Hand Held is commonly used to refer to the method of canopy deployment where the jumper exits the object with the pilot chute held in their hand.

This method is typically used by lower time jumpers as it tends to make things simpler by letting them focus on just pitching the pilot chute for deployment as opposed to going stowed and having to remove the pilot chute from it's pouch and then pitching it out.

This method is also used by more experienced jumpers on lower jumps due to the fact that the pilot chute can be pitched almost immediately on exit and held in such a way as facilitate pilot chute inflation.

Care must be taken with bridle routing as this method exposes a larger amount of bridle material as it goes from the back of the rig and along the length of the jumpers arm before getting stowed in the hand along with the pilot chute.

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