Hang Gliding - FAQ - What's needed?
May you never need your parachute! This next part is disaster preparedness. Unless your approach to problems is "head in the sand", here comes some vital information that I hope nobody ever needs.
How it could happen is not the topic right now. To me, it seems as unlikely as a lightning strike on my head. Nevertheless, a damaged and spinning glider can twist the suspension lines of your parachute together until it becomes a streamer, even after a totally successful deployment. When this happens, it can take as little as 200 meters (yards) of vertical descent to convert a full 'chute into a useless flag. You should have a ball-bearing para-swivel to prevent this. They cost around US$100.00, depending on quality. Attach the para-swivel between your reserve umbilical and the canopy suspension lines. A good harness maker (or sky-diving parachute rigger) can cut and sew the umbilical as necessary for the para-swivel.
That said, you should not bet your life on a para-swivel, either. You should be prepared to cut a spinning glider away. Your parachute should be attached to you, not to the glider, with an independent locking carabiner. Even if your primary carabiner or hang-loops were to fail somehow, you would still have your 'chute. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. MAKE NO COMPROMISES IN THE RIGGING OF YOUR RESERVE PARACHUTE.
I always fly with a diver's knife. It has a hard, thick plastic sheath that locks into the knife hilt, so it won't poke into anything; it has a pushbutton release on the sheath. There is a wrist lanyard at the grip, so it cannot be dropped accidentally. I keep the knife pocket zipped tight, with the lanyard outside. If I ever needed it, I would put my wrist though the lanyard loop, then unzip the pocket and grab the knife. Only after the knife is under good control, I would then remove the sheath. The sheath has its' own lanyard, tied inside the knife pocket, so the knife can be safely stowed, later. I have practiced with this item until proficient, but I have never needed it in all my years of flying with a parachute. May you be as fortunate.
Throwing a HG reserve parachute is not an instinctive skill. Since we generally re-pack our parachutes every six to twelve months, most HG clubs or HG shops make it an indoor event. We arrange for sufficient space, a professional parachute rigger or two, and gather the clan. In turn, everybody hangs in their harness, and does a practice deployment. We might even make it a timed contest, with suitable prizes for the fastest and slowest deployments. A full official re-pack is not needed for each practice toss; you can just stuff it back together, for the practice tosses. Once each pilot is happy with their new proficiency, then the riggers can do their skilled task for that HG pilot. Costs will be reasonable, and everybody leaves with smiles, confidence, and the best of life insurance: a freshly packed parachute. Most HG pilots (that I know) have never needed their parachute, but I'll never refuse a second option, in case the un-imaginable ever does happen.
Cell Phone Contact List.
Since we are talking about the emergency stuff now, here is a good idea that I heard, lately. I consider the most dangerous part of flyin' to be driving on the freeways, where there are entirely too many incompetent or unaware drivers, guiding (or not) tons of high speed steel. Flying at twenty mph (30kph) across the endless open skies seems much safer to me, these days. :-)
If you carry a cell phone, flyin' or not, you can put one star (*) or two stars(**) in front of the names of your Emergency Contact people, such as immediate family members, who may now be scattered throughout your Contact List. The STARs then will Sort these names right to the top of your Contact List.
MARK the phone, inside and out, with labels (even hand-written, for now) that say *I*C*E*. First responders will (or should) know that means "In Case of Emergency", and they will be able to contact your important people, by calling the top names (starred) on your Contact List.
You may find that another symbol works better than a (*) for this idea; go with whatever symbol works best, on your phone.
Here is a collection of some hang glider harness and HG reserve parachute Owner's Manuals. There may be (MORE)