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The latest issue of Parachutist magazine showed a picture very common to riggers at Chuting Star Rigging Loft: a main closing loop that is too long. We routinely shorten main closing loops after inspecting and repacking the reserve and repacking or reclosing the main container. Many times this is on very expensive containers, specially made with freeflying in mind. These containers, such as the newer Mirages, have extra sub-flaps to keep the risers and excess steering lines from coming out during freefall along with excellent bridle and pin protection. But all of those features essentially go to waste if your main closing loop is too long. A long main closing loop may make it easier for you to close the container, but it also makes it easier for the container to come open in freefall. A bump with another skydiver in freefall or a scrape against the door jam on exit is usually not a problem if your loop is the correct length. If your loop is too long and your main pin is held too loosely, that same bump or scrape can lead to a nasty horseshoe malfunction, high-speed deployment or freefall/deployment collision. Do not let all those expensive freefly-friendly features go to waste on these new containers. With a main closing loop too long, you might as well be jumping a container without all of the added features of tuck tabs, riser covers and bridle protection. On the new Mirage containers, the closing loop length is clearly listed on the inside of the main container. Other manufacturers have the loop lengths listed in the owner’s manual. Most rigs are designed to have the main grommets stacked on top of each other, although some, such as the Vector and Infinity, call for a slight offset of the final two main container grommets. Ask your local rigger to check your loop length, along with tips and techniques on how to use leverage to close your container with a proper size loop. And change the loop when it begins to fray.

A worn soft link, a loose rapide link, a frayed 3-ring loop or a tattered steering line are just a few of the many items that can lead to a “bad day” at the drop zone if the part breaks at the wrong time. Malfunction, injury or death can be the result of inattentiveness to our skydiving gear. Riggers cannot guarantee that an inspected container system or main canopy will not develop dangerous wear points in-between reserve/container inspections, reserve canopy repacks or main inspections. That is why with every new rig assembled by Chuting Star Rigging Loft, we give out a “How To” list on inspecting a container and main canopy system. We also provide that information for those interested on our web site at www.chutingstar.com/rigownerinformation.html. Yet even with all that information out there, I sometimes fail to inspect my own main on a regular basis. I recently took a close look at my brake lines and decided the vectran fibers at the cateye were showing enough wear to require replacement. I should have taken the time to inspect the entire canopy system at the same time, but I felt I was too busy with customers’ work to pay any more attention to mine. Well this past weekend while competing with my 4-way team Mr. Pink at the NSL Playoffs, I received a wake-up call on inspecting my own gear. Because of the hot weather, I was trying to pack my main all weekend as fast as possible to get out of the sun and into the shade to rest and prepare for the next jump. It wasn’t until after the last jump of the meet, that I decided to pay a tiny bit more time to my pack job. As I was walking the lines up from the risers, I noticed a barrel of one rapide link seemed low. I checked the tightness and it was loose and almost unthreaded. After checking all four, I found one more loose barrel. Luckily I caught it before it got worse. Take some time this weekend to check you gear for wear points and loose links.