Reflection on light material ...
The current trend in pilot demand is towards ever lighter equipment.
It's certainly much nicer to have a small, lightweight bag on your back than a menhir!
A few years ago, the average weight of a paragliding bag was much closer to 20kg than to the 10kg that is widely possible today...
Materials and techniques have evolved significantly in recent years, and today we have ultra-lightweight products that would have been difficult to imagine just 10-15 years ago (single-surface wings, harnesses , XAlps harnesses , reserve parachutes, connectors, clothing, etc.).
Lightweight equipment seems to be the grail that everyone is looking for today. But every medal has its downside, and lightweight equipment is no exception to the rule. Lighter equipment has its advantages, but it also has its constraints, which we must not overlook, or at least be aware of and accept.
First: sustainability
Contrary to what many pilots think or wish, it is completely impossible to have a harness that is as strong as a harness ! Despite the high technicality of lightweight materials and their evolution, a thin fabric will always be more fragile than a thick fabric.
Light therefore requires special care to ensure a long and satisfying life. This includes abrasion, shocks, UV exposure, etc...
Point No. 2: the price!
Unfortunately, the price is not proportional to the weight!
All these new light materials require a great deal of research, and often have more expensive manufacturing processes than standard materials. Combined with the "fragility" parameter, you need to be aware of the care you need to take with your equipment.
In 3, Precision
One of the biggest compromises you have to make with a light harness compared to a harness plate harness is undoubtedly steering precision. harnesses are often designed with a hammock or separate leg loop geometry. These flexible geometries do not allow for the same precision as a plate harness when it comes to turning with the harness.
Furthermore, these "flexible" geometries lack rigidity, and the slightest movements of the pilot on the harness immediately reflected on the wing. A striking example is the use ofspeed bar. When using it, leg movements (grasping the bar and pushing) cause a change in the balance of the harness will almost certainly cause a relative displacement of the anchor points in relation to each other, and consequently cause the wing to turn. This will affect performance when trying to let the wing do its job to find the best air mass. Every unwanted movement will counteract the wing. On a harness , it is essential to have a certain amount of rigidity to prevent all these unwanted movements (which affect performance), particularly during acceleration phases.
And finally a misconception: stability / geometry
A common misconception is that harnesses are unstable. Lightweight harnesses are often associated with harnesses mountain harnesses , where the two leg loops are completely independent and have a wide range of movement relative to each other. However, it is perfectly possible to build a harness AND stable harness by adjusting the design geometry.
It should be noted that harnesses "hammock" harnesses are generally much more sensitive to rolling than harnesses a "separate leg" design. This is precisely due to the differences in the geometry of these two designs.
Lightweight equipment therefore has its advantages, but also certain constraints that must be taken into account when making your choice.
We invite you to listen to Max JEANPIERRE's interview on the podcast (from 01:12:24) www.cloudbasemayhem.com from our ambassador Gavin Mc CLURG.