On Friday, August 31, 2018 at 3:18:42 PM UTC-5, John Foster wrote:
Is there any general consensus of which brand of parachute is better than others, or are they all about the same? Any thoughts regarding the MARS ATL-15 parachutes offered through wingsandwheels.com? They seem a little more affordable for a new chute.

You can't go wrong with a Strong! (yeah, corny, I know).

My Strong parachute is 25 years old. No problems getting it repacked, either by local riggers or by Strong. I alternate between taking my chute to the local guy and sending it to Strong for repack. Strong's customer service is first rate. They turn it around quick and have it back to me even faster than my local rigger. My next parachute will definitely be a Strong.

Oh, I also have a National that I picked up because it was a lighter then my Strong and cheap. I'm sure it's a good chute, but the harness system is kind of odd and uncomfortable and it lacks the padding of my Strong (that's why it's lighter).