Donna

I'm a 5'4" woman and I'm having a problem with my new container fitting me correctly. I haven't jumped it yet but when I have it on I feel like the top of the container comes up too high and when I go to lean back and arch it bumps me in the head. My rigger says the harness fits me fine and that the problem is in the size of the container which is quite long as I have a 190 Triathlon main and a PDR193. My container seems to be quite square and thick near the top and some say if I try a different brand I might find one that fits better. Some say I need to get smaller canopies. I would be willing to go down to a 170ish reserve but I don't want to go smaller with my main as I just got my A license. This container was custom made for me and I'm quite discouraged at the moment. I was wondering if there are any other women out there who have had a similar problem or if any of you jump a bigger canopy, what brand of container do you use? I don't want to go through the trouble of getting a different container if I'm just going to have the same problem. I did call the manufacturer but they don't think they can change much about it that will help. They basically just told me to try a different helmet such as a Bonehead instead of the Protec which I have. Thanks for any help. Donna

I had done a few jumps at other DZs and they were all very nice but the first time I walked into Jumptown I just knew I had found home. It's not something you can put your finger on, it's just a vibe. I wasn't visiting Jumptown, I was part of it. Everyone always made me feel welcomed and right at home. My husband and I both did our AFF there and everyone helped us out so much from Diane and Don at manifest to Brian making sure we had gear to jump to each and every instructor. I probably drove them crazy with all my questions and neurotic worries but they were there for me every step of the way and took all my concerns seriously and above all, they made sure I had fun! After getting off student status everyone was always willing to jump with us. We have learned so much and had a blast while doing it and have found a new family. Jumptown rocks!!

Hi All, I just came across this thread and really enjoyed reading it. You all came up with some good ideas. I am an EMT for my town which is very small and so I don't have a lot of first hand experience. The town that I skydive in is also small and run mostly by volunteers and I've wondered if they would be adequately prepared to help in some instances. I think it's great that Froggie's town actually does drills. You mentioned a mass casualty one and I think that would be very helpful in case of a plane crash. I've only been skydiving since last year and haven't really checked out what kind of supplies our DZ has on hand but I will do that next weekend. After there was a neck injury last fall and we were lucky enough to just happen to have someone there who had a collar, I had been thinking about what a good idea it would be to have some adjustable ones on hand. After your comments about some things causing more harm than good in the wrong hands it would make sense to have some supplies separate for only experienced personnel to use. I would love a copy of your DZ's list of things on hand that you could use, Karen. It sounds like it could be very helpful. Thanks, Donna