Pack question

[katzurki 0]

Stowing brakes--Pull on toggle till cat's-eye comes through the grommet, do whatever the design calls for to stow excess brake line, then insert the toggle tip into a keeper.

Think older velcro risers with no keepers -- velcro is the sole thing that keeps the toggle in place.

For added security the owner of the rig put a rubber band onto the grommet. This band is that into which to insert the toggle tip.

During a pack someone (me ) inserted the toggle tip into the actual grommet instead of into the rubber band on top of the grommet.

How would this affect the opening?

[idoru99 0]

If I remember correctly, the brake will release on opening. If both were stowed ike that, full flight; if only one stowed that way, the canopy will turn until the second brake is released.

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The greatest risk you take in life is the risk you don't take.

[NickDG 23]

I'm not sure you have it right . . .

Pull the toggle down until the cat's eye (really a finger trapped loop) come through the keeper ring. Plug the top of the toggle through the cat's eye so its snug against the keeper ring. Press down the Velcro between toggle and riser. On older systems the rubber bad is there to hold the excess steering line. The rubber band is attached to the keeper ring. S-fold the excess steering line and place it in the rubber band.

If I misunderstood your question disregard and have someone eyeball your system . . .

NickD BASE 194

[katzurki 0]

The way I stowed brakes was indeed wrong. The question is:

what do you think happens when you, as you said, "Plug the top of the toggle through the cat's eye", and THEN insert the top of the toggle into the keeper ring instead of finishing the process properly (by stowing excess line).

[NickDG 23]

The top of the toggle never goes through the keeper ring. Doing so can allow the cat's eye to slip off the top of the toggle during deployment . . .

Here's some photos.

NickD BASE 194

[bdazel 0]

Three things could happen.

One or both brakes release on opening.

One or both brakes get stuck in the eye ring. The pull on the brakeline could be enough that the toggle will not come out of the eye ring. This could result in a cutaway.

The canopy opens normal, and the brakes release just fine. This is the least likely scenario.

[katzurki 0]

Quote

Three things could happen.

One or both brakes release on opening.

One or both brakes get stuck in the eye ring. The pull on the brakeline could be enough that the toggle will not come out of the eye ring. This could result in a cutaway.

The canopy opens normal, and the brakes release just fine. This is the least likely scenario.

Okay, it's blush time for me now .

I've been packing two rigs lately, each about 20 times. One has modern risers with pockets into which to insert the tips of the toggles.

The other rig, an Elite Racer, has older risers, and since I was so accustomed to inserting the tip, I just kept inserting it into the grommet, without really thinking about it. I wasn't usually the one to jump my Racer packjob, and those who jumped it usually complained of a linetwist or two, which was attributed to the best excuse of any packer: their body position (not by me, though, but I too positively couldn't see where the twists were coming from).

Then last weekend I started to jump this very Racer and too had a linetwist or two on each jump. On the last jump of the day, I even had spinning linetwists that took about 2k to kick out of.

At the end of the day, the following conversation occurred between me and a rigger:

"Hey Dan did you pack the Racer the week before? I went to repack it and found a mal on it."
"Oh... really? I guess I did pack it. What was the mal?"
"Toggles were stowed improperly, it would have been one hell of a funky opening."
"Improperly how?"
"That's how."
"Er... that's how I always packed this chute, for at least 20 times. By the way, I've just had spinning linetwists."
"That's exactly what you've been packing all these times... lucky you didn't chop."

Now learn from it already, lest I subject myself to blushing for naught! :p

Edit: the fact that the linetwists only occured on my Racer packjobs should have made me suspicious. Other rig packjobs elicited no complaints.

Upon opening, the brakes appeared to be stowed like normal, although I do seem to recall that there was no significant forward surge when I unstowed them.

[bdazel 0]

Glad you got it worked out.