How high would the price of packing have to go until you would pack your own main?

[EricTheRed 0]

I think $5 would be just fine. If I was getting that meny jumps in I'd probably pay more (but not much) but I'm lucky to get in 4 jumps a day and I normally end up packing my rig and my wife's rig.

Bottom line - If you are good at packing you can easily do 4-5 rigs an hour (and if your not good at it - you shouldn't be asking me for $$ to do it). Sure it's hard work but that's 20-25 an hour, tax free. Not a bad rate for semi-skilled labor.

Yea, I'll get salmmed by calling packing semi-skilled labor but that's really what it is. It's work, you have to be precise but it really isn't rocket science.

illegible usually

[thelem 0]

In Britain we usually pay £5 for a pack job, which means that nearly everyone packs their own rig most of the time. The main exceptions to that are people who are earning money on their jumps, and students (although the military RAPS courses during the week always pack their own rigs).

[gmanpilot 0]

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$6 is steep enough... especially after tip. And I always tip my packers.

I was supposed to tip the packer?? No wonder those pack jobs were so shitty. Seriously, I prefer to pack my own. 2,500 pack jobs, and zero functions. I wonder what the function ratio of the professional packers is??

_________________________________________
-There's always free cheese in a mouse trap.

[thelem 0]

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I prefer to pack my own. 2,500 pack jobs, and zero functions.

You've done 2,500 pack jobs and not one of them has worked? That *must* be a record.

[Luv2Fall 0]

That's why I use packers a good portion of the time......conserve myself due to my condition....get more jumps that way.

[diablopilot 2]

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. I wonder what the function ratio of the professional packers is??

I personaly know several that are 1:10,000 or better.

Me-2700:2 both were my packjobs.

The majority of (mal)"functions" are jumper induced, not packjob.

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

[champu 1]

it really depends on the situation. I've never had anyone pack a rig I've owned for me (not the main anyway)

I was in socal for a few days in january and went to perris. I rented a rig and rented the packjobs to go with it. It was nice to spend a day jumping without packing, but eh... I still pack my own.

[ladyskydiver 0]

Haven't read the whole thread, but you left out an option - "I pack for myself."
When I did (and sometimes do) treat myself to a packer (ummm...that sounds bad ), I'd have to say....$7/pack.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[winsor 236]

I don't use packers, and pack my own reserves.

I pack pretty much anything in around 6 minutes or less, and would rather take part in getting my rig ready for the next jump.


Blue skies,

Winsor

[JoeyRamone 0]

The price would not matter to me, It is just the cost to skydive in my book. I hate to pack, will never do it again and will pay what ever the fair market rate is.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Haven't read the whole thread, but you left out an option - "I pack for myself."

I left that option out because I was only interested in how high the price of having someone pack for you would have to be before skydivers would say "thats too much, I'll pack for myself".

Thank-you for your response".

[crwmike 0]

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$6 is steep enough... especially after tip. And I always tip my packers.

I was supposed to tip the packer?? No wonder those pack jobs were so shitty. Seriously, I prefer to pack my own. 2,500 pack jobs, and zero functions. I wonder what the function ratio of the professional packers is??

Dunno, but on the other side of the discussion, I've paid for (at least) 2,500 pack jobs, and zero functions.

Michael

[sdgregory 0]

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Edited to add: And the packers have ALL been well worth the money. I pay extra because my set up is not easy to cram in the bag. I appreciate the packing instructions they have given me too. . .

I am with you on this one. When I settle up at the end of the day with packers I always pay extra because I have a 230 lb gorrilla for a main and so far every place I have been the packers that have packed for me have given me sweet soft openings and no mals. I appreciate the care they took and I want them to know it.

As far as how high would be too high a price? It depends. IF I am trying to get on every load I possibly can I cannot pack for myself because I am so slow. Packing for myself I am lucky if I can make 5 loads in a day. The extra money for the ability to make 3-4 more loads is worth it. Not sure how high would be to high. ANd what would be not too high now, may be too high 100 self-packs from now. I hope I will be faster in 100 pack jobs anyway.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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Packers at Perris are charging $6 - and IIRC it's $7 for canopies over a certain square footage.

I'd pay $7 no problem - actually when you figure in the tip I usually ended up paying $7 when I was jumping at Perris anyway.

$7=37% of a $19 jump ticket!!! More customers at a lower price will make you more than charging more with less customers. Cheap pack jobs are good for the packers. Yes, it is hard work, but you don't have to be a packer.

Unless you have cash to toss about, I don't see why you would want to pay over $5 - but that is just my opinion.

I've said it before - we don't charge less for smaller canopies (which are usually more sensitive to pack jobs), why should a packer charge more for a larger canopy? I've packed a 260 new Safire in almost 7 minutes to get someone on a ten minute call. If the packer is any good, size of the canopy shouldn't matter. However, tips are always appreciated but never demanded - lack of tips will should not get you packs that are any worse or any slower.

Why should I charge higher? When I was a full time packer, I would average at least 50 a day, 70 a day on a good weekend, and 89 is my best in one day. Do the math, now add in tips. Yea, rainy weekends would suck and I would be on Ramen for dinner after those weekends - but that is the life of a packer.

The only time I charged a different rate is when I was packing for a team that promised me a certain amount of pack jobs.

If a packer wants to earn more, they should pack tandems where it is usually $7-10/pack job.

Usually I pay for a packer only after a long hot day, after the sunset load and I have taken a sip of beer, or after a full contact skydive.

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you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

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. I wonder what the function ratio of the professional packers is??

I personaly know several that are 1:10,000 or better.

Me-2700:2 both were my packjobs.

The majority of (mal)"functions" are jumper induced, not packjob.

I'm about the same - I packed one mal (mine - which may have been from a broken line) in almost 5000 pack jobs.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[piisfish 140]

5$ is not a bad price... but I think it would be to the packers to ask for more.
on my 400 jumps, got about 20-25 packjobs done by others... of which 15 were on a rented gear in Empuriabrava (packing included and mandatory)
other because I didn't have time between jumps to pack, debrief and brief jumps...
Not knowing how to pack is like not knowing how to put fuel in your car !

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[smiles 0]

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never paid for a pack job because I packed every 1,358 of them myself....(my choice)

I think paying $8.00 cnd. is a fair price though

SMiles

[chopchop 0]

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I get it folded fairly quick.

its the getting the damn thing in the bag that's the hard part.

I'll pack my silhouette now. it takes me about an hour, because it still doesn't like the whole going-in-the-bag thing.

It was when I was packing Square1's brand new ZP Spectre that I was having major packing issues. I'd almost have it and then *blooff* canopy everywhere. LOL.

Two words... rollll-pack

I know.. the most used term is psycho pack but it works great and tames those slippery big nylon monsters.

chopchop
gotta go... Plaything needs a spanking..

Lotsa Pictures

[rehmwa 2]

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thanks much! I can use all the hints I can get!

A friend just got a brand new Samurai this weekend (CRISPY!!). Here's what we did for him:

You know how after you get the canopy laid down and wrap up in the center cell? Next you bring up the line set (slider) in an s-fold, then you bring down the top half in an s-fold over the first bit?

Change it with these thoughts:

1 - That initial long wrapped part you start with can't be skinny enough! Use you shins, feet and elbows and anything else. Bring the seams of the center cells all the way wrapped and use those seams to control the fabric the rest of the time.

2 - Do the top s-fold first (sorry, no pics) and then put that part in the bag. The bag helps enormously.

3 - Then bring up the bottom part (where the lines and slider are) and tuck it inside. You get the same organization, but you get half in the bag right off.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[rehmwa 2]

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It's interesting that lower prices weren't on the list.....

My experience is that $5.00 is pretty much the minimum charge for a pack. Since the question was about how much it would have to increase, $6. seemed to be the appropriate price to start at.

Yeah, I understand your semantics, but there might be a huge increase in demand at $4 for that matter. I likely incorrectly assumed you packed and was doing market research as a prelude to upping your price. As such, knowing the potential unexploited market is good information to have also.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Yeah, I understand your semantics, but there might be a huge increase in demand at $4 for that matter. I likely incorrectly assumed you packed and was doing market research as a prelude to upping your price. As such, knowing the potential unexploited market is good information to have also.

Naw, I like to jump too much to get involved with being a packer. I'm a rigger but I'm really not that interested in doing much more than packing and maintaining my own gear or occaisionally helping a buddy out. This thread was the result of reading about how many people use packers and at what price they would start to pack their own main. I was particularly interested in hearing from those folks who never pack and also those who have used packers for so long that they have forgotten how.

[andygregory 0]

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if you can pack your own then pack it , if not pay to have it packed by a pro, untill you can pack , aint no better feeling than that of your rig on your back knowing you packed it yourself , if the price is too high for a repack , then its time you did learn , this is something you must get to grips with , As a packer i want as much as i can get for a pack job , but that aside i am always helping students pack and giving advice , packing is hard work and when your packing you aint jumping so there has to be some sort of finacial reward not to mention the responsability, just pack it and youll see its easy , think posative, you can do it....Andy Gregory

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