TomDancs

Clint, You guys are so cute together in those photos! FNG

So this may be considered advice, but with a different twist. Sorry! :) I have found that the best way to tell your altitude is by using a map and a compass, and in some cases (i.e., bad weather) an analog altimeter. The best way to tell what the weather is doing is to keep a constant eye over your shoulder and understand the prevailing weather patterns of the mountain range you climb in rather than looking at little bars on a digital display. So that means you can buy yourself a cheap watch with an alarm (so you can wake your ass up in time for a summit bid). That way you are not relaying on batteries (that can fail) and when you smash your watch because you are doing hand jams, or a piece of ice comes down and nails you in the wrist, or you are stripping layers and away flies the watch down the route you still will know what the heck is going on around you. Long story short: Good Mountain Sense and awareness/understanding of your environment is far more important than yet another piece of battery operated technology in the mountains. No GPS, No Cell/Sat Phones, no Fancy gizmo watches, and certainly no data-link laptop reports from base camp bull shit... We go out there to get away from all that... the simpler you make things the richer the experience becomes... My 2 cents... Peace :) Tom

Ask the Hungarians! Csaber is the main one you might be able to comunicate with... Also Vajna from Slovenia I believe, but I don't know if he posts here? Tom

You might be able to ask the so called climbing ranger, sell out, ass hole Link in Yosemite...

Unpacked Jumps? Hmmmm..... you mean like Paragliding? BASE jumping involves a closed parachute in a container Sam... How many times do I need to explain this to you... :) LOL. Tom

Chad For the not so bad landing areas I use Raichle mid weight climbing boots For the shit landings Technica Ice climbing boots, with an ankle brace in each. Tom Dancs PS: Chad I can introduce you to the Second Ascent guys...

Good information at this site: http://www.lnt.org/main.html Tom, maybe we can get the ABP to fund/run an LNT seminar next May in Twin? Tom Dancs

Chad, you said "meet at Tom's"... I'm happy to have you all over, but I don't think my house is tall enough to BASE jump from... :) Tom Dancs

"1. was this your first and at that time only skydiving-rig?" YES! :)

Agreed that the Spectre does not perform like a BASE canopy, but it's still 7-cell, I can practice BASE emergency procedures, and it is relatively forgiving with regards to flying beaked approaches. It's funny a bunch of people at my DZ are always asking why I am not swooping in, or approaching in full flight... I just smile!

Nothing at all wrong with the Raven, it's fine to use as a main. I just wanted a sportier canopy, but still 7 cell. I bought the Spectre used with about 150 jumps on it. I still have the raven, and I am considering putting it into my currently unused Velcro BASE container for a water rig. Again absolutely nothing wrong with a Raven... The only complaint I had with it was it didn't flare all that well, but that could be a function of the break setting, or the fact that I was a beginner and just didn't time the flare correctly. Probably the latter. Tommy

So I sent a PM to Moastwanted, but then thought about it and figured I should post it here just incase I said something stupid: Here is what I did: I bought a Raven 2 that's 218 square feet (it had about 7 jumps on it when I got it and was used as a reserve up to that point) I put about 75 jumps on it, and then got a Spectre 170 (also a 7 cell). The key is to fly 7 cell (why? Because the flight characteristics of a 9 cell are way different), and practice the Canopy Control Drills! You can find those listed on several sites such as BR, possibly Apex, Vertigo, Australian BASE Association, etc... Have fun skydiving, but as soon as you break off from the group, switch to BASE mode. I still do this on every skydive: 1.) Practice the most effective track possible (there are relaxed tracks which are more stable but less effective and tight tracks that are more effective but possibly less stable. You have to find the sweet spot) 2.) Pull from the track (roll the nose on your pack job if you know you will be doing this) 3.) As or before you are pulling pick you'r heading on the horizon 4.) Try your hardest to correct for that heading while the deployment/inflation is happening 5.) Once you have corrected for your heading simulate a 180 (i.e., double rear riser and snap one up) 6.) Now simulate a 90 right correction and 90 left correction (you have now killed 2 birds with one stone, you practiced some important shit, and you did your canopy control check) 7.) depending on your altitude practice various inputs toggle, front and rear riser, combinations of the above (knowing how your canopy responds to every kind of input WILL SAVE YOUR ASS one day when shit don't go right on a BASE jump) 8.) Set up for your landing without looking at the altimeter, and if your DZ let's you every now and then drop a Frisbee from under canopy, and make that you target, or have some one toss it into the landing area when you are about 800 feet off the ground, so you have to set up for it (you are simulating going for the "Out" landing by doing this 9.) Approach your landing with breaked turns, and learn to fly your final in deep breaks (caution: learn the limits of your canopy before doing this close to the ground, you don't want to stall yourself in, or get a surge that you don't have time to level out of in time for a safe landing 10.) Find the CRW jumpers and BASE jumpers, and never stop asking questions. Once you are competent, do CRW lots of it! It has been the best teacher for figuring out how to maneuver, and use the combination of inputs under canopy 11.) Go do ground crew for BASE jumps, you will learn a lot by watching, and it will show your future BASE crew that you are committed, and not just a yahoo looking for the next rush. Ask questions, always, always, ask questions. The only stupid question one is the one you don't ask! So if any of that is bad, just say so... I have always been a beginer and always will be! Tommy D

Yeah, I keep asking him if he will sleep with me but to no avail... Chad, if you're experimenting it does not count as gay... I love you man! :)

“If you have time to panic, you have time to be doing something productive” - Josh Whipple

BASE Jumps are not to be amassed rather savored!

I cant find it either

Yes the cashes should obviously be near the landing areas. And Faber, believe me I am a strong supporter of LNT ethics in the back country, and teach all my clients to be as LNT as possible. That said most BASE jumpers are unwilling to carry even a headlamp or adequate water, food, and clothing, so talking them into carrying rescue/first aid equipment is unlikely. Making cashes in the back country, is nothing new. Climbers have been doing it for a log time, the USFS builds shitters, bridges, trail signs, and leaves SAR cashes in popular areas on mountains and back country wilderness areas all over the Cascades and Sierras. Gear cashes by their very nature are enclosed, secured, and well hidden, and leave no visible impact on the environment (the main priority here) however they need to be managed by responsible individuals. This entire discussion would become somewhat moot if back country jumpers would all do the responsible thing, and get properly trained in Wilderness First Response (WFR)... Not the same as your weekend first aid course taught by the local fire station. Armed with that knowledge you will soon realize that you already carry a lot of the stuff you need to respond to most survivable injuries. The Milderness Medicine Institute offers WFR courses in cool places... including Moab. Tom Dancs

Hi Gus, Glad to see that you are thinking about rescue situations. I am a climbing guide, and as such have taught many vertical/high angle rescue courses to climbers and to local mountain rescue groups. Your concern about rope diameter is legitimate, but should be taken into consideration with regard to your intended goal. If your intent is simply to secure a victim to the structure to and wait until high angle rescue arrives, the thinner cord will likely be adequate, as long as you can protect from sharp edges, and you have the additional gear and knowledge for building secure anchors. If your intent is to execute a high angle rescue without outside intervention, you will need thicker ropes, and additional equipment, but most importantly training. In most BASE scenarios I can think of, your rescue goal would play out as follows: 1.) First get to the victim (preferably from above). 2.) Ensure scene safety (i.e., secure the victim, and yourself, as to prevent another accident). 3.) Assess the victim, and administer the needed first aid. In some cases you will come to the conclusion that it is unsafe to move the victim because of injuries that could be further compounded due to the somewhat rough nature of self rescue, and lack of a rescue litter/basket. 4.) If you decide that you can continue your rescue, you will re-rig to a counterbalanced or tandem rappel situation, and may have to do multiple rappels, depending on the height of the object, the length of your rope(s), and the availability of appropriate anchor points and equipment. 5.) Once you have reached solid ground, you would further stabilize your victim, and decide on the best alternative for further transport. At this point you could presumably have more people help out. That said, none of this works, with out good first aid training; high angle self rescue training, the correct equipment, a solid plan of action, and good judgment. You should be able to contact different reputable organizations in the UK for both First Responder and High Angle Rescue Training. I would suggest being honest with your trainers about BASE, explain to them the limitations in man power and equipment, and ask them to tailor a course for a group of BASE jumpers. Yes it will cost you, but it will be fun for you and your friends, and it could cost you a whole lot less in the long run. Safety First! Tom Dancs

Thanx Tom, i am going home to HU in the end of this month for the first time in 10 years. I already got in touch some Hungarian jumpers... I was excited to find out that there is an active BASE comunity there... Tom Dancs

I agree Tom, but potentially less important, as trained high angle/confined space personnel would likely respond to an incident in the city/front country. But if you can get your moderately injured friend off of a structure, and to help with no obvious association to BASE jumping that would always be preferable. When it comes down to it though, if someone is badly hurt and near medical help, it’s usually best let EMS do the transporting. The safety and well being of a person outweighs the getting busted part, in my humble oppinion. Tom Dancs

Chad, I answered “NO” to the poll because the kit you carry would really not be BASE specific. It would be back country specific. Meaning the same stuff you would want for say climbing, whitewater; back country skiing, etc… would be the same for backcountry BASE. The exception would be having a large supply in a vehicle, for when you are jumping front country objects (i.e., objects within one hour of medical help). If this is the case, a well stocked trauma kit, tree rescue kit, ect, dry clothing, blankets/sleeping bag, etc… would be appropriate. The reality of it though, is that having the appropriate training is far more important than the stuff you use. A well trained first responder can improvise all kinds of stuff to stabilize a victim until transport is available. I would recommend to anyone who spends time at remote jump locations to take a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or Wilderness EMT course from the Wilderness Medicine Institute (http://www.nols.edu/wmi/). WFR courses focus on scene safety, diagnosing, treating (i.e., first response), stabilizing, and preparing for and executing assisted and self rescue situations. Also if you spend time in the back country, having basic rock skills and rock rescue skills can help out as well. These courses will focus on technical rigging for rescue in a vertical environment (i.e., raising, lowering, simul and tandem rescue rappels, etc.). Most reputable guide services such as American Alpine Institute can help in those areas. I would even suggest that we start thinking about keeping rescue and first aid cashes at popular back country exit points. Although this practice is technically illegal on most BLM and USFS land, it is typically not enforced, and can easily be kept on the down low. Tom Dancs

Hi, I just had a near cliff strike on my 14th BASE jump last weekend. As soon I was open I knew I was off to the right, and I immediately grabbed left rear riser, and turned away. Only my feet brushed the tree on the ledge. I was so close that I saw the bolted anchors for the climbing route that goes right past that ledge. After turning away and releasing the toggles, I looked at the “OUT” landing area, and made my assessment about whether or not I can make the standard landing area (quite some distance away with very large trees to out fly). I felt how my canopy was flying, and looked at the rate at which I was covering ground and decided I can make it. I made it with 200ft to spare, and actually made a deep break approach to final. I talked about it with other jumpers including my mentor, and came to the realization that no matter how pretty your pack job and perfect your exit, off heading openings are going to happen, and if you are at it long enough a strike is going to happen. It’s not necessarily the jumpers fault, or a reason to look down upon them. I feel like I responded to what could have been a more serious emergency correctly. The long and the short of it is, when something goes down, we can sit and watch the video over and over again, and pass all kinds of judgment about how the jumper should have or could have done this, that, and the other thing... but none of us was under that canopy at that moment in time. Only the jumper feels what he/she needs to do, and he/she has to go with it when it happens. Sometimes the outcome is awesome, sometimes it’s a bruised ego, sometimes it’s painful, and other times it earns us a spot on Nick D’s list... Whatever the case, I think far more can be learned about the individual jumper, when you closely examine his/her decision making process at an exit point. The jumper I respect the most is the one who knows when to say “when”... and is willing to walk away if it does not look or feel right. My 2 cent’s may be worth just that when it comes to BASE, but the parallels between alpinism and BASE are similar when it comes to making assessments and decisions. I have learned my lesson in the mountains and continue to learn both as an alpinist and as a BASE jumper. Never stop learning!

poor dog is gonna shit him/herself! Do want poo on your BASE rig/canopy? make sure you put a cutaway system for him with a 48" PC so if you gonna land bad he might still have a chance! Peace

I got a pink 38" bihatch! It's what came with the rig... But I am comfortable with my sexuality:)