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Become Familiar with the Variety of Bungee Jumping Equipment
from: Maxx Sports GuidesSince bungee jumping equipment comes in different shapes and sizes and many variations, new jumpers need to become familiar with it before making their first jump.
Many different types of platforms and retrieval equipment are used in bungee jumping. However, for the purpose of this article, we'll look at two major items that will affect your jump the most -- the bungee cord, and the harness.
Cord Variations
Of all the bungee jumping equipment, the bungee cord is one of the most important items. Several variations of cord are used in bungee jumping today: braided cords, unbraided cords, pre-stretched and un-stretched, natural rubber, mil spec, and the Euro cord.
Let's look at some examples of cord, their characteristics and the impact on the end user: the bungee jumper.
Military Specification Cord
The military specification cord (or mil spec) is manufactured to meet U. S. military requirements. Of course, the military uses it to tie down equipment, not jump from bridges and other tall objects!
However, because of the rigorous and standardized testing of the mil spec, these cords work well for bungee jumping. When mil spec cords are used in bungee jumping, they're usually grouped together to form a set, as one cord can typically hold about 200 pounds of weight.
Each cord has a protective sheath to prevent dirt and foreign objects from abrading (scraping) the cords. The downside is that the ends of the cords can't be inspected for fraying and/or signs of failure.
Some bungee cords are pre-stretched. This prevents the cord from stretching too much during the actual jump, resulting in more of a 'jerking' action and a shock as the jumper reaches the end of the cord length.
These types of cords are used mostly in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere commercial proponents of bungee jumping tend to use a natural rubber, un-stretched and unbraided cord.
The latter provides for a lot more 'bounce' and a smoother experience at the bottom of the jump. While these natural cords don't last as long as the mil spec cords, they do provide a much more comfortable jump for the average user.
Harnesses
The next piece of bungee jumping equipment that you should be familiar with is known as the harness. There are two main types of harnesses - the leg harness and the body harness.
The leg harness usually consists of a towel wrapped around the ankles with webbing tied in a special knot. The towel provides padding to help prevent injury to the ankles. The webbing is attached to the bungee cord.
The body harness is similar to a climber's harness; and in fact, is many times the same thing. The most important aspect of the harness is how it attaches to the bungee. The harness needs to be securely attached.
Some accidental deaths have occurred when the bungee cord was attached using climbing carabineers instead of specialized equipment.
Bungee jumping equipment definitely has come a long way since vines were used on Pentecost Island!
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