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I am truly amazed that there are republicans out there who so worship Trump that they would support Russia over Ukraine (and over the US) - simply because they were told to do so. It started out as something as a joke, with Trump being the usual joke. Then Pompeo. Then Carlson. Then Green, Gosar and Fuentes. And now Brent. Sort of a study in the power of the cult of personality.

I see what you’re saying, but at least he’s coming back for conversation. Pop over to the Fox News comments section to have any remaining faith in humanity knocked down a peg. The way those people talk about Democrats reminds me of Borat’s views about Jews. In my useless opinion, Bill and Airdvr are fairly far right but at least our common affinity for falling out of planes has us viewing each other as human and keeping a dialog going.

Of what I know at Brento the ground crew noticed that there are more tension knots with 'trunk and branch', but the fact that most of the canopies have now 'trunk and branch' does not help to know if tension knots happen more with a configuration than with the other.

That was Omar Bradley: “Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.” Close enough for SC, though. Thanks.

I drank Stumbras 999 in an underground bunker in Lithuania.

Yep. If you are a rent-a-cop who exults when the people under your protection are seriously injured . . . If you are a doctor who is very happy to hear that one of your patients has died . . . If you are a skydiving instructor who laughs when someone you taught goes in . . . If you are a midwife who loves to hear about stillborn babies . . . You might be in the wrong field.

Thanks for quoting your source. For sure if a rent-a-cop has her figured out that's good by me. I don't much care for her, probably because I was steered that way, but in contrast to Trump she has the experience and she's smart. Really she didn't lose, the nation did.

New Cooper Dub fresh off the press!

Quick career switch from epidemiologist and infectious disease expert.

A stake through his political heart, as ignominious as possible, is the most apt fate for that vile piece of shit.

Now would be a good time for news outlets to revisit (in detail) Paul Manafort’s efforts in Ukraine on behalf of pro-Russian interests and why the FBI was clearly justified in trying to figure out what he was up to in the Trump campaign in 2016. Oh…..and that Trump pardoned him.

If something happens to Putin, and the replacement isn't Trump, we will hear years more whining about how "he was robbed".

56 Tanks is a lot in one action, no? Outside of Kursk or somewhere on the Eastern Front has anyone lost 56 tanks in a single action?

"Putin is destroying the satanic bio-labs in the Ukraine. He is destroying their underground hiding places, their businesses, their child trafficking dens and their strong holds. Do not believe what the mainstream media are reporting. Putin is fighting for the freedom of the human race." The basement of the DC pizza place has moved a bit.

The fact that Mr. Fradet is not objective and he has not recused himself from investigating, his bosses need to know he is using his position to Slander one of the most knowledgeable trustworthy people on parachute equipment in public for private gain. I in fact had an issue with riser covers on a Handbury rig years ago that did not release on a totaled main it did not cause any injuries and was just a nuisance easily felt with. Mr. Fradet you have no credibility in this issue!

Thanks a lot Tom. Your advise really helped clear some stuff up. Really appreciate it.

I don't think so. You have a great set up for slider up (and generally all) BASE. The reason to get a slider up specific rig would be to reduce weight and size, not to improve performance. You already have the smallest/lightest general purpose setup on the market though, so I'm not sure you'll really gain much in terms of weight and size by going to a slider up specific rig. The same is true of spectra lines. They aren't going to make your openings any better--they're just going to reduce pack volume. They'll make the canopy fly marginally better, but even the highest performance BASE canopies are basically boats, so I don't know that you'll notice much difference. I have spent a lot of time under a pair of Atair Visions, one with spectra and one with Dacron lines, and if you put me under one of them without me knowing which one it was, I don't think I'd be able to tell the difference from the flight characteristics. And that's the the highest performance general purpose BASE canopy ever made. I do think the ZP is worthwhile, but mostly as the canopy ages. If you're looking at buying a new rig for a slider up trip, it's going to increase the pack volume, and probably isn't worth the extra expenditure on a new rig. I also vastly prefer the loop style brake settings, but I can easily change out the brake settings on my Apex canopies, so that's not a big deal to me either.

That looks basically the same to me. There are variations within the manufacturers, having to do with line type and junction location. Simon put his junctions at fairly wide intervals, where Atair has placed their junctions all within a fairly close spacing. Virtually all BASE gear involves adopting ideas from other fields. Slats came from aircraft wings, loop style brake settings were first used on tandem rigs...the list goes on.

Basically, we're all grasping at straws trying to find a fix. Anything promising gets tried, and anything that you customers think might work will get added in, in an effort to keep the customers happy. Tension knots are the last great unsolved malfunction in BASE. I know tons of people who would love to find an answer for them. I know good, knowledgeable, experienced jumpers and riggers who think that; Thinner lines tension knot more often Thicker lines tension knot more often New lines tension know more often (because they are stiffer) Old lines tension knot more often (because they are fuzzier) I know a master rigger who squeezes beeswax into his lines so that if they tension knot they will 'slip out'. I know a leading European jumper who sprays his lines with food grade silicon lubricant, for the same reason. I even know a jumper who replaced his upper control lines with a giant triangle of mesh (no lines = no tension knots). The 'trunk and branch' system was created by Simon Perriard for the prototype that became the Squirrel Outlaw, and then added to and refined as it was replicated by other manufacturers. I think there is some good thinking there--I just haven't seen any evidence that it is actually effective in reducing the malfunction rate. I think everyone is still working on the problem, though, which is good.

Hey dudeman17, with all due respect, lets keep it on point. This is not a post about who should be base jumping and who shouldnt, or whether complacency kills. If you would like to address those things, please create your own post. Lets not go off topic please. This post is about the link between continuous break lines and tension knots. Thats it.

I have no evidence that they reduce tension knot risk. I have clear photos and video of a canopy with this style of control lines experiencing a tension knot. I have also seen some evidence that the use of a different line weight in the 'trunk' line focuses the force of opening more on the 'trunk' line attachment. I have seen three different canopies with this style of control line that experienced structural failures (tearing) at the line attachment point of the 'trunk' line. Basically, on this one I agree with Apex. I have no problem with personally jumping lines of either style though. Also be aware that the 'trunk and branch' style control line creates the possibility for a new problem with discontinuity of the control line. If you drop your toggle at landing and do not clear the control lines from canopy to toggle on each pack job, it's possible to have the toggle flip through an upper cascade and compress the canopy tail in flight, resulting in an apparent 'built in turn' until you correct the discontinuity. I have seen multiple jumpers who did not perform this check and complained of out of trim canopies until someone else corrected the problem for them and explained what to look for.