I never got as far as folding my own parachute, but I know they have to be folded somehow, and if it doesn't unfold properly, you die (modulo the reserve). So I

I never got as far as folding my own parachute, but I know they have to be folded somehow, and if it doesn't unfold properly, you die (modulo the reserve). So I'd speculate optimization could have a role in reliability. My memory is hazy, but I may have been told that the method of folding also affects how abruptly and with how much shock it opens.