OK, I understand the various interpretations of the "20 year life limit," but we don't have a rigger locally that will touch a 20 year old chute.

So, apparently there are riggers that WILL offer this service. Can you lucky folks who know who they are provide some contact information? I would be willing to pay shipping both ways and pay the repack fees to extend the usefulness (or potential usefulness) of my chute.

I have a Para-Phernalia "Softie," manufactured and purchased new in 2000 from Allen Silver, (who is actually a really nice guy that has provided a great deal of valuable guidance and service to the gliding community). I am not willing to knock him for what is probably intended as good advice but has to, unfortunately, encompass the entire range of customers who may not treat their vital piece of survival equipment properly.

You know, the guys who just leave their chute in a hot car trunk with the rubber stowage bands melting into the riser cords, the ones who leave the thing in a high-humidity environment and turn it into a Petri Dish suitable for mold cultivation and so on.

Any contact info would be welcomed by many on RAS, plus your rigger might be grateful enough for the added business that he might buy you a beer. However, having been in the company of jumpers, I realize that this is unlikely..