Kris

Ditto. The shading didn't hurt on mine. Now, the outlining....ugh. Worth every second though.

Which is yet another thing that one doesn't have to worry about with Slinks.

Actually, I believe it was Bill Booth who has even come out and stated that equipment should have some failure points like risers that break. Better they break on an extremely hard opening, then cut them away and go to one's reserve, than to have a person break instead. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Luckily, there are no fatalities that I know of, yet. But I've personally been witness to someone who landed and as soon as the tension was off the canopy, the lines on the right, rear riser dumped out due to a bent link. Do a search on "bent link" and you'll see plenty of threads where people got lucky, including several pics of bent open links. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Must. Resist. Urge. To. Comment......... Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

You probably did...we just don't have enough evidence yet. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Bingo. Well said, Cora. There *is* life beyond skydiving.

Or, you may not. If you've never looked at or flown the reserve in question, how can you use it as a basis of comparison? Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Says who? Now that's funny... "In our tests, the Performance Design's Slinks survived at loadings beyond the suspension lines and/or riser! In our testing, the failure point of the system was repeatedly the suspension lines or the webbing attaching the three rings to the riser. In comparison tests, the PD reserve soft link survived tests that caused failures and/or severe damage to #4 and #5 stainless steel links! The PD Soft links not only survived these tests, but showed no signs of damage. Based upon the results of these extensive tests, Performance Designs is the first manufacturer ever to receive FAA 'TSO' approval for a soft link for use on reserve parachutes!" Yes, certain types of nylon braid can have a much higher tensile strength than metal. Size for size, even spider thread is much stronger than steel wire. Also, you don't have to worry about side-loading with Slinks like you do with Maillon Rapide's, which become much weaker when side-loaded. As for nylon rubbing against nylon, that happens to the lines on your canopy that happen to be finger-trapped as well, such as where the lower control line meets the cats-eye. As for the openings, yes, I'd much rather it fail on opening than to find out too low that I've had a Maillon Rapide come open because it was under or over-tightened and then dump out the lines at a low altitude after a turn. Soft links in several forms have been used for over a decade. Just like anything else, they still have to be maintained, but they offer several advantages over a Maillon Rapide. And I do care about bulk, I jump larger canopies in a smaller container. It packs up like a brick, and before I put reserve Slinks on my Tempo, I could feel them dig into my back. The way my Mirage packs, there's nowhere else for them to go, so I got rid of them. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Clicky

They're much stronger, less bulky, weigh less, and if they're going to fail, they're more than likely going to do it on opening. So, yes, I do believe they are. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

For an overgrown smurf, you're awfully bold. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

*hugging my browser* "Don't ever leave me again!" Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Oooh...good point. I'll stick with my original estimate though. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Depending on weather, put me in for $20 for last weekend in June, with a weather makeup the 2nd weekend in July. I'm feeling a Saturday, maybe the 1st or second jump of the day. Are we going to have a separate pool for fatal vs just compound fractures? Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

I'm still wondering how many channels she can pick up with that thing. *running away* Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

I like a woman who knows what she wants. *off to go light candles and fire up the oven* Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Somehow...I seriously doubt that. As for me, I subscribe to the Skymonkey philosophy of boobies.... One on the left, one on the right, that's just how I like em'. Although I am a fan of the smaller perky ones, I've never been one to discriminate or been unable to find beauty in any mammary.

Happy birthday, Pyke! Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Ummm...how you doin'?

Seafood and chicken. Cajun, Italian, Indian, and stir-fry. Specialties are shrimp scampi, chicken tikka masala, blackened salmon, crab-stuffed tortelini, and chicken enchilada soup. For desserts I can do bananas foster, creme brulee, tiramisu, and lemon meringue pie. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

"This is the best tofu E V E R!!!!" Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

Hehe...There's a thread about someone who was on a load where a woman flashed for altitude and the pilot immediately descended a couple of thousand feet and let eveyone out. She was pissed, but it turns out that there was traffic in the airspace. Bad timing. Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

But....but....!!! *confused....looking at picture of Brains* *head explodes* Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

You rang?! Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™