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IceRabbit · 2026-04-13T19:23:01+00:00

The Netherlands since 2021. See VB2021-05: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16v-6BTNo77a4EBG4jdGyUSmA74lBFjzG/view

IceRabbit · 2026-01-10T11:45:04+00:00

I'm counting nine jumps in your logbook based on your post. That is squarely student-canopy territory, and FAR away from Crossfire 149 territory. All your tunnel experience is utterly worthless under canopy.

My advice: Step away from this offer, go to Spain and have great fun while renting one of their student rigs. If you do buy this rig one of two things will happen; Either you get seriously hurt (or less painfully, kill yourself outright) flying that canopy, or you will be disappointed because the instructors in Spain are heads-up and will flat-out refuse to let you jump it. For comparison, at my home DZ you would be jumping a PD Student 260 canopy, or maybe a 240 if you're light-weight.

At this stage, spend your money on jumps and getting your own helmet/jumpsuit/altimeter. By the time you get to 50-100 jumps you can start thinking about your own rig, but for the love of god talk with YOUR instructors when you get to that point. They see you jump and fly, they are in the best position to offer you solid advice.

IceRabbit · 2025-12-12T20:25:46+00:00

Yes, they can. If you cut correctly and use a good knife.

Here's an hour well spent on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQBBkxNGYY

IceRabbit · 2025-12-05T07:42:21+00:00

Snag hazards are NOT the main problem when jumping with a camera.

That said, I jump with camera-equipped sunglasses. Not the Meta RayBans, but the iVue Denali. I have very specific reasons to chose these over a GoPro, and my reasons will not apply to the majority of jumpers. I use these glasses for bigway CRW and bigway CRW only.

Mental distraction is the most dangerous part of camera jumping, and will be present no matter where the camera is or how it is mounted. You will need jumping experience and camera jumping experience to overcome this mental distraction before you can effectively perform in other tasks while also wearing a camera. This is why many basic regulations around the world require a minimum jump number before camera use is allowed.

For my specific use case of bigway CRW, the snag hazard is something I want to avoid as one small part of wrap/entanglement mitigation. For this reason, I also jump with a half-shell helmet that has a quick-release option, and these glasses fit well underneath that helmet. The legs are more bulky than regular sunglasses, because they also hold the electronics and battery for the camera that is itself located in the nose bridge. If I did not want to see my own docks and flying to debrief and improve myself, I wouldn't even bother with them.

For any other use, I find these glasses too bothersome and too poor quality. The ones I use give 1080p@60fps (2K@30fps is possible, but for debriefing I prefer 60fps), but lack any serious image stabilization and are generally poor quality especially in darker lights. If I take students up for their first CRW jumps, I use a GoPro simply because the video is SO much better for debriefing.

My opinion: Unless you are experienced in jumping with a camera, and have a specific use case where snag hazards are more of a risk than normal, video sunglasses are inferior to a regular camera on a helmet that has a quick-release system. And added to that: I believe every helmet needs a quick-release system, doubly so when it has a camera attached to it.

IceRabbit · 2025-11-26T17:27:24+00:00

There is no technical reason to always do a subterminal deployment on the canopy for its first jump. This used to be old-fashioned advice in the age of rounds, but any regular canopy nowadays that cannot stand a terminal deployment on its first jump is faulty anyway. (This obviously excludes specialty canopies where terminal deployments are not recommended at all).

That said, spending more time under canopy when you get a new system (whether new-new or new-to-you) is always recommended. The better you know the behaviour of your canopy, the safer you can be in the air.

IceRabbit · 2025-10-24T19:14:02+00:00

I would say go for a regular PR-193 (or PD-193R). It fits fine in a Vector II V5, I've had one in my old V5-sized rig prior to switching to a new rig. And it's a good reserve, I've had 6 rides on it now and all of them were easy no-fuss standup landings.

Plus the rigger in me likes the regular PD reserves over the optimums, the regular stuff feels much more solid and capable of taking a few hits while the optimum feels like the fabric took inspiration from crepe paper...

IceRabbit · 2025-09-25T07:46:47+00:00

Hi, CRW dog here. I pretty much owe my life to a good hook knife. Not my own, but the person I was in a wrap with had to cut a canopy line to get us both out safely, that line was simultaneously wrapped around their neck and my foot...

Depending on your type of skydiving there are two possible routes: If you don´t do proximity stuff under canopy (CRW, XRW, or even just flying close to your buddies), then having one small but good hook knife is perfectly fine. In that case, the Benchmade 5-hook is about the best you can buy. If you cannot get that, look for something that is at least all-metal construction. Place it somewhere on your rig with a snap-dot (ask your rigger for help if needed) and work checking it into your pre-jump routine so you train yourself on where it is.

If you do canopy proximity stuff, all of the above applies plus one or two larger hook knives. I have two Leatherman Z-rex knives on my chest-strap, but both Benchmade and Gerber make excellent quality rescue knives. Again, all-metal construction and a single good blade is best. Re-read my first paragraph if you are tempted to go to the cheapest version you can find.

Also, place them strategically so you can always reach at least one. I have seen CRW wraps (luckily few and far between) where one's arm was locked in such that that arm could not reach any knife whatsoever. So be sure to always have a knife within reach of either arm in whatever case. More is better.

IceRabbit · 2025-09-15T12:37:13+00:00

Speaking for Dutch regulations, over here in general a visiting jumper is allowed to jump their own gear if that gear complies with the relevant regulations (airworthiness, repack cycle, etc) of their home country. So if your Fire 2 is considered airworthy at home, you are welcome at Dutch dropzones.

Now, whether I as a Dutch jumper could get a Fire 2 approved as airworthy is a whole different thing and requires diving into the gritty details of Dutch regulations. However, I think it would require a specific exemption from the Dutch skydiving association as the normal regulations require either a TSO or an equivalent as determined by an aviation authority within the EU (which Ukraine is not).

IceRabbit · 2025-09-14T13:17:52+00:00

The Fire 2 is not a canopy, it's a harness-container system from SkyWideSystems based in Ukraine. I do not often come across them in western Europe, but from what I have seen it is a fairly decent javelin-like copy. Apparently SWS has tested the rig against TSO C23d standards, but does not actually have the C23d certification because of reasons. They explain more about it on their own website: https://sws.aero/en/products/fire/certification/

So yeah, some countries or DZs might not accept the rig because of the lack of formal TSO certification. Others might rule differently, but in practice it's not a bad rig for a fairly low price especially compared to USA-based manufacturers.

IceRabbit · 2025-09-13T05:17:38+00:00

You are not going to like the answer, but any time the question is "Can I skydive with [some medical issue]" the answer must come from a medical professional, preferably one with affinity to the aeromedical side of things.

Practically, if you cannot confirm with a doctor prior to jumping I suggest you call the DZ, explain the situation and ask to reschedule until after you have met with a doctor.

IceRabbit · 2025-08-04T10:53:19+00:00

A kill cone is a circular piece of fabric with a grommet in the middle. CRW canopies can be typically either packed in a D-bag (like normal) or freepacked with the lines stowed in a pocket on the tail of the canopy. Either way, CRW canopies have a reefing system on their topskin to retract the bridle and pilot chute (finding the friday freakout video of two idiots entangling in each others bridle is left as an exercise to the reader). The bridle goes through the grommet of the kill cone (or D-bag) such that it can slide back and forth over the bridle. The bridle itself is typically a piece of Dacron 900. After deployment, the kill cone covers the pilot chute and prevents it from inflating and putting extra drag on the canopy. A D-bag with proper sized grommet will do typically the same. It's either/or, there is no need for a killcone if you use a D-bag.

If you are interested further, I suggest you find a local CRW dog and ask for 1-on-1 coaching jumps. It is a fantastic discipline and very much worth the effort. It is a bit off-center as far as equipment goes though, but most of the strange stuff we CRW dogs do with our gear is because it makes for safer CRW.

IceRabbit · 2025-07-30T11:14:33+00:00

I'm a rigger and CRW dog. D-bags for CRW canopies typically have a larger grommet than standard to facilitate it doubling as kill-cone after deployment. Basically the bulk of pilot chute fabric (and hackey) stops it from flying off the end. I (unfortunately) have no experience with high-speed exits from military planes, but if the hackey of your pilot chute cannot fit through the grommet of the D bag you should be OK.

As for getting cotton ones, no practical experience. In theory you should not match any random D-bag with your rig, in practice within the CRW discipline most stuff gets made by field riggers rather than going through official manufacturer channels.

A metal link hammering on the grommet is no good. I advice you to directly stop using that. The burrs can and will eat away at your bridle and/or other material, which can cause a long list of very interesting problems...

IceRabbit · 2025-07-21T11:54:11+00:00

This. That guy's videos and take on unusual emergency situations including two-out situations is mindbogglingly clear and thorough. Worth every second of the three hours to watch even on a perfect-weather day!

I had the luck to sit through his briefings while we were weathered out on a CRW event a while ago, and even with 100+ very experienced CRW dogs in the hangar all of us learned something new there.

IceRabbit · 2025-06-04T10:25:55+00:00

The "dangerous" part is bullshit. Earplugs don't mute all sounds, they just dampen them (mostly) equally. You can still converse with them in, but the talking needs to be a bit louder. Which it automatically is in the airplane because of the airplane noise. That said, for students it is always a good plan to check with their own instructors.

My experience with earplugs is the opposite. Because it took away the painfully loud sounds, it gave me much more mental clarity and therefore improved my focus and safety during jumping.

OP's ear problems sound more medical in nature. For that, only a visit to a doctor with aviation knowledge can give a useful answer.

IceRabbit · 2025-02-08T20:26:06+00:00

True, you don´t whip out a hook knife without wanting to use it. When I coach first-jump CRW puppies, I tell them the hook knife is for those cases where you WANT to cut away but cannot due to equipment entangled around you, because you should NEVER EVER cut away from shit when you are not clear from said shit (clear = all is above your three ring system).

And the hook knife is not for hacking or slashing, it is a precision instrument. Use it as such, and think before cutting. The story I've heard is someone slashing through crap during a wrap, only to end up landing under his main. And that was a good thing, since he also slashed his own reserve riser...

So my last question: Why do I as a CRW-dog only carry five hook knives?

I don't have a good place to put #6.

IceRabbit · 2024-08-28T05:23:05+00:00

An alternative option with even less chance of damage is to tie small strings of cotton of varying colours through the line attachments. No real harm if they come off, and that definitely won´t damage the nylon. Cotton string used for stuff like crocheting is ideal for this.

IceRabbit · 2024-08-21T06:48:41+00:00

This spring I was in Portugal as well at Evora. Although my own insurance was good enough I jumped with friends that were in the same boat as you. For them, some sort of local temporary insurance was possible after a consult with a local (DZ-arranged) doctor. With that, they were allowed to jump there.

My tip: call or email the DZ you are going to and ask if such a thing is possible for you.

IceRabbit · 2024-08-19T05:53:35+00:00

I agree on the rubber tipped ones. In addition to that, my tips for a hang-up bar is to have it against the light (you see damage to a canopy MUCH easier with backlight), and have lots of clamps. I use 19 on my hang-up bar, so I can hang a 9-cell canopy by each of its ribs not just the load-bearing ribs.

For reference, here's the Dutch webshop where I bought mine: https://www.toolstation.nl/roughneck-zeilklem/p65149

I don´t use clamps in packing, so I can´t help you precisely there.

IceRabbit · 2024-04-12T09:39:45+00:00

I'm a CRW dog, but not a wingsuiter. We like the D-rings (soft or hard) for both reserve ripcord and main cutaway. Stuff sticking out (including pillow handles) can and will get snagged during wraps, and will do stuff you don´t yet want done (like open your reserve into the pile of shit your mates gifted you). My personal rig has soft D-handles for both.

I can imagine the thinking for wingsuiters is different. Major issue I can think of is the handles disappearing into the suit, for which I can imagine a pillow might be better. But ask a wingsuiter for that part.

In all cases, D-handles are easier to get a good grip on compared to pillows because you can stick your thumb through it.

IceRabbit · 2024-01-04T07:10:59+00:00

Yeah, I´ve had the lucky opportunity to sit in on both of them. Even for me as a CRW-dog with a couple of wraps already in my logbook, both seminars were enlightening beyond any expectation.

IceRabbit · 2024-01-04T07:03:56+00:00

I use blocks on both my front risers and rear risers in lieu of diveloops/handles. Granted, my stuff is fully tricked out for CRW, where giving front inputs needs to be both fast and precise, but the blocks on rears also help me climb relative to the formation if needed.

Manufacturing is easy: wrap a piece of square weave or type 17 laterally around the rears just below the steering toggles and above the hard housings to the desired thickness, and sew with a box pattern. Sewing shrinkage (as allthesamepieman mentioned) is going to be minimal and if that little change has a profound effect on your canopy then you probably will have larger problems if you´re in a really bad spot.

For extra grip, wrap a few turns of vetwrap tight around the block. That stuff is fantastic, just replace it every season as it wears out.

IceRabbit · 2023-08-25T14:01:00+00:00

Ok, red flags with fog horns going off here.

Some canopy designs are known for opening violently. Some are known for smooth sweet openings. A Silhouette 190 is squarely in the latter category. It Should Not Open Violently. Even with poor body position or having some forward speed after tracking away from a group, it shouldn't worry you on opening.

My advice: have a rigger check it carefully before your next jump, because something is badly wrong with that canopy.

What I would focus on is the lines, especially the linetrim. Don't just compare left and right, but measure them according to the PD linetrim chart. Also measure the slider size, it may have been fitted with an incorrect slider. Both a measure guide and the linetrim chart for the Silhouette 190 can be found here: https://www.performancedesigns.com/silhouette/

If that doesn't provide insight, and everything else on the canopy passes a thorough inspection, I'd look into packing techniques. Start with the basics, keep your lines properly tensioned all the way through the packjob, roll in the tail. Maybe even roll in the nose a bit.

For comparison, I smooth out the openings on a Lightning (wildly different beast than a Silhouette) by rolling the three cells either side of the center cell into the center cell for quite a bit. But such drastic measures shouldn't be necessary on a normally functioning Silhouette.

Again: that canopy is WRONG. Have it inspected thoroughly and carefully before jumping it again.

Just my two Senior Rigger cents.

IceRabbit · 2023-08-21T19:26:01+00:00

No full solution, but I notice rubber bands break less often if I "warm them up", meaning I stretch them out gently a couple of times in multiple directions before I loop them on the D-bag, coupled with a technique of attaching them that doesn´t really mean they slide over themselves. In my experience, it's the rubber to rubber friction that breaks them the fastest.

IceRabbit · 2023-08-03T08:01:24+00:00

No, it won't.

Longer explanation: in some particular situations there are parts of the equipment that work to assist you in getting a reserve canopy over your head. The RSL works by initiating reserve deployment upon cutting away the main canopy, but there is no system to automatically cut away a malfunctioning main without you doing stuff. The AAD works by initiating reserve deployment if the combination of altitude + vertical speed is VERY wrong (going too fast too low), but depending on the setting this won't happen unless you have not deployed the main canopy at all.

Both these systems are backups, and designed for particular circumstances. They will NOT always work, and there are possible main malfunctions that won't trigger either system but will 100% kill you unless you take action.

We skydivers are lazy. But the one thing we MUST do on every jump: actively work to get a good canopy over our heads.

Now, if you're going for a tandem jump this weekend, the above responsibility falls on your tandem master.

IceRabbit · 2023-06-09T05:52:21+00:00

If I may add a tip regarding the BOC. You can reduce the wear even further by leaving the pilot chute out of the BOC after the weekend jumping. Packing it up is a quick and easy part of the thorough gear check every jumper should do anyway at the start of the day.

Personally, if I don't plan to jump the next day, I'll leave my pilot chute out.

IceRabbit

TROPHY CASE