In this guide:
- Round, Square, or Steerable? Choosing the right shape for your flying.
- The 6-Month Rule: Why the industry is moving away from annual repacks.
- The 10-Year Lifecycle: Why you can't "test" an old reserve's safety.
- The Sky Riders Bonus: 50% off your first professional Wingtrim repack.
Your Reserve: The Piece of Kit You Hope Never to Use
In paragliding and paramotoring, we spend hours obsessing over wings and harnesses, but the reserve parachute is often an afterthought. However, when things go wrong, it becomes the most important few kgs of equipment you own. Understanding how they work—and how to maintain them—is critical.
1. The Three Main Types of Reserve
- Round / PDA (Pull Down Apex): The traditional choice. (e.g. Ozone Angel V2) They are cost-effective and simple to pack, but they can be prone to "pendulum instability" during descent.
- Square: The modern standard. Square reserves, like the Companion SQR, offer much higher pendulum stability and incredibly fast opening times. They are also much easier to pack correctly than older designs.
- Steerable: These allow you to guide your descent to avoid obstacles like power lines. (e.g. X Dream Fly X-Curve). However, they are more complex to pack and require more "active" input during an emergency.
Our Recommendation: For most pilots, we recommend a Square Reserve. They offer the best balance of fast opening, rock-solid stability, and simplicity.
2. The Repack Schedule: Why 6 Months is the New Standard
The industry recommendation has shifted from 12 months to 6 months. Why? Because UK humidity and the pressure of being packed tightly in a harness can cause "fabric stickiness."
A professional repack at Wingtrim ensures the fabric is aired out, the elastics are fresh, and the reserve is correctly packed and installed. While club repacking events are great for community, a BHPA-certified professional has the controlled environment and specialised tools to spot tiny errors, like tight installations, that a distracted club overseen repack might miss.
3. The 10-Year Expiry: No Way to Test
Unlike a paraglider wing, we cannot reliably test the porosity or line strength of a reserve. Because of this, the industry standard for a reserve's lifespan is 10 years. This does vary with reserve models, some offering up to 12 and even 14 years if regularly inspected and repacked.
Beyond the aging of the materials, technology moves fast. A 10-year-old reserve is heavier, slower to open, and less stable than modern designs. If your reserve is approaching a decade in service, it's time to invest in your safety.
The Sky Riders & Wingtrim Difference
At Sky Riders, we don't just move boxes; we are BHPA-certified repackers. We believe in "Hands-On" safety. If you are local to Somerset, we offer repack guidance and instruction at our premises so you can understand exactly how your system works.
The Wingtrim Safety Guarantee
When you purchase any new reserve through the Sky Riders shop, you receive 50% OFF your first professional repack at Wingtrim. We make it easy to keep your kit in peak airworthy condition.
Don't leave your safety to chance. Visit us at the Bath & West Showground to see the Companion SQR in person or to discuss your repack schedule.