Skin tight vacc suits, really?

[saundby]

The Space Activity Suit does not need to be airtight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_activity_suit#SAS

Modern ones aren't layers of latex body gloves, but something like a wet suit with wires covering the contours of the musculature so that they kept the flesh from ballooning out without restricting movement. People wearing them could sweat to keep cool and urinate through the material. I think I read somewhere it would be more like a millimetre mesh in size. Only the helmet anf gloves need be pressurised.

Max air supply of an MGT suit is 18 hours, with the add-ons. Surely true spacers could hold in their number-twoes for that long...?

The problem becomes the uncontrolled release of fluids into environments where they can cause havoc, even if you're not concerned about recycling them. When the new "front porch" gets added to Kibo on the ISS, the dump procedure for the Shuttle Orbiter needs to gets changed. One of the overboard valves for the Orbiter would put water right into the new structure.

Even the small quantities of water from sweat can really mess things up. They accomplish all sorts of tricks of movement and phase change. So unless you know for sure you're somewhere you really, truly don't care where the moisture goes, you're going to end up with at least a "sauna suit" just for containment purposes. As it is, even dry air is a contamination problem in space. But that usually takes a routine of release in a particular area. With fluids, small quantities, once, in the wrong place or near it, is enough.

Up there a single drop of water can turn into a quarter-inch bolt's worth of jam or obstruction.

Typically for an EVA suit you're going to have an oversuit anyway. You want the thermal protection and extra mechanical damage resistance. For an emergency cabin suit, the mesh would work fine--but you probably don't want to relieve yourself under those circumstances even if the suit allows it.

Hence the MAG--there are instances under which relieving oneself is no longer under voluntary control. Then a traditional non-porous suit and neck dam prevents this from being a distraction for your co-workers.