Tube Stows

[huka551 0]

If tube stows are stronger and last longer, why do people even use rubber bands? Just a newbie question.

Muff Brother 3723

[mysky 1]

In my experience they do not function as well. I prefer rubber bands just because they have never proven anything but positive for me. Others might have contrary opinions. Everyone I have ever known prefers rubber bands so your best bet is to ask questions at your home dropzone. Ask as many riggers and packers their opinions and I'm sure you will be able to come to your own conclusion over the course of time.

There are 3 kinds of people in this world, those that know how to count, and those who don't.

[slotperfect 7]

Tube Stows

Tube Stoes

As you can see, this subject has been discussed at length in the forums already.

Arrive Safely

John

[EvilLurker 2]

I used to use tube stows on the 2 grommets that lock the bag, and rubber bands on the others (I bet that's not recommended, but it worked for me).
I was jumping a 9-cell with dacron lines, though, and it would break a lot of rubber bands otherwise 9pretty much every 2 jumps). Once I went to a 7 cell with micro-line, I didn't like them, too easy to strip a stow out. They seemed to work a lot better with Dacron, but who's jumping that now? That was my (very) limited observation. Maybe ask a long-time packer what they think, they see a lot of different configurations.

[skybytch 273]

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In my experience they do not function as well.

In my experience there isn't much difference in function.

I used primarily Tube Stoes on my personal gear when I was always packing for myself; they were also in use on the tandem gear I used to pack. I preferred them because they were easier on my hands/fingers.

Switched back to rubber bands on my personal gear when I started primarily paying packers, and haven't switched back since I've started mostly packing for myself again.

imo, they both work. The big advantage I see to rubber bands is that they are cheap and available pretty much everywhere.

[sundevil777 102]

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If tube stows are stronger and last longer, why do people even use rubber bands? Just a newbie question.

The typical answer is that rubber bands break easier and that prevents bag lock malfunctions.

Plenty of bag locks happen with mil-spec bands, but the fact that they typically break easy is a damn good reason not to use them for locking stows. The locking stows are often under a lot of tension even before the bag is accelerated off your back. If your locking stows break at the wrong time you have bag dump and a likely explosive opening. I think that a good many explosive openings are due to locking stows breaking at the wrong time. I would rather deal with a high speed bag lock than an explosive opening than injures me and destroys my canopy.

Notice how the jump shack's new reserve 'speed bag' uses so many of these rubber bands as locking stows. John Sherman doesn't trust his reserve design to just a couple of those wimpy things.

I make my own tube stows really cheap, and make them the length that I need from the bulk silicone tubing you can find in the fishing/sporting goods section of any department store (really cheap per foot).

Use a pair of needlenose pliers to turn one end over about 5mm. Insert the closed pliers into the other end and open the pliers to expand the tubing. Now take a pair of hemostats (sp?) or similar instrument used for other purposes to grab the turned over end of the tubing and insert it into the opened end. Carefully slide the tubing off the pliers and you're done. No need to glue anything.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[skydiverton 0]

tube stows on locking looks.

Normal small rubbers on the rest gives me the best openings.

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Using your droque to gain stability is a bad habit,
Especially when you are jumping a sport rig

[phoenixlpr 0]

I have a D-bag with bras rings. They are eating my tube stows :(. So they aren't last forever.

[Dumpster 0]

I started using tube stoes, had no problems with them, but when they eventually started breaking I replaced them with rubber bands, cuz I found out they're free in most packing sheds!

Easy Does It

[riggerrob 643]

Doe your brass grommets have rough edges, or are Tube stows chemically interacting with them?

[riggerrob 643]

When you switched from fat Dacron lines - to skinny Spectra lines - you should have also switched to smaller Tube Stows.
The primary reason Tube Stows got a bad reputation was that skydivers failed to match the size of Tube Stows to the size of their lines.

[EvilLurker 2]

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When you switched from fat Dacron lines - to skinny Spectra lines - you should have also switched to smaller Tube Stows.

I did, but I didn't like the amount of "grip" they had. I even had to change out the small bands after a couple of jumps to get a decent stow. I didn't see the advantage to Tube stows in that case. Maybe once the lines were "fuzzed up" a little it would have improved, but brand-new Spectra lines are crazy slippery. Perhaps using the wrong brand of Tube Stows? Very possible.

[phoenixlpr 0]

There is no chemical reaction. It's a quite old d-bag , almost transparent. You know brass is softer than steel and it's not so good shape inside anymore. I would have replaced by myself, but I have a kill-line PC , so I need a work of a rigger for that.

[diablopilot 2]

Tube Stows do not function better. What makes sense about rounding off something designed to produce friction? THey do not seem to last much longer and rubber bands are cheap as can be. A box that will last you a year can be had for the same amount as one bag of tube stows.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[sundevil777 102]

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There is no chemical reaction.

Wrong.

I have read many times of the reaction that will occur between brass and rubber bands. My memory tells me that they will stick together. I'll try to find a reference.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[sundevil777 102]

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Tube Stows do not function better.

By not breaking so easily I think they do in fact function better.

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What makes sense about rounding off something designed to produce friction?

They produce enough friction, just like the freestow on a reserve bag does. The same freestow elastic cord material has also been used as an alternative to rubber bands for the locking stows for main D-bags.

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They do not seem to last much longer and rubber bands are cheap as can be. A box that will last you a year can be had for the same amount as one bag of tube stows.

In my experience they do last a very long time, and are very tough even after they start to split, in contrast to rubber bands, which tend to break very easily once they start to split. They can be made with simple tools very cheaply, as I described in my earlier post.

The next time you notice a that a locking stow has broken, consider that it might have broken before line stretch, and the consequences if the canopy gets out as a result of one or 2 locking stows breaking early.

This issue has been discussed at great length already, but I think it is worth doing it all again because it is so important.

The old guy with the big beard that designed a lot of our stuff advises that we use them for the locking stows.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am