The Reserve Decision Too Many Rig Buyers Overlook
Your reserve is easy to leave until the end of a rig purchase. It should not be “whatever fits.” It is an important canopy choice that deserves the same thought as the rest of your setup.
Quick answer: what should guide your reserve choice?
TL;DR: Your reserve should not become “whatever fits” at the end of a rig purchase. It is an important canopy choice: consider the size you can confidently fly and land, then make sure the reserve, container and main work together.
The useful goal is not a rigid purchase order. It is choosing a reserve on purpose, then confirming that the main, container and reserve work together.
The reserve is a system choice
The Reserve Decision That Often Gets Overlooked
It is easy to focus on the main canopy, the container and a good used-rig deal, then ask at the end: “What reserve fits in this thing?” Whatever fits, goes in.
That's not ideal, when you think about it. You're choosing your emergency parachute — the one thing that needs to work perfectly on your worst day — based on leftover space in a bag.
That is why the reserve deserves a real conversation—not a rigid buying order, but a deliberate choice before the rest of the configuration is locked in.
The real consequence
The Real-World Horror Story
I've seen this more times than I'd like. A skydiver is jumping a 190 main. They find a deal on a used container — fits a 170 main, sweet. They squeeze in a main that works, and the reserve tray? It came with a 135.
Now think about what happens when that skydiver has a malfunction.
They've been flying a 190. Ok, we downsized 1 size. Maybe he was ready? They know how a 190 flies, how it flares, what the landing speed feels like. Now they cut away, pull silver, and they're suddenly under a 135 — a canopy that's almost 30% smaller than what they're used to. In one of the most stressful moments of their skydiving career, definitely pumped full of adrenaline, maybe in an unfamiliar area.
That's not a downsize. That's a trap.
Build the complete rig
Make the Reserve an Intentional Choice
There is no single purchase order that fits every rig. The important part is to make the reserve an active part of the decision:
Consider the reserve alongside your main. Think about your experience, exit weight, comfort wing loading and the landing environments you may realistically face. Your instructor or rigger can help turn that into a sensible choice.
Check the container works for both canopies. This is where sizing charts matter. Every manufacturer publishes what fits in their reserve tray—use the exact canopy models, not only the number on the label.
Make the complete rig work together. A lower-pack-volume reserve, a different container size or a different main configuration can all be sensible answers. The right answer is the one that does not turn the reserve into an afterthought.
Yes, this is harder. Yes, it limits your options. But you know what's harder? Landing a reserve that's way too small for you while your hands are shaking and your brain is screaming.
Used-rig check
What About Used Containers?
Used rigs are great — I'm not against them. But this is where the trap gets set most often. Someone sells a complete rig, and the buyer inherits whatever reserve was in it. Maybe it fits the original owner's needs. Maybe it doesn't fit yours at all.
If you're buying used:
- Check the reserve size FIRST. Not the main, not the container color — the reserve. Does it match your skills and needs?
- Factor in the cost of a new reserve. If the included reserve is too small, budget for replacing it. You can ask your rigger to part out your reserve, put another (bigger one) inside and you can sell the old one.
- Don't let "it fits" be the only criteria. A 135 technically fits a jumper who needs a 176. It just shouldn't.
Build familiarity
Try Your Reserve Before You Need It
Jumping a reserve as a main can make the choice far less abstract. It will not recreate a reserve ride, but it can give you useful familiarity with the canopy’s turns, approach, flare and landing.
Performance Designs’ demo program offers a “fly before you buy” route. PD has historically made PD Reserve and Optimum demos available; models, sizes and regional availability vary, so ask PD, a PD dealer or your DZ what is currently possible.
Models worth considering
The Reserves I Trust in 2026
After thousands of jumps and a couple of reserve rides—both mine and ones I have watched—these are the canopies I recommend discussing when you want the reserve choice to work with the whole rig.
Recommended reserve canopies
My #1 pick
Low-pack-volume reserve
PD Optimum Reserve Parachute Canopy
A considered choice when fitting more reserve canopy into the complete rig is part of the decision.
- Low pack volume
- 7-cell reserve
European classic
7-cell low-volume option
Paratec Speed 2000
A long-established reserve worth a real look when you are comparing complete-rig configurations.
- Low-volume option
- 7-cell reserve
Proven classic
Established 7-cell reserve
PD Reserve Parachute Canopy
The familiar established PD reserve choice when a standard-volume configuration fits the complete rig.
- Standard pack volume
- 7-cell reserve
Landing margin
Size Matters — Give Yourself Margin
Many jumpers value a reserve that gives them more landing margin on a difficult day.
When you're under your reserve, you might be disoriented, dealing with a partial malfunction, and landing in a field you've never seen before, with powerlines everywhere. And probably quite low. A bigger reserve gives you slower descent rates, more time in the air to make decisions, a longer flare, and more margin for error on landing. That's not weakness — that's intelligence.
When a low-pack-volume reserve lets a suitable container accommodate more reserve canopy, it is worth discussing that option with your instructor or rigger. The correct size is personal—not a universal formula.
Five questions to answer
Quick Decision Framework
- What main are you jumping? Your reserve should be the same size, 1 size bigger (or smaller) will cover most situations.
- What's your comfort wing loading? Apply that same logic to your reserve — you'll be flying it on your worst day.
- Container not decided yet? Good—include the reserve in the conversation now, then choose a container that fits the complete configuration.
- Container already owned? Check the sizing chart. If the current reserve is too small, upsize is the container allows. Buy a new & sell the old reserve.
- Buying a used rig? Don't inherit someone else's bad reserve decision. Budget for a reserve swap if needed.
The rule to keep
The Bottom Line
Your reserve is an important canopy choice. It should be considered on purpose—not inherited from a used rig or selected only because it is the one that fits.
Choose a reserve that makes sense for you. Then make sure the container and main configuration work with it. That is a much better decision than letting the tray make the choice for you.
And if someone at the DZ tells you "whatever fits is fine" — smile, nod, and ignore them completely.
Give the reserve the attention it deserves.
Choose a reserve that makes sense for you, then make sure the rest of the rig supports that choice.
Browse reserve canopies
