Talking About BASE gear
- December 2007
- Uncategorized
Hi ,
Congratulations for your articles in VERTICAL magazine. It’s very very
impressive.
I wanted to ask you a few questions on base jumping. (I saw on your blog
that you base jump too).
How many skydives did you do before base jumping ?.
I have 70 plane jumps and I’m considering going in to base.
Did you start with some friends ?. At what location ?.
What kind of rigs/containers do you use and why ?.
Thanks for your feedback,
Regards,
Alex
Dear Alex,
Thanks for your nice words! I started skydiving, in order to learn to BASE jump. But I discovered that I also really love skydiving, to fly my wingsuit. I was told by my friends to do at least 100 skydives before starting to BASE jump. In the end, I did about 140 skydives, then I went to the Perrine Bridge in Idaho, on a BASE course taught by Jimmy Pouchert and Marta Empinotti, from Apex BASE. Every jump I make at the bridge is done to learn and practice a specific technique, most especially the procedures for correcting 180 offheading openings.
I have a container made by Asylum Designs, because Marty is an amazingly talented rig manufacturer, and he also made my container very very quickly so I could take it on this trip to Europe. I also love Apex containers. My canopy is a Flik 220, from Apex, because I need a vented and valved canopy for short, slider down jumps, and it also seems to be great here in Brento, because it has very good glide to clear the trees for the long canopy ride. My wingsuit is a Vampire 2, from Phoenix Fly, because the Vampire is the ultimate wingsuit for BASE. It will be a long time before I have the confidence and skill to be BASE jumping that wingsuit, though, and right now I am still skydiving with it. I will probably start wingsuit BASE with a smaller, more controllable suit, like my old Birdman Classic.
Because I am so new to the sport, I don’t have much experience with BASE jumping, or with BASE gear, but this is what I have learned so far……. I’m sure you’ll find, as I have found, that it’s good to ask questions about everything, from everybody, and then slowly you start to get your own opinions.
Be safe, and best to you,
xx Steph
