AMMO POUCH - The ammo pouches used by Sandtroopers in ANH were German MP-40 pouches. They were worn on shoulders and at the beltline. They are fairly common at online military supply stores such as marstar.ca. There are cloth and leather versions of this pouch, but the movie-used props appear to be black leather. The pouch I found on Ebay for $10 was green leather with a pebble grain. I simply bought a small can of Nu-Life Leather Spray Dye (a type of spray-on dye) and colored it black. You'll probably have to rig a loop on the back of the pouch with fast rivets to hold it in place properly on your shoulder, or you could use snaps to attach it to your backpack strap. There appear to be a variety of pouches that also appear on the beltline of the Sandtroopers. This particular one has been identified.

BACKPACK - Most troopers have made their own Sandtrooper backpacks from found items including plastic storage bins and miscellaneous hardware. Check out this one from TK-409 and this one from TK-256. There's not an easily found screen-accurate replica available, so have fun customizing one from scratch. I built one on a PVC frame. Should you decide to build your own, you may want to try Krylon "Fusion" spraypaint that's formulated to bond with plastic with no sanding and no priming! Back in 2001-2002, there was a mass-produced accessory called a SpacePack [1] [2] [3] which very loosely resembled a Sandtrooper pack and had a hinged door for storage. However, these $200 ABS kits are no longer being produced. There is a very accurate pack now in production.

BARRICADE TAPE - You won't find Imperial Barricade Tape in any of the Star Wars films—this is just for fun!

BINDERS - Handcuffs or "binders" are a fairly simple but nice addition to a set of armor. When it comes to photo-opportunities, everyone wants to be a prisoner! Check out these by Andrew. If you're going for ROTJ-style accuracy, Luuke makes a nice $45 kit (pictured above) that have a unique locking system. Want to make your own? Here's a nice tutorial from the PVC Blaster Builders site and another from TK2249. This reference shot from the Decipher Card Game shows binders from ESB.

BODYSUIT - Under Armour makes a wonderful lycra blend that keeps you cool when trooping—especially important in warmer climates like Florida. I ordered the black Turf Gear Long Sleeve Turf Shirt and Turf Leggings and they have lasted a long time. Starter is now making very similar black tops and leggings available at Wal-Mart for a fraction of the cost! Slightly more expensive, but still much cheaper than Under Armour is this compression top and pants from Players Edge/Eastbay. Many other troopers say that Renaissance Dancewear has a nice one-piece suit with optional crotch zipper. It doesn't happen too often, but when it's cold in Florida, I wear a long-sleeve black turtleneck and black cotton dance pants over my bodysuit to retain body heat. The areas around the elbows and knees bunch up a little bit when walking around, but it's not really noticable and it's worth the price to stay warm. WARNING: Some troopers recommend a dive skin for the bodysuit. While a dive SKIN is made from lycra and breathable, do not confuse this with a WETSUIT which can be very dangerous and cause your body to OVERHEAT while trooping in hot weather.

BOOTS - Depending on how much you want to spend, there are a number of sources online. I got my boots from www.caboots.com. If you don't mind some minor errors, the "Factory Defects" are a good option for a fraction of the price. You can also find boots at MotorCowboy.com. You may consider getting some type of Dr. Scholl's gel inserts if your feet are not used to boots (which are not really designed for comfort). Occasionally, you will find the custom Cheng boots available which are a bit more accurate than the others listed here.

BUCKET BAGS - Protect your helmet from scratches and bumps with a helmet bag. Click here for more information.


COMLINK - The prop as used by C-3PO, Luke and Garindan was fairly simple. The SW Visual Dictionary shows this version, but it's not the one used in the films. This prop, by Keith from the UK, is as accurate as I've seen based upon this sideview from POSW.com. Here's a reproduction and another one by TK-264. Here's some custom-made Hovi "microphone tips" (again by Keith) that are accurate to the comlink (as well as Stormtrooper "aerators"). Gerry has produced a nice replica with accurate mic tip, although the ribs are based upon O-rings (like the Visual Dictionary prop) not the radial engine part (like in ANH). Finally, here's a rare shot of Luke in the Trash Compactor scene where you can see the comlink fairly well and how it's attached to the belt with a metal clip.

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COOLSUIT - Heat exhaustion is a very real issue when trooping in armor. Aside from the proper bodysuit (see BODYSUIT above), we all dream of a coolsuit. FreshAirSystems sells garments with flexible tubing that can be periodically attached to a battery operated pump and a cooler of iced water. While effective, these "coolshirts" are pricey at $400 for a basic model. A similar water-cooling system was used for the Wookiee actors in Revenge of the Sith.

DELICATES BAG - Compared to all the other cool accessories listed here, this one just sounds silly. However, you'll find that your lycra body suit, gloves and other "soft parts" are better washed in a mesh laundry bag to prevent them from getting twisted or torn. You will most likely want to air-dry them to avoid shrinkage or the usual "wear and tear" that comes with repeated heat drying.

ELECTROBINOCULARS - The most popular (and economical) method of constructing the electrobinoculars is by painting a handheld Tank Assault or Sub Assault game by Radica. Even unmodified, this game has a look that's very similar to the prop used by Han Solo on Hoth and the Sandtroopers on Tatooine. A "lens" and miscellaneous hardware greeblies are added to complete the look. Check out this one I made complete with genuine leather strap just like the troops in the Special Edition. Here's another one I made from a cheap knock-off of the Radica tank game. If you're a stickler for accuracy, ask for Richie's Armor Hoth binocular kit.


GLOVES - You can use just about any gloves as long as they're black, but I went with Hatch Nomex Flight Gloves (model BNG-190) because of their longer length (keeps them from popping out from your forearm armor) and the leather palm which looks cool when you raise your hand and shout "Stop, Rebel Scum!" They're not too expensive either. You can order them here among other places. The screen-used gloves in ANH appear be black rubber chemical gloves, but I don't recommend them as the rubber material doesn't breathe well.

GRAPPLING HOOK - Rylo from the RPF produced some of these [1] [2]. I found this one for sale on Ebay but it doesn't look like it actually works (i.e. folding tines, retractable cable). Here is Iceman's version. Note that the hook featured in the Star Wars Visual Dictionary is not the screen-used prop. Here is a blurry screen-capture of the film-used belt and a couple more reference shots [1] [2] [3].

HOLSTER - Most armor kits come complete with a nice leather holster. The Kenner E-11 blaster rifle fits perfectly in this holster. If you have a custom-made blaster, a demilled Sterling or a resin replica, you might need to modify your holster by cutting a gap for the protruding ammo box, or you might consider getting a custom leather holster from Nyghtcraft Leatherwerks. Here's instructions for making your own custom holster. One advantage of a custom holster is that you could make it either left or right-handed (both of which were seen throughout the Original Trilogy. Check out this photo which shows a single-strap holster variation.

NECKSEAL - High-quality neckseals can be acquired from TK-409, and TK-9989. If you like to do things yourself, here's a link to a tutorial at the Nordic Garrison.

PAULDRON - The Sandtrooper shoulder pads come in colors to connote rank: black (enlisted), white (sergeant), orange (captain) and gray (Dewback patrol). The original screen-used pauldrons were actually BMX chest protectors. You can buy replicas here in original color patterns (read their "Special Note #2" for a laugh). Some troopers like to stitch (or iron-on) Garrison patches on the pauldron. I used to think that the pauldron looked incomplete without a backpack, but there were actually some troopers in Mos Eisley who wear a pauldron by itself. And there's at least one Sandtrooper without a pauldron at all! If you can't score one on Ebay, try getting a pauldron from Nyghtcraft Leatherwerks.


SPECIES IDENTIFICATION CHART - Field Xenobiology Chart prop that might be used by troops to identify local species. This particular one is for Tatooine. I wanted to make something that was available for anyone who needed a nice free handout at an event...just download the pdf and print it yourself. I printed mine on a copying machine using transparency film instead of plain paper. If you use this, please don't alter it or sell it!


STORAGE TOTE - I found a large Rubbermaid-type container at Wal-Mart for about $18. It has a flip-top lid with handles and plenty of room for all of my armor and accessories (except a backpack)...but the best thing about it is the wheels on one end! Many troopers will give their tote a coat of black paint (don't forget to sand and prime!) and decorate it with stickers or Imperial symbols. I kind of like the incognito approach so civilians don't get too curious. Here's a pic of the interior.

WEAPONRY

  • BlasTech E-11 (British Sterling Mk4/L2A3 Submachine Gun) - The cheapest E-11 blaster solution is to pick up a Kenner/Hasbro Electronic Blaster Rifle on Ebay. They used to be hard to find, but it was re-released in 2002 with "Star Tours" packaging at Disney theme parks and it's now available as a "clone trooper blaster" so the prices have come down quite a bit. It's easily modified with a couple of coats of black spray paint (flat or glossy—-your choice!). Since the Kenner blasters aren't precise replicas, feel free to modify your weapon as you see fit. I added an AccuLaser sight (about $30 from Wal-Mart) so I can "target" things. A fellow trooper discovered that if you point the laser right below a camera lens, the lens flare looks like you are firing a laser blast. DO NOT point the laser directly at the lens or anyone's eyes—this is very dangerous! SJS Models and Props sells Hasbro modification kits to really trick out your toy blaster. A bit expensive, but well-done and one of the only places to get a pre-fab working folding stock. You may also want to try OTGDesigns for Hasbro modifications, again expensive but nicely done. Resin replicas, while more accurate, are too fragile in public (where everyone will want to hold your blaster) and the real decommisioned British Sterling machine guns are way too heavy to carry around. If you are so inclined, you can make a great scratch-built replica using this tutorial from the PVC Blaster Builders site. You can also pick up a low-detail vacuformed replica (essentially a plastic shell) of the Hasbro E-11 from this site, but don't expect top quality. A new alternative on the market is the hyper-firm rubber replica. These are extremely durable (you can actually toss them on the ground with little or no damage), very accurate (made from molds of actual weapons), and lightweight. This is by far the best bang for your buck. Contact Dave for Hyperfirm replicas.
  • BlasTech DLT-19 (German MG-34 Machine Gun) - Some Stormtroopers on the Death Star carry this weapon, but it's more commonly known as a Sandtrooper rifle. If you've got the funds (about $700), you could purchase a decommissioned replica or you could follow this great tutorial and scratch-build your own like mine! Here's some grip detail. You can also pick up a low-detail vacuformed replica (essentially a cheap plastic shell) of an MG-34 from this site. A new alternative on the market is the hyper-firm rubber replica. These are extremely durable (you can actually toss them on the ground with little or no damage), very accurate (made from molds of actual weapons), and lightweight. This is by far the best bang for your buck. Contact Dave for Hyperfirm replicas.
  • BlasTech T-21 (British Lewis Automatic Machine Gun) - Sandtroopers are seen carrying this big weapon in Mos Eisley. TK-409 has a nice tutorial for one of these. Another alternative on the market is the hyper-firm rubber replica. These are extremely durable (you can actually toss them on the ground with little or no damage), very accurate (made from molds of actual weapons), and lightweight. Contact Dave for Hyperfirm replicas. ArsonSmith is now producing lightweight (under 6 lbs.), accurate, and affordable T-21 Lewis Guns made of high-performance resin for $275 shipped in kit form.
  • T-96 Light Blaster (Japanese Type 96 Light Machine Gun) - Only seen in rare promotional images like this one, this blaster was made from a modified 1936 Japanese 6.5mm air-cooled full automatic light machine gun. The prop department removed the stock and barrel and added greeblies. It doesn't have a Star Wars name, so I'm calling it the T-96 (Type 96) Light Blaster.
  • Sandtrooper Heavy Blaster Rifle (German MG-15 Machine Gun) - This is probably the least obvious Sandtrooper weapon, and it doesn't even have an official name in the Star Wars universe. Once again, TK-409 has a nice tutorial if you're itching for one of these.
  • Short-Range Combat Pistol (Swiss Rexim Sub-Machine Gun) - This weapon is pictured in the SW Visual Dictionary and was used for many of the studio photos [1] [2] of the ANH Stormtrooper. It was used in the film as Dr. Evazan's blaster (with an additional scope). A variation of it was also used in Ridley Scott's Alien. Here's a fan-made replica by Shawn and here it is in kit form. Here's a photo of it holstered.
  • Dewback Prod - Now here's the simplest Sandtrooper prop you could make. Essentially, it's a long black pole with a metallic cap. Here's a few reference photos: [1] [2] [3]. Wear a gray pauldron (signifying Dewback Patrol) when carrying one of these. You can see a replica here.