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When Chuting Star Rigging Loft became the authorized service center for the recent Mirage service bulletin, we were immediately slammed with everyday shipments from skydivers across the country. As a full-time rigging loft, we are sent rigs and parachutes from around the country on a weekly basis, but nothing close to the volume the Mirage service bulletin presented us with.

It was during those first few months of the Mirage shipments that the loft was inundated with a wide range of packaging techniques from skydivers, drop zone owners and other riggers. I was surprised some packages made it to us while wished some had never shown up.

Packing peanuts are a receiver’s worst nightmare. Small independent shipping companies seem to love putting a rig straight in a box (not in a plastic bag) and blowing peanuts all around the rig. When the box is opened, the peanuts not only get all over the loft floor (sticking to everything in sight), but also cling to the rig. A rigger may spend 5-10 minutes just unpackaging and cleaning the peanuts off the floor and rig.

Small, flimsy boxes not intended for shipping were also a nightmare as a rig or canopy was stuffed into the box leaving zero room to open the box without accidentally damaging the gear. Many times the canopy or rig was not even in a bag as well. Some of these boxes also showed up with one piece of tape across the bottom or top.

Lastly, the gear that shows up with no contact information or illegible contact information can make things difficult for alerting the customer to gear problems or even returning the gear in a timely manner. Not sending the packing data card is another problem for knowing the history or documenting the work completed.

So with all that being said, here is Chutingstar’s recommendation for shipping gear to another skydiver, drop zone or loft.

Use a shipping box that can comfortably fit the gear as well as small bit of packing materials. Type or print out all of your contact and billing information as well as exactly what you want completed. Attach this information to your rig in an easy-to-find spot (through a pin cover flap or in the pocket with your packing data card).

Put the gear in a plastic bag for protection from water if the box gets wet and also to separate the gear from the packing materials. This also leaves little question to the rigger that we have all of the materials sent and prevents us from digging through a box full of peanuts to make sure nothing fell off the rig during shipping (hook knives, elastic keepers, pull-up cords, contact info, ctc.).

Surround the bagged gear with either foam, crumpled newspaper, bagged air or bagged peanuts. This will fully protect your gear while making it easier for unpackaging and repackaging. Properly tape your box along all unsealed sides.

Finally, ship your rig with insurance to cover replacing the item if lost or damaged during shipping. Make sure you get a tracking number. Call the receiver when it is delivered to make sure the gear got there intact and to give any additional information needed. If having the items returned after repair, make sure the skydiver, rigger or drop zone returns the items in the same manner they were received (packaging, insurance and tracking).

If you need any rigging work completed by Chuting Star Rigging Loft, please follow the aforementioned steps. Thank you.