Riggers - do you use packers?

[councilman24 37]

Riggers only. Wonder if you want to have more control over your gear than other jumpers. Compare your use to others at your DZ's. Obviously a rigger at a small DZ without packers almost never uses one. Answer based on paid packers being available.

My answer. Never have, only would if team commitments required me to.

But I "grew up" as a skydiver before they existed.

and

I'm too cheap I HATE paying for things I can do!

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[Kimblair13 0]

I always pack my own gear except for twice (one resulted in a reserve ride).
But, I don't always pack the tandems I jump.

[karenmeal 0]

Sometimes I'll let my boyfriend (a very experienced rigger) pack for me, but even then I'm still nervous when it comes down to the opening. Which is particularly funny when you consider that he has actually worked for the rig manufacturers of the two brands of containers that I've owned.

Someone borrowed my rig recently and tried to be nice and pack it back up for me... I repacked it when they weren't looking!

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[stratostar 5]

NEVER!

I wise old man once told me, (see sig line)

~

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[darnknit 0]

it would seem pretentious of me to not let someone pack my main when i pack reserves for people all the time. i used to let other people pack for me when i was packing mains for the same reason, why should i expect someone to let me pack for them if i'm not willing to let another person pack for me?

pulling is cool. keep it in the skin

[L.O. 0]

Out of 4500 I would say I have jumped other peoples pack jobs about 20 times. This number includes the jumps made before I knew how to pack, and a few since. I jump super fast scary stuff and I am a very careful packer. I have packed about 15000 for others. Bob Stumm has about 6000 since his last reserve ride. I started packing for him because he had two in 30 days. he is the only one I pack for normally, besides myself. I pack for anyone who needs to make a load. and I do a lot for free to get people in the air.

This is going to sound very strange, but I like to pack parachutes.

HPDBs, I hate those guys.
AFB, charter member.

[johnny1488 1]

I am also a packer and I let my GF pack for me but thats all.

It might be wrong but I feel I can do it best and probably faster than anyone else would (or would want them to).

Before I was a rigger I never liked the way my rig looked when someone else packed it. (the few times someone else did)

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[sunshine 2]

If i could afford a packer, i would use one all the freakin time. I don't agree with people that say you should always pack your own. To me a great day would be spent skydiving all day without having to pack.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[darnknit 0]

Quote

Bob Stumm has about 6000 since his last reserve ride. I started packing for him because he had two in 30 days.

yeah, if it's the Bob Stumm i'm thinking about(although i thought it was Bob Strum), i've packed for him too. green machine, or something like that on his rig. i never gave him a mal either, and to be honest with you, he never sempt that picky over who packed him up.

pulling is cool. keep it in the skin

[jdthomas 0]

I use a packer when thier is a boogie, when I was busy doing other instructor stuff or just when I was lazy.. sometimes i used a few packers when I knew they where tight on cash and I was not....
As a rigger I must admit that once I have had the ol reserve done by another rigger just because I was lazy and he owed me a favor!
Joe

www.greenboxphotography.com

[skybeergodd 0]

I almost never use a packer....Nationals, WFFC, any other boogie or even just a really busy day at my DZ, I always pack for myself. I just prefer my openings(soft and on heading) and I have seen packers get rushed and just plain abuse gear in the name of getting $5 quickly.I know there are some really good packers out there but there are also alot of really bad ones too so I just don't take the chance.

[Samurai136 0]

I jump and pack for myself until I lose the motivation to pack. Then I hang out with unpacked gear until someone who wants me to jump with them has the motivation to pack my gear for me.... or they get someone to pack my gear for me.

This technique works best with multiple rigs....

"Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian
Ken

[JerryBaumchen 1,468]

Hi Terry,

My vote was 'I've never . . .'

However, back in the '80's I decided to make myself a canopy. Got her all done, packed her up and had to use my reserve.

OK, that didn't work; try something else.

Well, after 'trying something else' for about 7-8 reserve rides, I finally got the packing procedure correct. Never had her fail on me again.

Maybe some of those pro-packers know something I don't??????

Jerry

[bodypilot1 0]

I dont need to be jumping if I'm too lazy to pack my own rig.

But I'll let them pack a tandem rig for me anyday!


Be safe
Ed

www.WestCoastWingsuits.com
www.PrecisionSkydiving.com

[skyfreek 1]

in the last 800 jumps, my rig has been packed less than 10 times by some one else. most of them have been ball breakers. i have never asked or paid for a main packjob by someone else. those few were done without me really wanting it done. i love it that people pay me to pack tho.....and yes, i have done a lot for free as well

[L.O. 0]

It's Gang Green(I'm tail). It is Robert W Stumm. I've heard he will let anyone pack for him on the road. At home, it's only me. I am glad to see he is treated right and no one has packed him a mal since 4/98.

HPDBs, I hate those guys.
AFB, charter member.

[brits17 0]

Hell yeah I use a packer

Besides my first reserve repack, I have never let anyone pack my reserve or BASE rig (with the exception of 1). But when it comes to my skydiving main, I'd much rather have my packer benefit from my hard earned money. Its my time to play.

_______________________
aerialkinetics.com

[lauras 0]

i'll second that emotion. my packer's also a rigger so does that mean my gear's in even better shape??

[jumper03 0]

No!

The one time someone else packed for me is the one reserve ride I've had - packed for myself ever since.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[hookitt 1]

Sometimes. When I had team commitments I used a packer almost every time. When there was a lot of AFF instructional dives and a packer was availble, I'd see if they can help me out.

Then the occasional, lazy at the end of the day pack job. I know who packs so it doesn't really concern me too much using a packer. If it opens, doesn't hurt and doesn't lead to a cutaway, then fine. If does hurt... well, I lie and say it was perfect!!! If that's the way it normally opens when he/she packs, we'll have a packing lesson.

Coincidently, I was packing up a guys reserve so he could jump again, and he packed up my main. He didn't want to but I insisted. Wouldn't you know it, unrecoverable spinning linetwists. I blamed it on body position but he didn't buy it

The CYPRES batteries were due anyway.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[doogie 0]

I used to pack professionally myself and this may sound rather snooty, but after some of the things I've seen paid packers do, I won't use one unless I know them well or mentored them myself. BTW, I stopped packing professionally because of frustration over getting some DZOs to recognize that packing is not a "commodity" skill.

Note, I did grow up in the old days where there were no packers, but if I'm in a rush to make some back-to-back loads, I might use one.

Doogie

[darnknit 0]

Quote

It's Gang Green(I'm tail). It is Robert W Stumm.

yeah, well i was only packing for him. it's not like i needed to pay attention to anything(besides, i got the color right).

Quote

I am glad to see he is treated right and no one has packed him a mal since 4/98.

to be honest, i really don't see alot of packed malfunctions. i never have, i would guess less than one out of ten mals are due to packing error.

i do understand some people being hesitant to use packers, i just find it ridiculous that a packer wouldn't let someone else pack their rig. it seems disingenious at best.

pulling is cool. keep it in the skin

[peregrinerose 0]

It's kind of scary reading all the lack of faith in packers post. My husband and I are the two packers at the DZ. I also have a riggers' ticket (which makes me a self supervising packer, definitely not a rigger yet!)

Is it arrogant to think we are both good packers? We haven't had any complaints, no cutaways on either of our pack jobs (have I just jinxed myself??)

I enjoy packing and think it's silly for a packer to pay a packer. When we visit other DZ, it is a true vacation to only have to pack for ourselves

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[BlindBrick 0]

The packers at my DZ are my riglets and I figure if I trust them enough to let them apprentice under me, then I have no reason not to trust them with my main.

I've also let another rigger pack my reserve for me back when my real job was 12+ hours seven days a week for weeks on end. I needed some repairs too, so I just sent the whole caboodle to the master rigger I apprenticed under and let him get me back up and running.

-Blind

"If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

[skydance1954 0]

I'm also an old timer who grew up with no packers except for student gear, so we were on our own. When we were taught to pack our B4's or whatever front mounted pretzel that we bought for $100 (complete), our riggers would insist that we get to know our gear intimately. "Know every grommet, every packing band, and every stitch. This gear will either save you or kill you." Damn good advice back then, considering the horrible level of technology compared to today.

The end result was that I learned the lesson and have taken very good care of my gear ever since. Including packing for myself. Always. Is that an insult to the packers out there today? Nope. Would I use one? Yes, but only if circumstances warrent it, and if I knew and trusted the packer's work. I've seen it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. But the main reason today that I don't use packers is economic. It's expensive to do this stuff, and I can't really afford adding yet another $30 - $40 per day to an already expensive habbit.

That said, it must be known that both my kids are packers (one retired after 10 years), and I'm very grateful to the many people that have provided them with employment all this time. Not just for the money, but for the self confidence, maturity and respect they've gained from doing it.

-Mike

Mike Ashley
D-18460
Canadian A-666