Last updated 6/12/2024
You’re ready to buy a parachute system. There’s a certain order in which this should be considered, and the first thing to think about is what size canopy you want in your container. Beyond that, there’s still plenty to think about. Freefly friendly, safety, maintenance, age of the components, how well it’s been maintained, where the system was jumped, where the manufacturer is located (this can make it easier to get parts, for example), and more.
Beyond what we cover here, there are additional links at the bottom of the page to learn more. Check ’em out.
For this page, I’m going to start with the assumption that you know what size wing you’re going to fly, and we’ll go from there. This is mission critical… the smaller your canopy, the faster it flies, and the smaller your lines are. These are both critical, and can make things more challenging for lighter jumpers looking to buy their first system. Someone who weighs 150 pounds with all their gear on might be trying to get a wing loading of 1.0, which will put them on a 150 square foot canopy. On the one hand, 1.0 is on the lighter side for wing load, but any canopy sized 150 square feet or smaller is considered a high performance canopy. Continue reading “Containers”