Squirrel Suits

[bradgator2]

Whenever "bad" things have happened around me or to people I know (or reading incident reports), or even read a story like yours, I analyze it in detail and ask myself: "Could this have happened to me?"

I am NOT being my usual arrogant kvnt self here, but the answer is usually "no" and I have specific reasons why the answer is "no." I have certain rules and I don't violate them (in full disclosure, this really kicked in after a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, before that, I was "full Brad" ). So those cases never messed with my head. Like, "What kind of DUMBASS would drive on Airport Road between the embassy and KAIA on a Friday morning in the hours after first prayer?!?!?!?!?" One almost deserves to get blown up for doing that. If it's something that COULD have happened to me, yeah, it messes with my head, but I can't remember the last time that happened.

You guys chose to drive Airport Road between the embassy and KAIA on a Friday morning in the hours after first prayer knowing it was a bad idea and violating your first rule (ground temp), then it compounded from there... this one's on YOU genius!

Yeah, I knew you'd have an interesting perspective. I attempted to write the story in a way that anyone could watch the snowball getting bigger.

A couple of things:
1) We were not flippant about the decision to jump. We had all jumped in temps even colder than that. It ranks up there with the most awful thing to experience. There is simply no glove made than can protect from that kind of wind and cold, and still provide enough dexterity to grasp handles and loops. Under canopy, you can see your hands grasping the loops of the canopy, but there is absolutely zero feeling. Once you land, the warmth coming back to your hands literally makes them feel on fire. Anyway, we talked long about it. The f'ing problem was we hired and brought in for the weekend the most elite coach in the world. It was a really big deal to have him there (and not cheap). In the end, we decided that opportunity overrode our previous cold experience. Whoops.

2) And it's really a whole other topic. But my memories of that morning and especially that jump are crystal clear and oddly detailed. Especially the sequence of events that happened with him after I landed. This was 19 years ago. And then poof, it's all gone. I remember riding back to the dropzone in the back of a truck. And I remember my other teammates giving me shiit for landing off property. They still didnt know anything had happened. But that's it.

 

[Detroitgator]

Yeah, I knew you'd have an interesting perspective. I attempted to write the story in a way that anyone could watch the snowball getting bigger.

A couple of things:
1) We were not flippant about the decision to jump. We had all jumped in temps even colder than that. It ranks up there with the most awful thing to experience. There is simply no glove made than can protect from that kind of wind and cold, and still provide enough dexterity to grasp handles and loops. Under canopy, you can see your hands grasping the loops of the canopy, but there is absolutely zero feeling. Once you land, the warmth coming back to your hands literally makes them feel on fire. Anyway, we talked long about it. The f'ing problem was we hired and brought in for the weekend the most elite coach in the world. It was a really big deal to have him there (and not cheap). In the end, we decided that opportunity overrode our previous cold experience. Whoops.

2) And it's really a whole other topic. But my memories of that morning and especially that jump are crystal clear and oddly detailed. Especially the sequence of events that happened with him after I landed. This was 19 years ago. And then poof, it's all gone. I remember riding back to the dropzone in the back of a truck. And I remember my other teammates giving me shiit for landing off property. They still didnt know anything had happened. But that's it.

This is very, very common in those kinds of situations.

 

[bradgator2]

This is very, very common in those kinds of situations.

3) And I just realized this for the 1st time as I was walking away from the computer. But that truly horrific cold feeling in my hands was not there when I landed. I would assume the adrenalin of the situation overrode all that.

 

[Detroitgator]

3) And I just realized this for the 1st time as I was walking away from the computer. But that truly horrific cold feeling in my hands was not there when I landed. I would assume the adrenalin of the situation overrode all that.

Which is probably true. that kind of REAL adrenaline dump actually shuts down extremities and you lose stuff like fine motor skill, but your body also starts to shut down pain reception.

So, the real question is, and there is no wrong answer, did you schit or piss yourself? It happens, cuz, the body dumps. ;)

 

[bradgator2]

Which is probably true. that kind of REAL adrenaline dump actually shuts down extremities and you lose stuff like fine motor skill, but your body also starts to shut down pain reception.

So, the real question is, and there is no wrong answer, did you schit or piss yourself? It happens, cuz, the body dumps. ;)

I wouldn’t admit that here if I did

But no, thank God that didn’t happen.

 

[Detroitgator]

I wouldn’t admit that here if I did

But no, thank God that didn’t happen.

I didn't figure it did, it's much more probable that it would've happened to the guy that actually went through it.

 

[NVGator]

Holy schit. @bradgator2 could/would have been the inventor of Squirrel Suits if he had only known, making him an even more Millionaire than he is. To top that off @Detroitgator is even more an arrogant kunt than we all thought.

 

[NVGator]

 

[bradgator2]

I would guess these noobs have 25 jumps each.

 

[G8trwood]

I remember watching the old 60 minutes segment and thinking, nope.