Should I choose Vectran or Microline for my canopy?
Microline and Vectran both have particular advantages and disadvantages. One type of line may be better than another depending on the specific type of canopy you fly. A canopy s lines tend to shrink as the canopy is jumped. The shrinking is caused by several factors, including friction created by the slider as it descends during the opening. After several hundred jumps, some of the lines may be a few inches shorter than they were when the canopy was new. This is what we mean when we say a canopy is out of trim. Vectran lines tend to stay in trim longer than Microline, but Microline is more abrasion-resistant than Vectran. Although a Vectran line set with 500 jumps will probably still have trim differentials that are within specifications, the Vectran lines may still need to be replaced due to wear and abrasion. A canopy with Microlines may be out of trim to some degree after 500 jumps, but the lines are likely to show considerably less wear. Most canopy designs are fairly forgiving of
