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A Mirage container was grounded by the manufacturer last week due to a jumper getting a bit over-zealous with his drive to “whiten” a friend’s rig. Apparently the jumper added bleach to the bath water as he washed the black and white container in hopes of brightening the white portions of the rig. The rig was soaked in the bleach mixture for a couple of hours. When another jumper brought it to Chuting Star Rigging Loft for an inspection prior to completing the sale, the faded condition of the webbing along with a distinct softer feel raised red flags. After several conversations with the manufacturer, it was decided that the length of time in bleach combined with the visual condition of the harness webbing was too risky to keep the container in service. Mirage grounded the rig immediately. Manufacturers usually have set instructions for washing rigs and no instructions I have ever seen approve the use of bleach. The most common instructions for washing a rig include using a mild detergent and soaking for a few hours followed by a few rinses. Larry Chernis, past manufacturer for the Infinity containers, recommend to me years ago pretreatment of stains with Shout followed by a small amount of detergent and rinsing. On Relative Workshop’s web site, the company has clear instructions on how to clean a Vector container. The company recommends Woolite and warm water followed by about three rinses. Rigging Innovations includes a one-page table on stain removal solutions for cordura. Depending on the type of stain, cleaning agents include detergent, ammonia, vinegar, solvent and paint remover. For the exact solutions, read the owner manuals at www.rigginginnovations.com. At Chuting Star Rigging Loft, we pretreat stains with Shout gel and then soak the rig in lukewarm water with a small amount of Cheer detergent. After cleaning, the rig is rinsed at least three times, hung to dry, reassembled, inspected and repacked.

(Note: This week’s “Rave” article was written by my wife, Stephanie. She made just under 100 jumps before deciding skydiving wasn’t her cup of tea. But she remains a big fan of the sport and helps out tremendously on the business end of Chuting Star Rigging Loft. Enjoy.)

By Stephanie Gruwell When I married Mike, I actually was skydiving on a not-so-regular basis. I got into the sport has a form of stress relief from my job. But as time went on, I realized I had no interest in skydiving ever again and I was concerned that I would somehow be lost along the way. After all, anyone who understands skydivers understands their desire to be at the drop zone or in the air as much as possible. But the reality is, that I enjoy being in the shadow of a skydiver and professional rigger. I follow Mike and Mr. Pink to as many competitions as I can, and I actually try to understand 4-way. I help him with his business as much as he needs me to and compared to my friends; my husband has the most interesting occupation. Being in the shadow also means that we aren’t out every weekend working on the house or yard. You wait for rainy, windy days to spend Saturdays together. But on the plus side, he doesn’t complain about his boss, his work or not getting raises or stock options. He loves his job and is the envy of my family and friends, many of who would trade all of their corporate perks for a job they are passionate about. Being the wife of a skydiver isn’t for everyone and could certainly become the grounds for divorce. But for some women, a weekend at the drop zone is a sunshine paradise compared to your office and the skydivers are a wonderful collection of passionate men and women that come from all over to share the sky and this tribal act of jumping from a plane.