slinks

[guest]

has anyone tried PD's slinks for base? or PD's reserve grade slinks? just a thought...

[guest]

I suppose the first question has to be "Why?". As I understand it, their use in skydiving is motivated maybe by their being easier on the slider grommets, but probably more commonly because it's pretty easy to pull a slider over slinks.

While I haven't done any slider-up jumps myself and couldn't comment on the first, the second obviously isn't a consideration in BASE. I'm not even certain they'd look any cooler on a set of 2-inch risers (that being, of course, the most important consideration when modifying BASE gear) :D .

[guest]

I have been using Pd's Reserve slinks on 2 rigs, for about 4 months.I've put about 20 jumps on then between the 2. Both slider down and terminal velocity jumps, slider up with mesh sliders. I use them for several reasons. 1- I've witnessed a skydiving malfunction caused by a silicone slider bumper splitting and sliding up the lines and choking off the slider. It resulted in a cut-away. The soft links eliminate that possible malfunction. 2- They are stronger than the metal links we normally use, and can't be cross-loaded, reducing their strength less, as is the case of the quick-links. The Pd reserve slinks are also used on Tandem main canopies,,,. alot more force there than a solo jumper could ever imply. 3-I think they are simplier, to use and maintain. The one concerned I had was about the slider pushing past them on hard openings slider up, and knocking the toggles loose or making them tough to release. This hasn't happened yet, and I don't think it will. When the risers are loaded they seem to be stiff enough to prevent that from happening. If you're the type who likes to remove their slider on low ones(I'm not, prefer to keep it on), they may be more inconvienent than normal quick-links. Overall I think they are better and I will continue to test them. As always this is just one person's opinion . Proceed at your own risk!

Mike B.

[imported_Tom Aiello]

Hi Mike:

How are you securing the slider down?

Do you tie it to the slinks?

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu

[guest]

I tie down to the risers, not the slinks.
mike