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Blis, you are so right. I have had a couple of pack jobs that on the way up to altitude I do a couple of extra EPs in my head because I am sure I am going to need them. They always turn out to be the sweetest openings. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I took a four year break when I was stationed overseas. I was at 55 jumps. I renewed my license and did all of the SIM questions online at the USPA website. That had me ready to do the refresher jump. It was a much fun as I remembered and I was glad I got back into the sport My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I had the exact same problem. You get with one person to see how they pack and they are different than the other person you just watched do a pack job. I ended up hiring the DZ rigger for a private hour class. Best $60 I spent. Not only did we cover packing but he showed me how to really inspect my rig and canopy. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

Outdoor Research alpine gloves. Also get a pair of hand warmers and put them on the back of your hand at the start of the day, they last about 6 hours. Practice grabbing your handle on the ground. It is amazing how different it is with cold weather gloves. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

Hi, I am thinking about getting a full face helmet and I am looking at the Cookie G3. I can't tell if it has pockets for audible altimeters. Can anyone help out? Thanks My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I always enjoy Steph's articles on climbing and base jumping. She makes an interesting statement "I would never consider buying a new one and being the one to pay for all that instant depreciation". Does a canopy really instantly depreciate 20% on the 1st jump? I thought it was a pretty lineal relation. Most canopies are good for X amount of jumps so X minus the actual number of jumps times X divided by the purchase price should give you the value of the canopy. OK, I wasn't a math major but I did take first semester calculus three times My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I have jumped many rounds to include night jumps with combat gear. I have to agree with the poster that said "my worst square landing was an average round landing". As for steering you could pull down on one riser and theoretically move in that direction. I think the reality of it was it just gave you something to do until you crashed into the earth Those were definitely some brave men. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

My first jump course was 3 weeks in FT Benning, GA. It was probably 4 hours of training crammed into 3 weeks but that is how the military is My first AFF was 4 hours. Me and one other student. I had plenty of fight time and military static line jumps so I felt very comfortable with all of the information being presented to me. The most important lesson I got was "never be afraid to ask a question" and I guess I have expounded that to I am still learning. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

Yep, packing a new ZP is like humping a turtle My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I got my A license and two jumps later I was at a new drop zone (Z-Hills) where I borrowed a "student jumpsuit" and rented a student rig. My takeaway was don't ever use a student rig or student jumpsuit unless you absolutely have to. Everyone on the load will think you are and treat you like you are a student. Until I got my jumpsuit I jumped in Northface nylon pants and a Northface pull-over. I did make the mistake once of trying to squeeze in a quick jump on the way home from work without my wife knowing. I forgot my standard jump clothes so I ended up jumping in a button down shirt. I will admit that I looked stylish standing in the waiting area waiting to board the plane but once in freefall the plan, actually the shirt, fell apart. Every button on my shirt got ripped off. Oh, and my wife figured out that I got in a quick jump on the way home when I asked her if she could sew a button or two (actually seven) on my shirt that night. Making a bad situation worse, I was late for dinner. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

My worst AFF opening is WAY better than my best military static line opening (I won't even go into the Air Force pilot not slowing the C-130 down for the jump run and the bruises it left on all of the jumpers where there harnesses contacted their bodies). It seems to me that if you want to count them feel free because that is a very painful way to get jumps My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

The nice thing about starting later in the season is you will have less tandem jumpers and less students to compete for the small pool of instructors and coaches. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I still get nervous on take-off until about 1000' (depending on how many jumpers are between me and the door). My fear is something will go wrong with the aircraft and I won't have enough altitude to get out of the door and deploy my canopy. After about a 1000', give or take, I know that I can at least get out the door and make my own decisions that I will have to deal with the instead of relying on the pilot's decisions. My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

I thought it was awesome! My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

Hi, I am getting ready to move to Sigonella, Sicily in a couple of months and I am interested if anyone knows of any good drop zones in Sicily. I have found a couple on-line but if anyone has some firsthand knowledge I would appreciate it. Thanks My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.

E.A., think this forum is a fine place to ask these questions. I just got my "A" license and much like you I was exploring many options to get my own gear. I talked to the veteran jumpers at my dropzone, my instructors and the dropzone riggers. I also followed the forums on Dropzone.com. My primary concern was that I wanted to start jumping with my own gear. I ended up buying a PD 210, Vector 2 container, Tempo reserve and an AAD. With the exception of the AAD everything was old (AAD was only three months old with 12 jumps). I had a firm game plan for my upgrades and since I now had my own rig to jump I could upgrade as $$$ became available for what I want. Now that being said, I do take a lot of ribbing for my container being around when the Flock of Seagulls were still touring This is easy to justify because every jump is $27 toward my new gear vice toward the dropzone owner's rental gear. Plus, if I have a less than photogenic landing I can say "That's how we did it in the 80's" My goal is that when all is said done I will have a big pile of well used gear and a collection of great stories.