BASE813

can I reiterate, this is not me the responses are directed too.........

they use a pin to hold the toggle onto the control line, with what I see as a quick one hand release, with a small metal loop to pull to release the control line, and the normal "big grab toggle" stub through the break setting loop. (not directed at Tom:) As I have said before, I would seriously speak to the manufacturers about having this sort of toggle.........................

I have seen them, but not used them, and like the design of them................. but before getting any type of "WLO" toggles, I would speak to the manufacturers about them............. I was going to get some LRT / WLO / blah blah toggles, and after speaking to some people, I decided not to get them....................

will check out the krauts! and for the 210ft Gas tower, dont want to use a belly mount, and I dont want to take 2 seconds from it again......... in fact, not sure I want to jump it again - think i may "raise" my game! ah the joys of retrospect!

that would be cool, thanks!

although I really am not a fan of how bridge day allows skydivers with 50 jumps do a BASE jump, (we lecture people all year about getting the correct skills and ethically its wrong to let / take people with low skills to a jump, but BD throws it out of the window) - I have come to learn that BD is a different beast to actuall BASE jumping. A friend of mine (who is a very experienced BASE jumper and has been to BD a few times - although he may shag sheep!!!) summed it up when he said "it aint about BASE, its about a load of people getting together and having a really cool time -its just fun" - its not BASE jumping, its just bridge day. I think its actually minimal the amount of people who walk away from it thinking "im a BASE jumper" instead they walk away saying "I did bridge day" - the ripple effect you explain is certainly not from BD, this has been going for years - and I am now starting to realise that BD does not produce people thinking "im a BASE'r............... I still agree the 50 skydive limit on Bridge Day is questionable, and slightly hypocritical in telling people all year to get the right amount of skills and research, but for one day a year go ahead and fill ya boots......... but althought I am a BASE nazi in my views of people getting into the sport, I realise Bridge Day is a cool get together and NOT what BASE jumping is about............. If I had to eliminate one of the above then it would be the tossas who after 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 etc jumps thinking they are ready to take a student out............. These are people that have done a FJC and after a few jumps think they know everything............. I made a post a few years back before I started jumping asking what made a good teacher........ there were some quite good responses (nice one TA): has this view changed over the past few years? http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17223&highlight=teachers+BASE

I know there are some guys out there that have the metal front mount reserve rings option on their BASE containers, so you could you please post some pics of this option - as many as you can to show as much detail as possible. (Craig I remember you having some pics of this on a past post somewhere??) Also, has anyone had this option retro-fitted, and did you have this done by a good rigger or by the manufactuer of the container? Any other thoughts you have on doing this, please let me know - I am yet to speak to the manufacturer of my container to get more info as they are away at the moment - but I will be speaking to them anyway before going ahead with this. Thanks Michael

............ and now I have lost my job...... Going to interviews on crutches aint a good look................. oh well, everything happens for a reason........

http://www.google.com/sms/ I gather this is only US, but anyone use this? any good?

The main page got hacked by some script kiddie first, then they hacked the forum. The main page is back up again (www.basejumper.org) but as Faber says, the fuckers changed the webmasters passwords and locked him outta the server. He is in the process of trying to get this sorted, or as it looks like - having to start from scratch again and losing all the previous data. As the guy actually runs and hosts the board for free, and his paying customers have priority, this may take some time. I shall speak to him again and see how he is doing and what the plans are for it. Also the guy who runs the mainpage is going off to Oz soon, so I am not sure what is happening to that either. Mutha Fucking Brazilian Hackers Crew...........

if my lazy arse can do it - anyone can!

When I was looking to get into BASE, I spent a bit of time looking into it and gained the minimum FJC requirements - I then met up with some UK jumpers for a bit of a piss up. I met people who were on crutches, or had serious injuries from cliff stikes once and also met them as skydivers who had way more experience than myself. After that day I realised that I was in no way prepared for the sport. I went away for another 2 years and learnt as much as I could and spent time doing CRW, Accuracy, learning about flying canopies and even having fun freeflying! - I forgot about BASE for a while and just concentrated on knowledge gaining - then one day I felt ready. The FJC rocked my world, and then my BASE journey began. I was out every weekend and mid-week evening travelling around looking for objects, scoping objects and generally building up my knowledge of what I percieved BASE to be. I did this for 3 months without jumping, I spent time hooking up with jumpers and even took experienced jumpers to an object I had found, scoped out and then took them to jump. I soon realised that in the UK the FJC did not prepare me for what it was all about - I even realised that although with 500 skydives and 6 months of only CRW and accuracy jumps my canopy skills were still lacking in the BASE environment in the UK. Even so, I still foolishly jumped some pretty hardcore objects and managed to walk away without incidents - this was done all on the wave of newbie excitment. I got to a point where I took a check of myself and had to say "whoa, slow it down" Although I deem my approach to the sport as sensible, I still got carried away and did stupid shit - hey even in my sensible jumping I ended up smashing my leg up badly, having 6 months off work before loosing my job and having alot of time to reflect. But at least I can sit happy knowing I put in a fuck load of work to get to where I am sitting on my arse busted up. Now I see jumpers coming through, not really looking into BASE, paying some cash, getting a rig and doing a FJC and then returning to the UK wanting to jump - a few I have spoken too have not scoped out objects, or even found the objects really close to them - they want everything fucking spoon fed to them. No time or no effort to put in any time at all - they want it like skydiving - fucking easy! - and the sad thing is this is increasing. BASE is way too accessable to skydivers who can come back not really understanding what BASE is like in a country like the UK. I understand that FJC's are there to stop people going out and doing stupid shit themselves, but this has the effect that people are also not bothering to put in the years of time and effort before they even step off the edge. Quickdraw is the only person I have spoken too that has put in an incredible amount of time and thought into what he wants to do, it would have been easier for him to bash out his 250 skydives and do a FJC and then start looking into it, but he has not - he has thought deeply about what BASE means. I have always had an issue with BD, in that although i know most people see it as a different beast to BASE, what about the 100 jump skydiver who thinks that he is now a BASE jumper? I knew a guy who decided to SL himself off a 120ft crane without ANY BASE knowledge and luckily he survived with hurting his ankles. BASE is not skydiving, and it certainly requires many more thoughts than just getting a rig, doing a course and making some jumps - its fucking hard work - it can change your life in ways you never thought about. How to you control this? I have no idea, the only thing is you can try and talk to newbies and explain how it is - but in the end, it wont stop people paying their money and expecting everything spoon fed and easy......... Enough of this, I have way toooooooo much time on my hands...............

Well I knew it was coming, after 6 months off work recovering from a BASE injury I have now lost my job. If anyone (UK) has experience of "Compromise Agreements" can you let me know - I am meeting with a solicitor on Monday about it but but wanted any personal experiences with them. Thanks Michael

This is silly. I've only read about of possible line overs jumping slider down w/out tailgate. Do I go and try it out to see if I get a line over? At BD I refused to pack a slider down because the guy did not have a tailgate so I've told him that I was going to pack it slider up or he should have found someone else to pack it. Apparently those that had the tailgate stuck (on slider down/removed) lark-headed the rubber band, one reason not to do it. I also read there have been few instances of a tailgate stuck on a large hole mash. What is your point anyway? Are you implying we should experience mulfunctions and re-invent the wheel? your right, this is silly.................. I cant be fucked to bother continuing this...... my point is dont say "DONT" when you dont really know what the fuck you are talking about........ especially on a forum of new jumpers who may take advice from people who appear confident in what they say..........

yes I am very aware of this........... so due to this discussion you are sure enough to post a "DONT" on a configuration you have only "read" about?

what are your experiences and findings that lead to you say this?

This is where the fine balance comes into it, some regular jumping is required to keep up skills and knowledge and experience, but I think the jumping of various technical objects is going to progress skills faster than banging off a few more jumps from 1 easy object........ I agree that jumping rarely is not going to increase experience in any shape or form.......... without a doubt, a more rounded and more open approach to jumps is surely the way forward........ but sadly many people get stuck into doing things they are comfortable with....... this means no disrespect to people doing such things - but in the reference of gaining experience I think can make people stale. again it goes back to having a range rather than numbers............ I think we can agree, that bascially numbers of a limited range of jumps does not mean as much toward experience and knowlege as a more rounded and larger range of jumps and objects........... again, BASE experience is hard to guage, well when I return next year to jumping, 1) I will be going ahead to experience more slider up jumps, 2) I maybe SL'ing (with the help of friends) some of the jumps I used to freefall........... amazing how your focus changes sometimes hey!!! be cool dude............ Oh and to annoy others "be safe!" - PS) this is getting way off topic.......... feel free to split TA!

I get your point, I hope you get mine, a few words between friends and jumps means nothing more - it means more and is questionable from people who say it to you that have no idea about it............ Who knows, perhaps one day we will be at an exit together - if this occurs I will be sure to say "be safe, be sure to pull, dont die, bounce if you want to go faster, fuck your bridle is in you leg strap, etc etc etc " - but I am sure you may appreicate the irony of it all!! respect to all.............. lets not fight..........

*** I appreciate and respect the fact that he has a low BASE number and started 'back in the day', but how many jumps does he have in total? To me a veteran is someone who has not only jumped for a long time, but also jumped regularly in that time. Will I have always been someone not to judge someones experience by jump numbers. I agree that jumping regularly and keeping skills in order is required, but asking "jumps in total" to me is not a guage of experience. I know of one guy with only 150 jumps who has been in the sport for around 8 years, (althought I question his sheep relationships!) but I put him as more experienced than someone with 200 jumps in 2 years with most of them from the legal span........... or as you suggest someone with 100 jumps back in the day and not more since apart from a few jumps here and there.............. Its very hard to guage experience in BASE - there are so many aspects that you can be skillful in one and not in others...... I get your point Will, I know some UK "veterans" who were probably in their day "forefathers" but now when one of them looks at my tailgate and says "what the fuck" they aint someone who has progressed......... My point, jump numbers alone is no guage of experience......... knowledge and experience in jumping various objects is more of a guage, and this comes with time.......... Hey man, i dont know what I am trying to say.......... I cant even walk, so who am i to say anything............

and after calling me over too when I thought he needed a pin check............ fucker......... note to self: dont let your friends sleep with your sister.......... forgive you for that one after around 8 hours in a car............ but hell it was icy so yeah you go first........

I am just curious about whether new jumpers are making "the letter" or any explaination to your families at what you are doing when you enter BASE. I went through alot of problems when starting my journey into BASE that I almost stopped it, it made me think alot about what I was doing, and I lost alot in deciding to continue. So with the (supposed) easy journey most people make nowadays in getting into BASE I just wonder if people think about what it means really......................... Taken from a post I made on BLiNC: http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22302

I have an issue with people checking me..... On kitting up and getting ready I sink into a world of myself........ I have done many solos and I like the reliance on myself in BASE that getting checked goes against my drive in BASE..... sometimes I ask to be checked but most times I want to be left alone and do my own thing.............. Saying that, I have had a friend who on being kitted up has asked me for a check and his bridle was under his leg strap, another time a friend did not have his chest strap done up.......... these times show that having a check is needed.......... in the end it personal........... I prefer not to have a check as I like to be 100% self reliant................. thats just me i guess............ but most times on a load with many people and many distractions, i will always ask for a check..............

I take this a personal focus on me. Yes I posted this with the post script of "be safe everyone" after I posted the fact that in the past year I have seen many friends injured and 2 friends die. So when I post "be safe" I have a point. I know most people are safe and it goes without saying that everyone is safe without being told - but the fact is there are people getting injured and dying being safe - I say "be safe" as I am sick of my friends who are safe getting injured and dying when there are fuckers out there doing shit they should not - I mean the tossas who with 20 jumps from Prine are doing roll overs or gainers from a stealth 300ft A cause they have the mistaken confidence........... my "be safe" on the boards is a dig at those people........ people are doing some really stupid shit they should not, and all the new jumpers I have seen recently have no fucking idea that tomorrow they may be dead - so when my friends die or get badly injured dont tell me I am wrong in saying "be safe" to people - cause as I see it there are a lot of people that need to be told this............... BASE is dangerous, and the new jumpers coming through I dont think appreciate just how much............. Your post has made me slightly angry........

To who? exactly I wish the best to anyone injured, get well soon and recover quickly, I feel for people injured, but for gods sake........... I feel a complete arse getting injured the way I did.............. but from what I have read I have to admit I ask ............. "wtf?"

I have a friend in NZ at the moment who has spent the last 10 months of his year work visa recovering from a swooping accident (he hit a fence post sticking out of the ground) . Due to the laws he has to leave the country for 12 months before he returns again. He is flying out to Oz next week and is wanting to stay there for the 12 months before his return to work in NZ. He has limited access to the net, so I am just trying to find him some help in getting some sort of work at DZ's in Oz. Although he is intiallly going to be based in Melbourne, he can and will travel to anywhere where he can get work. He has approx 1500 skydives, and will do anything from camera work to packing to clearing trash............ ideally he would like to get his aussie tandem rating. If anyone has any contacts or ideas that could help him I would apreciate it.