Arguably one of the more important components of our container system, also one of the most visible. The BOC, or “bottom of container” refers to the elastic/spandura pouch that a pilot chute sits in for a “throw out” deployment system. Not all systems are “throw outs”, but that’s a discussion for another day. If your container system has a “BOC pouch”, you might find this information helpful.
During our routine gear checks, we should be checking the elasticity of our BOC pouch. We can do this by placing our open palm on the pouch and firmly pulling on the “hackey” or “freefly handle” that the pilot chute is attached to. The pilot chute should move freely in the pouch, not be bunched or balled up in the pouch. The handle should sit snuggly at the opening of the pouch. The pictures below are a good example of a BOC that is in good condition.
The pictures below are an example of a BOC pouch that needs to be replaced.
While these last 2 pictures seem to show more wear around the top of the pouch, the main body still has a substantial amount of elasticity to it. The handle sits at the mouth of the pouch. By having the stretched out fabric up bear the mouth, it can allow the fabric of the pilot chute to work it’s way out of the pouch, endangering the jumper to be victim to a premature deployment.
The elasticity of the BOC pouch along with a freefly tuck tab (if your pc has one) ensure your pilot chute stays put until you decide to deploy it. If you have any question as to whether your BOC pouch needs replacing, consult your rigger.
Blue Skies!
Thank you Shauna for providing some good advice.
Blue Skies!!!!
