Reserve Sizing

[kwmontreal 0]

I have my new rig coming in a couple and I have yet to purchase a reserve. On Mirage's web site they give "tight" and "moderate" as as ratings for different reserves (M3). I know comfort is secondary to safety, but, on the other hand I don't want to spend all this money and feel as though I have a 4 x 4 post straped to my back!! I am already packing the main tightly? I would appreciate some help/opinions here. PD160R or PD143R??
Thanks
KW

[pekkakurtz 0]

All right the first question is.How much is your exit weight?
So do you want to go 1.0:1 or 1.5:1??or??Better is to take a bigger on than a smaller one, because you never know where your are landing your reserve, trees, cars, houses, water?So you will thank yourself with a bigger reserve in this moments.
P.K.

[BadDog 0]

If both are consistent with your exit weight and experience level as recommended by PD, you can go with the moderate (smaller) one. Otherwise, you have to go with the tight (larger) one.
CorporateLawyerDave aka BadDog

[riggerrob 643]

Bigger is better when it comes to buying reserves. The more experience you have flying small mains, the smaller a reserve you can land safely. Bu there are limits, 7-cell reserves have a much smaller "sweet spot" during the landing flare.
By the way, what size is your new Mirage?
Next time, decide on canopy sizes first, then order your container.

[rhino 0]

I'm with riggerrob on this one..
Blue Skies and Smooth Rides!!
http://www.aahit.com

[PhillyKev 0]

Quote

Bigger is better when it comes to buying reserves.

That's not necessarily always true though, is it? In the safety thread there's a discussion of downplanes with a link to this article from PD http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/dualsq.pdf
It goes into the testing of how to handle different 2 canopy out situations and there recommendations are to size your main and reserve close together.
cielos azules y cerveza fría
-Kevin

[nws01 0]

Just from one experience I have a G3 with a Spectre 170 and a PDR 160. The 170 is loaded at 1.3 and the 160 is loaded at 1.4. I only had basically 5 jumps on the new Spectre after just getting it when I had a cutaway. I flew the reserve fine and did not feel uncomfortable at all. Before jumping the 170 I was jumping 190's, and 220's.
Nathan

[billvon 3,111]

>On Mirage's web site they give "tight" and "moderate" as as ratings for different reserves (M3).
I would recommend that you make this choice from the other direction - choose which size reserve you would be comfortable landing under all conditions, then choose a rig that will fit it well. If you plan to pack your own reserve someday, a moderate fit will save you some grief.
-bill von

[rmsmith 1]

>I would appreciate some help/opinions here.
I prefer a reserve sized such that I would be able to safely land it with the brakes set and a PLF style landing.
--
Sincerely,
Richard M. Smith
(509) 754-1126
rmsmith@pobox.com

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

Why not consider getting a different brand of reserve that packs smaller eg. Tempo? That way you can put a bigger reserve in the same place and have the same fit.
You shouldn't put a knife in the toaster - but you're an adult now !!!

[PhreeZone 20]

Tempos are now packing slightly larger then thier older models so you can't count on that any more.
Cause I don't wanna come back down from this cloud... ~ Bush

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

I was just using that as an example. There must be other good reserves that pack smaller. (Aren't there?)
You shouldn't put a knife in the toaster - but you're an adult now !!!

[billvon 3,111]

>Why not consider getting a different brand of reserve that packs smaller eg. Tempo?
Warning - Tempo tends to overestimate their square footage a bit, PD tends to underestimate it. That means that, if you get a Tempo 150 (312 cu in) you're going to end up with a smaller reserve than a PD143 (also 312 cu in.)
The pack volume numbers, by the way, are from the jump shack website, not the manufacturers. I think they're a little more impartial than the manufacturers themselves.
-bill von

[FallinWoman 1]

Don't Dash-M's pack small for thier square footage??
I chose a Mirage that was built to hold a ZP=170 main ( i stuff a used 190 in there) and Dash-M 181....I want to know that I can handle that reserve. I had my first ( and thus far only) ride on my Dash-M on my 6th jump on my own gear....)
I am damn glad I did not go with a really small reserve. I am not sure that I would have been able to handle it then. I am more confident now (80 jumps later), but do not regret my decision to get a huge reserve!
Anne
It is amazing how one fart can change your entire relationship.

[skycat 0]

What everyone says is right, get a reserve that is comfortable to land 1st off.
On the terms of how comfortable the reserve is on your back depends on how well the harness fits. I have an MXS with a PD-113R which according to the website is a "tight" fit. Ask my rigger he will agree it is a tight fit. To save myself a little pain in the back I got reserve slinks with my reserve instead of the metal links. When I first got my Mirage my harness didn't fit right, the yoke/backpad was too short, and the reserve hurt like heck, after I sent it back to Mirage and they adjusted some stuff on it, I can't feel the reserve at all anymore. So I'd say get the size reserve that you are comfortable with to land, and as long as the harness is the right size it shouldn't matter.
As a side note my friend who also has a reserve that is marked as tight on the webpage was worried about the same thing and opted to order the deluxe backpad to make sure it was comfortable.
Kelli

[riggerrob 643]

Here we go again, comparing apples and oranges.
The root of the problem is that every canopy manufacturer insists on inventing a new method of measuring canopies.
Back in the 1980s, PIA published a standard for measuring square canopies, but only Para-Flite, PISA and one or two other companies use the PIA method.
For example, what Performance Designs calls a PD113R measures about 125 square feet on the PIA scale. My pet peeve is that, PD has never built the smallest reserve on the market. They just convinced lots of customers who then made their riggers struggle to curse and cram PD113Rs into the tiniest reserve containers, containers that were already tight on Raven 120s, but are obscenely tight on PD113Rs.
What really rots my socks is that Bill Coe has never given me a straight answer on the several occaisions that I have asked him face-to-face about how PD measures canopies! Do I sound prejudiced or bitter on this issue?
On the other hand, what Precision calls a Micro Raven-M 109 measures about 106 on the PIA scale.
Consequently, most of the numbers published by canopy manufacturers are gibberish when it comes time to decide which reserve will fit into which container.
Only trust numbers published by container manufacturers.
For example: when I worked at Rigging Innovations, we decided that an Amigo 172 is a tight fit in a Talon T5. A PD176R is almost as tight. A Raven 181 and a Tempo 170 fit gracefully into the same T5.

[skycat 0]

Quote

Here we go again, comparing apples and oranges.
-----------
Only trust numbers published by container manufacturers

Ummm....both canopies are PDs a 113 in a MXS and a 106 in a MZS and where I was getting how it would fit in the container was off of Mirage's web site.

[PhreeZone 20]

Rob... next time someone wants the smallest Reserve made, tell them to get the new PD 106R. The 106 has a much smaller pack volume then the 113R does.
Btw since on most reserves they are not tapered or anything, can't you figure your own square footage? Pack volume is going too be something else, but at least you get an idea of the true footage....
Cause I don't wanna come back down from this cloud... ~ Bush

[Jussi 0]

"next time someone wants the smallest Reserve made, tell them to get the new PD 106R"
Or PdF Techno 98...:)

[councilman24 37]

BillVon's got it right, as usual. (But not always ;) You should pick your reserve, then chose a container that fits, then see if the pocket rocket main you want is too small for it. I've had to convince several people not to overload their reserve just because they want a TJ instead of a J1. (substitute favorite rig sizes) When a 220 lb guy wants a J1 I know I'm in trouble.
Pack volumes and rig compatability are up for grabs. Each individual canopy can differ from another. The best information is from your experienced rigger, who moans when you tell him what you want to buy. There are lots of combinations and every individual container/reserve combination is unique.