Exploration/Scout Equipment
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Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
The Fire Block should be TL-8 as well (except the non-toxicity, and the disappearing wrapper). I got to use a firestarter during our survival training that was essentially a hollow, plastic stick, containing napalm. You pulled the zip cord, and it ignited the napalm, which jetted out one end, which you held to your wood pile to start a fire.
That Shower-in-a-can needs to come in some Scout-appropriate odors, as well: besides the ever-popular "Smokey Pete" smell, there's the "Nobody here but us indigineous sophonts", the "Don't eat me, I will upset your stomach", and the pheromone-of-choice versions. All of the above come carefully labelled for different regions of space (the "Smokey Pete" version is banned within 3 subsectors of K'kree space).
RoS, the stakes are inside the Auto-Tent, and removing them makes the tent re-collapse?
SOP would be to remove the one nearest the door last, right?
How would you do this "Wrapper disintegrates into harmless waste within ten minutes of removal" bit? As a user of MREs for several years, I'm curious.
That Shower-in-a-can needs to come in some Scout-appropriate odors, as well: besides the ever-popular "Smokey Pete" smell, there's the "Nobody here but us indigineous sophonts", the "Don't eat me, I will upset your stomach", and the pheromone-of-choice versions. All of the above come carefully labelled for different regions of space (the "Smokey Pete" version is banned within 3 subsectors of K'kree space).
RoS, the stakes are inside the Auto-Tent, and removing them makes the tent re-collapse?
SOP would be to remove the one nearest the door last, right?How would you do this "Wrapper disintegrates into harmless waste within ten minutes of removal" bit? As a user of MREs for several years, I'm curious.
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
You're all welcome.
I'll think about submitting it.
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The stakes are on the inside when it is compressed. After decompression, one reaches inside the "bag" of material and removes the stakes. Replacing them compresses the tent again.Originally posted by Fritz88:
RoS, the stakes are inside the Auto-Tent, and removing them makes the tent re-collapse?
There are six exterior loops on the base of the tent. One on each corner, and one on each midpoint. There are also two guide-wires that lead off from the fore and aft top of the tent's two "V" tips (actually, it's not a perfect "V", it's sort of curved . . .), with loops at the end of the wires.
The first six keep the tent secure to the ground, and the second two help keep the top from shaking in high winds. (Basically, the interior struts gain some extra bracing when the guide-wires are stretched out and staked down.)
Early nano-technology. That's why they aren't TL-8.
Maybe I might reduce the fire block to TL-10, but it can't go lower than that, not IMTU. It isn't just the packaging, it's the totally non-toxic nature of the burning chemicals. I was guesstimating that as not too likely at TL-10.
For a lower-tech disintegration of the packaging, there are (IIRC) several self-degrading packaging substances under development right now; mostly organics that would either be digestable by microorganisms (bad if you're on a planet with very different ones from Earth) or that degrades quickly under sunlight into simple organics.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Whew! Be one heck of a prank on a Boy Scout trip, though!
Ah. Are you assuming pots and pans, or are you assuming I will eat really fast once I open the container?
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
</font>Originally posted by Fritz88:
Ah. Are you assuming pots and pans, or are you assuming I will eat really fast once I open the container?
- TL-10: Expedition Food Pack: [...] Drop into 1 litre of water, add heat [...]</font>
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
</font>Originally posted by RainOfSteel:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Fritz88:
Ah. Are you assuming pots and pans, or are you assuming I will eat really fast once I open the container?
- TL-10: Expedition Food Pack: [...] Drop into 1 litre of water, add heat [...]</font>
RainOfSteel
SOC-14 1K
Really? The last MRE I actually opened was in 1988, so I'm a little behind the times on that.
This isn't supposed to be an MRE, though. Its a "pack of food". That'll be a different item on the list.
You should have volunteered for R&D on MRE's
I had a Pizza MRE, didn't turn out well.
Some of the MRE's actually had a self heater, pull the string and wait 5 minutes. Messy for a field ration because the water packet could get broken in cargo packets/packs. But it was nice to not have to heat the parts, add water and all the work involved just to eat the meal.
The Winter MRE was in 2 packages and covered you for a full day, (about 3200 to 3600 cals).
One problem with MRE's is odor. Odor is what helps make food taste better but odor also attracts unwanted attention (bugs, animals, People).
Power Gel's were also tried, they work well but after a few days of only eating (drinking) gel flavored packets with lots of water. Your stomach changes size and your shits (for most) become softer (to put it nicely.)
Also IV's can have nutrients added them, Point of this is you might consider having some suits equiped with IV's or medic bags with specialized IV's. Maybe in the future IV's are dry to save space and weight, and when you add water before using
Dave Chase
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
The most recent MREs I have eaten were a few years back. But, you generally only added water to the heater element (you want to talk about odor? Whew!) for the main course. (Tear the top off the heater bag, add couple oz. of water, insert main course pouch, wait, remove pouch, tear open and eat.)
Now, the adventuring advantages of a heater pouch are many! They were having the grunts in Bosnia turn them in (used or not) after eating - it seems a few of them in a duct tape strengthened 1.5l water bottle with some water made for a nice "practical joke" bomb. Higher TL models should be even more fun!
Now, the adventuring advantages of a heater pouch are many! They were having the grunts in Bosnia turn them in (used or not) after eating - it seems a few of them in a duct tape strengthened 1.5l water bottle with some water made for a nice "practical joke" bomb. Higher TL models should be even more fun!
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
I ahd some newer ones at the warehouse. "Spagetti" was really Nas-T!
One image of them I liked are the ones the Maries had in the Second Part of "Space Cruiser Yamato/Starblazers"
One image of them I liked are the ones the Maries had in the Second Part of "Space Cruiser Yamato/Starblazers"
Heater Bombs were always something to have around in a pinch and not just for a joke. Great destractions, and burning people.Originally posted by Fritz88:
... They were having the grunts in Bosnia turn them in (used or not) after eating - it seems a few of them in a duct tape strengthened 1.5l water bottle with some water made for a nice "practical joke" bomb. Higher TL models should be even more fun!
Crumble the heater material, place in a spot where it would fall on or be touched by the oposition, then later have them get covered with water or (so help them) they get sweaty, or they go into the water (only stuck to them if they sweated a bit or got into their cloths.
BTW, we always had to tell the new guys to not make the Heater Bombs unless supervised. Several soldiers have gotten hurt trying to do them.
Dave Chase
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Well, the big problem in Bosnia was the mines. The main base (Tuzla) actually had minefields inside the perimeter, so a loud kaboom in one of the living areas was a significant cause for concern, and folks didn't view it as much of a joke. 
We actually heard them blowing up a house with mines one night.... 
We actually heard them blowing up a house with mines one night.... Personally, my characters tend to buy as high of tech level items as possible, simply because of the weight difference, they aren't that strong. Since each tech level above the required one, reduces the size/weight of the item by 10% (where practible, as a tech 13 hammer weighs as much as a tech 2) and can become essentially no weight at all, at least against carrying capacity. Just look at the difference between winter wear from the 1950's and what is available today, less than 1/3 of the original weight but twice as warm.
As far as field rations, many series have self-heating ration pacs, such as the Vorkosigan series, The Variag (robert freza) series and others. It does leave a small amount of waste but doesn't require anything but activation. Of course you would have to have a two touch system, such as finger on a tab, then a pull tab, just to make sure they don't activate accidently. I would say that this is a tech 9 item but this is only a guess on my part.
As far as field rations, many series have self-heating ration pacs, such as the Vorkosigan series, The Variag (robert freza) series and others. It does leave a small amount of waste but doesn't require anything but activation. Of course you would have to have a two touch system, such as finger on a tab, then a pull tab, just to make sure they don't activate accidently. I would say that this is a tech 9 item but this is only a guess on my part.
Has anyone designed a package for First Contact ships. DGP had some useful ideas for Scouts on the ground but I would hate to think that all the Scout service ever did was easedrop on the conversation of a planet's datasphere. Surely, they must deploy things like satelites, ground stations all in preparation of First Contact...
First Contact packages would also probably include various low-tech goods which would appeal to low-TL natives (beads, stainless-steel knives, cheap electronic gadgets and so on) as well as samples of Imperial high-tech trade goods to use to demonstrate to higher-tech natives the advantages of signing a trading agreement with the Imperium (that's being a big "carrot" to convince independant plants to join the Imperium - a Kinunir or two would be a very useful "stick"). Specialized language-analysis programs (to decypher alien languages and build translator-program libraries) for shipboard computers would also be useful.
mbrinkhues
SOC-14 1K
Depending on the planet being explored, I'd suggest some heavily stealthed and shielded equipment for the pre-contact phase. Lot's of small remotes and passive sensors.
Just imagine contacting a 1950s/early 60s Terra and a probe is tracked coming in at a ballistic trajectory. I guess you can skip the contact idea an hour or so after that.
Whatever ships and crafts you use, I'd arm them with lasers and sandcasters only. Less offensive and more useful if someone lobs the equivalent of a Spartan or a Galosh at you while you're in orbit
Fit's the scout craft in G: First Eaten<<<<<In that can do double duty as a sensor plattform during war.
Just imagine contacting a 1950s/early 60s Terra and a probe is tracked coming in at a ballistic trajectory. I guess you can skip the contact idea an hour or so after that.
Whatever ships and crafts you use, I'd arm them with lasers and sandcasters only. Less offensive and more useful if someone lobs the equivalent of a Spartan or a Galosh at you while you're in orbit
Fit's the scout craft in G: First Eaten<<<<<In that can do double duty as a sensor plattform during war.
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