I just spotted this 5 foot parachute on Sportsman's Guide:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/used-us-military-5-diam-parachute.aspx?a=713504

Does anyone with parachute experience know how much weight would be appropriate for a parachute of that size? I could see dropping some provisions with it out in the backcountry for my use while backpacking, snowshoeing, etc.

Try loading it up with half a dozen cats, then toss it out of the plane. Tell us how it went.

Tim

Hey, what happened to Tim? Someone is using his handle. I know it's not him cuz he never went a hole sentince with out misspelling sumthin.

shortfielder wrote:Hey, what happened to Tim? Someone is using his handle. I know it's not him cuz he never went a hole sentince with out misspelling sumthin.

hey this thread is about parashutes.

Tim

Now thatz funnie

I could see dropping some provisions with it out in the backcountry for my use while backpacking, snowshoeing, etc.

I think it would be a lot of fun to try something like that, but I'm scared to death of getting something hung up on the tail...

It comes with a deployment bag so you can make a static line that would control the opening and can reduce the canopy over the tail issues. 5 ft dia will not slow down to much weight. Might prevent a cooler full of ice and beer from coming apart. We dropped a case of beer with a 12 ft dia flare chute on Halloween. It survived. The flare chute is made of a high porosity material and that 5 ft dia chute looks like better material so it should carry down about #25 lbs. I would stop by the closest Drop Zone on a cloudy day and ask for some advice on Static line length, packing, proceedures, and equiptment for you to have with you (Hook Knife).

Lately when the voices tell me stuff, I like to get a second opinion

Jaerl wrote:Lately when the voices tell me stuff, I like to get a second opinion

And that's why I posted the question here. But to be honest, the voices usually rise above the depravity of this crowd.

For example, can you believe that Tim suggested a half dozen cats for cargo!

And the voices said "...and duct tape a helmet cam on each of their heads!"

IMHO---all dood advice.

Tim

For $20 the entertainment factor is worth it, whether or not it becomes usefull is another issue. The experimenting sounds fun. Post the video from those cat-cams

We've used the rain-fly from a two man dome tent to drop ice-cream sandwiched in a box with dry ice, and it works great. This looks like an upgrade, I might have to listen to the voices too!

That thing will come in handy for some application...just buy it and see what occasion arrises.

Kevbert, you could leave it tied to your tail, and then throw it out for a drag chute for those extra short places?

Ok, I succumbed to the voices and bought the chute.

I also noticed they had some various nomex and aramid (aramid is the generic name for nomex) clothes at what I thought were reasonable prices. Just what the doctor ordered while sloshing gas around your airplane with plastic fuel containers.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=591963 coveralls (I just bought these).
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=738085 balaclava
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=691333 gloves
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=119383 pants
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=542344 coveralls
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=604903 coveralls

About three years ago, a friend's dad was wearing a pair of coveralls with nylon quilted insulation and got some oil splashed on them. He stepped in front of a heater, and they ignited. The nylon melted and stuck to his skin while it burned. He survived for a few weeks in the hospital, but he eventually died from complications from his burns. I own a similar pair of coveralls. For the last few years, I kept thinking I should throw them out and get something that would protect me. Today was the day. I'll report back about what I think of them.

Not to mention that those coveralls are badass looking.

I continue to wear my blue gas station specials, with name patch that reads "Leroy." I bought them 12 years ago at Autozone. Maybe it's time to step up.

"Coco" told me to order one of these parachutes too... She's really getting cranky about her chute/bedsheet not opening... We'll see how she likes this one.

When you are done with those cats... keep the pelts. I have a friend in Australia that makes beautiful throw rugs. Biggest one I saw in his place at Adelaide was made from 40 cats.

Throw six cats attached to a parachute out of an airplane? No way. You can't get one cat wearing a parachute out the window of an airplane. Don't report me to the SPCA, this according to an old smoke jumper buddy.

kevbert wrote:Ok, I succumbed to the voices and bought the chute.

I also noticed they had some various nomex and aramid (aramid is the generic name for nomex) clothes at what I thought were reasonable prices. Just what the doctor ordered while sloshing gas around your airplane with plastic fuel containers.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=591963 coveralls (I just bought these).
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=738085 balaclava
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=691333 gloves
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=119383 pants
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=542344 coveralls
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=604903 coveralls

About three years ago, a friend's dad was wearing a pair of coveralls with nylon quilted insulation and got some oil splashed on them. He stepped in front of a heater, and they ignited. The nylon melted and stuck to his skin while it burned. He survived for a few weeks in the hospital, but he eventually died from complications from his burns. I own a similar pair of coveralls. For the last few years, I kept thinking I should throw them out and get something that would protect me. Today was the day. I'll report back about what I think of them.

Good link Kevbert, now that ski flying season IS HERE (I just have to wait until the wind drops, skis are ON), I have been pondering my choice of clothing for this winters flying fun. All my sking and snowboarding gear is warm but no doubt not flame resistant. The clothing is too damn expensive to blow torch test! I just ordered a pair of the coveralls, and if nothing else wearing them over the synthetic gear is a step in the right direction. Thanks for the tip, the prices seem real reasonable!