Velcro

[ChunkyT 0]

I know this question is probably the newby question of the year, but I keep hearing about containers that are minimizing or getting rid of all velcro. What are the disadvantages of having or not having velcro?

We are creatures of the air, Our roots in dreams And clouds, reborn In flight.
-Salmon Rushdie

[parachutist 2]

Quote

I know this question is probably the newby question of the year, but I keep hearing about containers that are minimizing or getting rid of all velcro. What are the disadvantages of having or not having velcro?

Disadvantages I have experienced with Velcro:

1) Velcro has prickly parts that grab onto material other than just velcro and this means that over time Velcro will end up tearing fabrics and lines that touch it. So your rig ends up having "hairy" parts where the velcro was rubbing it.

2) Velcro wears out fast. If you have velcro tabs on your riser covers, those velcro pieces will need to be replaced every 100 jumps, or fewer.

Advantages to velcro:

1) It's quick and easy

Chris

[riggerrob 643]

Velcro is old-school, while tuck tabs are new-school.
Velcro works great as long as it is maintained. This means asking your rigger to replace some Velcro every 200 jumps.
Velcro only becomes a problem when it is not properly maintained.

[aero04 0]

I jump an OLD racer and it is absolutely covered in velcro. The main flap is "secured" with velcro, but fixed that with the tuck tabs or walrus teeth, whatever they are called. The riser covers are velcro and there's velcro to secure the risers on either side of the reserve. I'm sure these have names, just don't know it.

There's nothing wrong with the velcro, PROVIDED YOU TAKE CARE OF IT. Replace it when it's worn.

It just sucks to deal with all that velcro when packing, and it does eat up the lines when they rub each other. My opinion: get as little velcro as possible.