fear in others before (in conversation)- that somehow a reserve can be torn completely off of a harness- but I fail to see the sense in it. It seems some people believe that in a worst case scenario- say deploying in a sit while rotating backwards so that a riser becomes totally restrained by the reserve container, followed by a hard opening- that they would be left without a reserve at all. When I visualize it, the riser would either flip the jumper around and solve it's own problem- or, in the case that damage to the container did occur (which I think is unlikely- harness material is fairly tough stuff)- the reserve would detach from the container (from bottom to top) until the main risers become symmetrical- and then hang from whatever material remains (yoke portions) and it's own risers. A two out or entanglement may be a possibility, though... Any thoughts? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrogNog 1 #2 May 28, 2005 The containers and the harness are not the same thing. The containers are (typically) cordura bags sewn around the harness using medium weight thread. It is this stitching that could fail if the main risers are looped around one or more corners of the reserve container when the main canopy opens. I think you are right that a two-out situation is more likely than complete reserve canopy departure, since the container could be ripped off but the reserve risers are actually part of the main lift webbing and are unlikely to break. However, I would never want a canopy of mine to have to try and deploy through a four-piece, five-sided box of cordura with a pilot chute and ripcord trying to keep parts of it attached to my back. That would be the "entanglement" possibility you mentioned. -=-=-=-=- Pull. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #3 May 28, 2005 Your guess is close. Usually one lower corner of the reserve container gets torn off the back pad, along with some of the stitching up one side. The reserve container is usually still full-functional, but the reserve pilot chute might hit you in the back ofthe head when you pull the ripcord. Then you find yourself hanging under a perfectly-inflated reserve canopy because the damage never got close to the reserve risers. There are several ways to avoid this type of damage. The first involves buying a container with some kind of protection sewn onto the lower conrers of the reserve container: Atom, EOS, Icon, Mirage, Sidewinder, Vector 3/Micron, last year's Wings, etc. The second level of protection involves packing neatly with your main risers and lines down the sides of the main container. The third level of protection involves deploying in a stable, belly-to-earth position. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #4 May 29, 2005 Add to that, make sure you buy the correct size main risers that the manufacture says goes in that rig. If your risers are too long and wrap around the bottom of the reserve pack it can easily rip it off your back on main deployment. **When buying a used rig make sure they include the risers that came with it. They -are- part of the -rig-, not the canopy.** ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
