Canopy damage

[Emmie 0]

So I was being lazy and instead of packing up my main I just left it for the rigger to pack, since my rig was due for a repack. I threw the whole thing into the gear room, and assumed that it wouldn't be there for more than a couple of days. I just found out that my canopy was laying out there for a month.
Can a canopy be damaged from just being out of the container in a heated room? I am just really pissed about this, (even though it is partially my own fault for just throwing it into a corner and hoping that my rigger wouldn't just forget about it).

[PhreeZone 20]

UV damage from the sunlight is about it. Was it in direct sun or jsut sitting in a room?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Emmie 0]

Just sitting in a dusty room that had a couple of windows in it. Does that count as direct sun?

[Jimbo 0]

It should be fine, don't worry about it.
-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[Kolla 0]

Emmie, I would recommend that you inspect your main (perhaps with the help of your rigger or someone else that is knowledgeable about gear).

Just lay it down on the side (as if you were about to flat pack it), and then go over the canopy from one end to another (do both top skins and bottom skins).
It really doesn't take that long, but allows you to get to know your canopy pretty well, so you can monitor it for wear and tear. Pay attention to the fabric, seams and tapes, and just keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. It can really help you to catch minor stuff before it turns into something nasty.
You also need to keep an eye on the lines for wear and tear, but if you need to check the trims you might need to enlist your rigger.

How often you want to do this depends a bit on how much you jump, but for the average jumper out there perhaps 1 x every repack cycle is pretty good.

Take good care of your canopy and give it a little TLC every now and then, and your canopy will take good care of you right back

This is not meant to replace a careful inspection by a rigger or a manufacturer should that be needed, but rather a tool to help you stay on top of your gear, just as you check your container :)

Blue ones!
Kolla

Blue Skies Magazine

[skygod7777 0]

i'll agree with kola on this one. just in case........i mean, you don't want to go up on your next jump and look up and see a big tear.

later

[fool 0]

Actually, not to cause problems here, but flourescent light can also damage a canopy too apparently. I'm not sure how severlely, but just thought I'd put that one in there.

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[billvon 3,098]

>Actually, not to cause problems here, but flourescent light can also
>damage a canopy too apparently.

Mercury vapor lamps (which is what flourescents are) emit all their light as UV light. Phosphor on the outside of the tube (the white powdery stuff) converts the UV to visible light. Some leaks through both the phosphor and the glass. It's a really miniscule amount, several orders of magnitude less than sunlight, so it's a non issue unless we're talking decades of storage.

[markbaur 0]

Quote

I would recommend that you inspect your main (perhaps with the help of your rigger or someone else that is knowledgeable about gear).

Just lay it down on the side (as if you were about to flat pack it), and then go over the canopy from one end to another (do both top skins and bottom skins).

May as well also crawl down inside the cells to look at the ribs, especially the crossports, which can show ravelling as a result of hard or unusual openings. It's a bit spooky to be down inside the canopy, but it's a great bonding experience.

Mark