Hydration in armor

[Butah Fett]

So I'm thinking about the length of the TOR Parade and I'm thinking as much as I sweat, I'm gonna need hydration. Anyone use a Camelback or something similar in armor? If so, does it work okay?

[TK4999[TK]]

So I'm thinking about the length of the TOR Parade and I'm thinking as much as I sweat, I'm gonna need hydration. Anyone use a Camelback or something similar in armor? If so, does it work okay?

 

Hey Carlos,

 

Check out the Rose Parade threads on the 501st boards. There is a lot of discussion about what works and what doesn't work. They are very concerned about hydration for that parade too... 5 miles of marching.

 

Here in MN we don't have to worry about stuff like that in the winter... only frostbite!!!

[Daetrin[Admin]]

It seems the hardest part is threading the tube into your helmet and figuring out a way to keep it handy, esp. as you really won't be able to reach up with your hand at all.

 

On the plus, we should have ample time during the evening to rig sthing up if you don't before then. Lots of helping hands to contribute ideas.

[Butah Fett]

I think I'm gonna get a cheap hydration system (isn't that a stupid term for "thing filled with water you strap to your back?") and cannibalize it into something that fits neatly into my back plate. Shouldn't be too hard. Next I gotta get foam and line this trunk I'm using to transport my armor...

[Exodus[TK]]

Don't forget about the second mod you will need to make. What goes in must come out!

[SuperTrooper]

Don't forget about the second mod you will need to make. What goes in must come out!

 

On a 5 mile march it'll be sweat as long as you pace your intake.

[Butah Fett]

I've only had to pee once while in armor. The rest of the times I sweat it all out.

[TK-2833[501st]]

I started to do this mod to my armor a while ago, and here is what my thoughts on it were.

 

I was going to get some white marine vinyl and cut it to slightly overlap the 'hole' in my backplate. Then take three strips of ABS and rivet it to the sides and bottom of the vinyl and epoxy it inside my backplate, making a pouch with the top open. Then I was going to mount velcro straps up the backplate to where my dickey on my neckseal would start, so I could run the tubing. Inside the helmet, I was going to mount a clip very near to my mouth and attach a bite plate to the end of the tubing to the hydration bag.

 

That way you can just undo the straps and slip the bag out of the backplate for shorter troops or for filling.

[TK8280]

As an endurance athlete myself and being that my longest endurance event which was October 21st which lasted 18+ hours...I am kind of an authority on this subject...along with good ample hydration before stepping off, your should get ahold of some salt pills which will in turn force your body to hold onto what ever hydration you put into it...I would suggest 2-3 salt pills per hour for someone over the weight of 180 pounds, now that is depending on the heat of course..if the temp is up adjust the amout to three pills...so if your going to be marching for 2-3 hours you would take the about 5 pills an hour before start time...Doing this should also force your body to not have to urinate during the process which would be good on both ends

I hope this helps

[jasond011[501st]]

This may be a bit of a faux pas, but one of those curious wonders. I for one havn't tried it, but has any one tried a condom catheter for those EXTRA long troops( or at least willing to share about it), where it would be a pain to use the proper facilities? Female troopers are a different story which I won't even try to tackle, but hey....even in the Star Wars universe, people gotta pee, right?

[Butah Fett]

Eww. No. Never. To my knowledge, no one who did the Rose Parafe even did that. We peed before or after.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

There was a rumor that someone did use a Depends, though.

[Exodus[TK]]

There was a rumor that someone did use a Depends, though.

 

In a drill sergeants voice, " Trooper why is your rear abs plate not sitting properly? Would you care to tell the rest of the regiment why your uniform is improperly aligned? "

[TK8280]

I'm telling you, just suck down salt pills and your body will hold onto liquid foro hours at a time...I've gone about 15 hours

[Daetrin[Admin]]

In a drill sergeants voice, " Trooper why is your rear abs plate not sitting properly? Would you care to tell the rest of the regiment why your uniform is improperly aligned? "

 

Haa haa - can you imaging the Colonel giving that talk?

 

[TK8280]

Haa haa - can you imaging the Colonel giving that talk?

 

Yeah Huh...

[CAndyman[TK]]

I'm telling you, just suck down salt pills and your body will hold onto liquid foro hours at a time...I've gone about 15 hours

While this is an effective way to stave off thirst and urination it should also be strongly noted that individuals with high blood pressure or heart problems SHOULD NOT try this as you may very well give yourself a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm. Or even those who are in good health could pass out or lose vision temporarily, I guess on the up side you wouldn't wet your pants while you're unconscious.

 

This method of controling hydration should ONLY be used after consulting a physician. When I was a kid lots of kids would detassle corn in the summer to make some extra cash, lots of them used salt pills for the same reasons. I've seen many healthy fit young persons pass out from overdoing the salt pills.

 

Yes it does work, but only use after seeking a doctors advice and use responsibly don't use the more is better mentality. Unless it's more healthy troops on the field is better.

 

This public service announcment has been brought to you in part by Balstec makers of the E-11 blaster, "The E-11 when you absolutely positively have to kill every moisture farmer in the room, accept no substitute".

[TK8280]

While this is an effective way to stave off thirst and urination it should also be strongly noted that individuals with high blood pressure or heart problems SHOULD NOT try this as you may very well give yourself a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm. Or even those who are in good health could pass out or lose vision temporarily, I guess on the up side you wouldn't wet your pants while you're unconscious.

 

This method of controling hydration should ONLY be used after consulting a physician. When I was a kid lots of kids would detassle corn in the summer to make some extra cash, lots of them used salt pills for the same reasons. I've seen many healthy fit young persons pass out from overdoing the salt pills.

 

Yes it does work, but only use after seeking a doctors advice and use responsibly don't use the more is better mentality. Unless it's more healthy troops on the field is better.

 

This public service announcment has been brought to you in part by Balstec makers of the E-11 blaster, "The E-11 when you absolutely positively have to kill every moisture farmer in the room, accept no substitute".

 

Sorry, I forgot that not everyone is an ultra endurance athelet like myself

[CAndyman[TK]]

Sorry, I forgot that not everyone is an ultra endurance athelet like myself

 

No harm done trooper, I just thought about it and realized a quick disclaimer might be in order. Long live the Empire!

[V'Pier[501st]]

Yeah, most of us didnt use any camel packs, and some of us snuck off to the portapottys to take a quick piss before we started marching on.

 

I don't think that many of us needed to pee considering we sweated most of our liquids out.

[Butah Fett]

Yeah, I snuck off and did the quickest pee I've ever done in armor. And Scott Will had to pee during the whole thing. In fact, there was a picture in the LA Times of him going into a porto-john after the parade.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I found out that:

1) If you really need to, you can figure out how to fit in the bus' toilet in armor and pee (I and several others went before we got off the bus)

2) If you're really tired, you'll find a way to sit in armor. Everyone did on the ride home.

[Butah Fett]

2) If you're really tired, you'll find a way to sit in armor. Everyone did on the ride home.

I pretty much de-suited once I got on the bus; thighs around my ankles, undid my belt, took off my fore arms, etc. Hell, I fell asleep like that.

[Jumpin Jax]

Once heard that it was all about the Gatorade. No more moisture than you needed, less bathroom breaks.

[TK8280]

Once heard that it was all about the Gatorade. No more moisture than you needed, less bathroom breaks.

Yes, Gatorade is good also, just don't drink too much...