Why You Should Come to the Parachute Repack

By Brian Vant-Hull

First of all, I'm guessing some of you don't even know the color of your parachute. The last thing you need when you throw the thing for real is to find yourself distracted by that canary yellow ("Wait! That ain't right...I thought it was supposed to be army green..." SMACK!), while all the time you should be concentrating on landing in one piece. You could perhaps satisfy your curiosity without actually performing a repack, as the same objective can be accomplished with little more complication and effort than looking up a girl's dress; though the risks are admittedly somewhat different.

We can send our parachutes away to be repacked and inspected professionally for about the same price as it costs to rent a room suitable for repacking. This is truly the best way to do it, but it takes two weeks. Okay, let's have a show of hands from everyone who has sent their chute away to be repacked in the last year. Uh....a little higher, please; that count can't be right. No, I mean it: raise your hands! How embarrassing. Now how many of you would actually come to a repack where you can hang out, maybe practice throwing your chute, and hopefully learn something about packing it?

No, it's not superior to the professional service; but given the psychology of the thing, scheduled on the calender so one has no choice about putting if off another week, at least it's not subject to procrastination.

But is it safe? With the caveat that everyone still sends their chute back every couple years to be inspected, I'd say it is. The calculus of probabilities balancing the risks of doing a poor repack versus an unfluffed parachute sticking together on deployment is rather subtle. If you're worried about not having a highly experienced person doing it for you, just hear me out.

Last year we had 3 experienced packers. Most pilots who came took advantage of the opportunity to learn how to pack their own chutes with little hints and nudges from the experts. The fact is, it's not very difficult, and with the experience and written guidelines from last year I feel quite good about it, and believe many others do as well. Wouldn't you feel better knowing how to pack the thing yourself? And in case you're worried about making a crucial mistake, let me quote Bill Gargano, designer of the quantum parachute: "you could wad them up like old clothes in a stuff-bag and they'd still deploy. It's just a matter of how many extra seconds it takes." That's assuming they're not stuck together from years without being repacked.

I'm no expert, but it seems like the major danger would come from routing your bridle line incorrectly. But guess what: if you send if off to be repacked, you have to put it in yourself anyway! So in the final analysis: EITHER send it away to be repacked OR come do it yourself. In the absence of deployment practice, the first option is best, but the second is better than nothing at all. And if you practice deployment, the two might balance in virtue.

Besides, we'll have a grill.

Suggested things to do in the few days before coming:

• Yank your chute, throw it, and let it air out for a few hours (I'd suggest getting together with friends in a park...maybe even suspend yourself from a jungle jim). Try not to lose the bungee retainer loops.
• Gather any parachute literature and manuals you can find, and read them.

What to Bring:

1. Parachute, helmet and harness (for deployment practice).
2. Any literature you have concerning parachutes, especially your parachute manual.
3. Weights for the parachute packing process. Tube socks filled with beans are excellent: but old phone books work pretty well too.
4. Any food, drinks, or snacks that you want. We will have a grill with some food for a nominal fee. Yes, alcohol is welcome!
5. Money for fees and anything else we might do afterwards.
6. Cassette tapes with music to enhance the packing experience.

What to do when you arrive:

• Hang yourself up and practice deployment, even if you practiced a few days ago.
• Stretch out the chute on the tables, and inspect it for wear.
• Get a buddy and repack the chute.
• Hang out and party!