Sandy sans backpack

[zihyer]

Has anyone seen an approval for a sandtrooper without a backpack? Seems like there were Mos Eisley troopers without backpacks on so I'm wondering how rigid the requirement is to have the pack for 501st approval. Anyone have any experience or knowledge of this?

 

Thanks,

d

[Krazy Ivan[TK]]

Hey Mate, check this CRL link for Sandys it will give you the info you want. http://www.501st.com...:TD_sandtrooper

 

Also head over to the MEPD for all things Sandy. Link: http://www.mepd.net/

Edited July 12, 2012 by Krazy Ivan

[iconoclasta_88[501st]]

Yep, you can get 501st TD status without a pack. But if you are looking for MEPD deployment you will need a pack.

 

Head over there, it's a wretched hive of scum and villainy. But a welcoming one.

 

Saludos.

[bluehickey]

I have a heavy weapons Trooper (which is basically a clean sandtrooper) and I had no idea how taxing wearing a backpack was going to be while trooping! I am good for about 45min- 1hr and then all of the sudden the weight becomes unbearable and I want to get it off as soon as I can. I welcome the idea of trooping in my HWT w/o the backpack.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

in the MEPD

 

you just wear a pack to be deployed, then change it up for different SWAT versions.

 

done deal.

 

some swat mepd variations allow no pack.

 

I like the HWT version as well and was hoping for a lightweight kind of

 

pack like a hyperfirm... just a thin light pack with really lightweight

 

materials. foam, pvc and air.

Edited July 13, 2012 by TK Bondservnt 2392

[zihyer]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. This is very helpful and thanks for the link to MEPD.

 

Here's the image that got me thinking that the packless TD might be possible:

 

 

My situation isn't so much that I want to get out of lugging it around (although Hickey's post has me wondering now..), but rather that I was considering building a TK, then converting it to a TD later. Now, that being said, I have had one person say that going that route will incur a considerable amount of additional work and even more plastic.

 

I haven't nailed down specifics on what I would have to re-order to covert from TK to sandy but I'm trying to research that and gather it all up to see if I would be better off just going straight to a sandy.

 

Decision, decision...

 

Thanks again for all the responses!

 

Daryl

[bluehickey]

There are many smaller details that would prohibit you from using a TK kit as a TD. Check out this link for all of the details you'd have to change. It would be easier to have two different kits.

 

http://www.looksirdroids.com/replica_sand-storm.htm

[zihyer]

Thanks for the link; very helpful indeed.

 

What I was considering was to build a TK initially then convert it to a sandy but there's just no way that's a reasonable endeavor. I'll probably just finish this one as a TK then decide to either keep it or sell and move along to a sandy build.

[bluehickey]

Or you can buy the parts for a Heavy Weapons trooper: pauldron, backpack and pouches and put them on your TK when you want to, and get two costumes out of one.

BTW, the history of the HWT is that it comes from a video game and the game designers instead of modeling a sandtrooper, just took a standard stormtrooper and added the components to make it resemble a sandtrooper. That's why the little details like knee plate, shoulder ribbing etc are a TK.

 

From my experience wearing both a TK and a HWT, it is much more comfortable trooping as a standard TK. Even w/o wearing the backpack as a HWT, the shoulder pauldron and shoulder pouch really restrict my head movement a lot and make it more difficult to see things because of less neck mobility, plus it's more uncomfortable around my neck, feels constricting most of the time. Plus, add to the fact that you have to carry around a huge gun that almost always requires you to have two hands on it in order to walk around and move, which means it's harder to high 5 kids and wave to them. As a basic TK, I can move my head around better and only have to have one hand holding my blaster, or can put it in my holster and not worry about it at all.

 

I'd highly suggest finishing your TK and then getting the components for a HWT and try trooping that way and see how you like it. If you don't mind how it feels wearing the additional parts, then you can decide weather you want to spend the additional money on either getting another set of armor for a TD, or converting your TK to TD permanently. If you do decide to switch to a TD, you'll already have the components from your HWT that you can use.

 

I loved how cool the sandtrooper and HWT look, but was really surprised by how uncomfortable it was to troop in. I don't dress as my HWT nearly as much as I thought I would unfortunately.