Cold Weather Trooping

I have to prepare to be trooping for a couple of hours outdoors tonight, for the premiere of Episode I in 3D. I will be going as a TK, of course!

What I have planned to wear under the armor to keep warm:
- Cold weather leggings and undershirt
- Black tights under the leggings
- Thick socks (I usually wear thin socks)
- Liner gloves under my normal gloves OR my winter gloves just for the lulz*
- Black turtleneck sweater

I shall try these options during the day and see if it's comfortable enough... But let's not plan on doing aerobics for such a short troop.

TK 5027

It's official, my new 501st designation just got approved! Behold, Stormtrooper TK 5027.

Here are pictures of the finished costume!

First Stormie Troop

12-14-2011. Virgin Megastore, Champs Elysees, Paris

Pre-launch event for Star Wars: The Old Republic

Day 17

Today I found out that my armor fits in my 60L luggage!

At first I put the bracers and shins in the thighs and place them at the bottom. Boots on the other side with the shoulder bells containing the biceps. The holster and SE-14r rest on the side opposite from the belt armor. The canvas belt is rolled up with the thigh boxes. The undersuit, neckseal and gloves+handguards are with the thigh armor. In fact there's a lot of storage space in the armor pieces. Use them!

And on top of it all I place the ab plate, kidney plate, chest and back plates over the smaller things. Easy peasy.

Day 16

Belt completed with snaps, inner boxed velcro'ed and everything can be disassembled in order to fit snuggly in a transport bin/luggage.

Using a heatgun and/or a hair dryer to obtain a curve on these bad boys.

Still undecided about using velcro or snaps to secure them on the chest plate.

This inside of my helmet. The green sheet is doubled with solar film for cars. I only used double-sided sticky tape to have it hang up. The screens are glued, taped, masked, etc... Not sure how long they're going to stay there.

The padding is called MICH helmet padding, military-grade. I use a different configuration now and I think I need to change them soon.

Day 15 - Suiting up!

While I was waiting for my next shipment of press fasteners (snaps) to complete the belt, I couldn't resist this.

Attempting to sit down.

Thanks to this silly tryout I was able to come up with adjustments:

• Trimming the bottom openings of the thighs and the tops of the shins
• Tightening the straps from the shoulder bridges
• Tightening the straps on either sides of the ab plate
• Adding straps from the biceps to the bracers
• Glueing velcro to the shoulder bell elastic straps
• Shortening the butt plate
• Adding straps from the chest plate to the front ab plate
• Curving the ribbed shoulder straps

Day 14

Yes I skipped a day because honestly I got a little distracted and lost track of this.

Some work is done to create the belt. I ran out of snaps so it wasn't easy to get decided on those rivets because I knew I wouldn't have the luxury to  fit the entire belt in a luggage that way, it had to be completely disassembled and reassembled.

The inner boxes are attached by means of velcro.

A second coat of acrylic paint in the helmet, and screwing the mic tips in...

The problem is that the screws on the inside are a little too long. So to avoid poking hazard I need to find shorter screws.

A helmet that looks complete.