Care With Line Stows (& the case for rubber bands) Part 2
This particular malfunction comes under 2 headings. The actual malfunction was a bag lock, and one of the few redeeming features of that scenario is that it is often pretty easy to see what caused the malfunction in the first place (another being that the canopy is usually undamaged if you ever find it).
In this instance it was easy to see that a single line had become wrapped around one line stow due to poor line management while putting the bag in the container. Almost all of the lines had come unstowed apart from one of the locking stows and the one immediately to its right in the photograph. That bad boy was being held in place tightly by one wrapped around line and a tube stoe.
Almost certainly a rubber band would have snapped and released the canopy from the bag, making a good case for the use of mil. spec. rubber bands over any other line stoe product out there. It's been said before on this site and others, rubber bands break for a reason - to let the canopy out!!!!!!!!!!
I want to make it clear that the cause of the malfunction was poor line management during packing, but the exacerbating factor was the tube stoe, which prevented it clearing.
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