crashmann

My backpack kits weigh 12 pounds including the heavy duty box when I ship them out. This includes metal screws and nuts to secure everything together. You don't want to compromise structural integrity for weight savings. Check out Machine's backpack build where he attempts to create the lightest #1 backpack possible: All of the pictures are gone (thanks for nothing TinyPic!) but you should be able to get an idea of the items that went into the pack. At the end of it all, the final backpack weighed 8.58 pounds Charlie

Look Sir Droids is gone?!? Fortunately, I save everything Sandtrooper related, just in case! http://tk386.com/backpacks/ I'll have to dig to see if I can find the pictures from Strider's thread. Charlie

Here's another photo of the radio I found in the archives Charlie

Brilliant! I love seeing backpack builds come together! Charlie

Hah-hah, that's tremendous luck Dave! Care to share the brand of ice cream you were enjoying so we can all rush to the grocery store and clean them out? Charlie

Some folks have found seed trays on Amazon, but I believe they are a bit small, and require a fair amount of customizing. I've recently made new molds to vacuum form seed trays and ship a pair of 3 rib and 5 rib trays to you for $60 (within the continental US) Let me know if you're interested in a set, and I can send them out right away! Charlie

There's been a lot of debate about which Tupperware lid is the correct size, but most believe it is the smaller one, especially when compared to the 2 1/2" mortar tube. For your shampoo bottle, you'll need to cut it down in height like Strider did a couple of years back: You're pack looks fantastic, and with a little weathering you'll be ready to apply for Police Officer! Charlie

That's beautiful Thomas! Thanks for sharing the detailed photos. It's incredible how well preserved the radio is! Charlie

Wow, very nice work Christian! You have a great eye for detail, and you really captured everything in your build! I can't wait to see it when you're finished Charlie

SWAT's goal is to emulate a particular sandtrooper from a particular scene. All of the photos of the sandtrooper backpacks show the seed trays have a flat edge, and that is why they are sliding apart and barely held together with gaffer's tape: So, if you're going for SWAT, do not leave the lip around one of the trays. Trim the trays so they are flat. Charlie

You've got a couple of options for affixing the seed trays. If you're going for SWAT, then you trim the edges so they are totally flat. Then they'll slide apart and you'll need gaffer's tape to hold them together, just like in the movie. However, if You're looking for a more practical solution that will keep them lined up, check out this post: Charlie

Many folks have taken an old school backpack and cut the padded shoulders straps off to use on their sandtrooper backpack. You could also use a few inches of elastic to connect the top of the frame to your shoulder straps. This would act as a shock absorber while you're walking. I don't understand the mechanics, but the chest straps do alleviate some of the load off your shoulders. If you could find backpack straps with those already built in, that could save you some work. Charlie

Thanks for doing the work to capture all of the screenshots and sharing them Markus! I was going through the scenes last week and was surprised that there is only 90 seconds of screen time for the sandtroopers! Of course, it's because the sandtroopers are so awesome that they made such a huge impact with such little screen time :-) Charlie

Wow, you've created a very nice pack! Most impressive! I really like the bottom shape of your gray bottles. The ones used on screen have a sharp angle at the bottom, just like the ones you've found Good job setting the angle for the radar dish! Your eye for detail really shines through in the pack you've built! Charlie

I knew the kidney plate notch thread was around here somewhere. So many words to read... Ultimately, the best thing to do is carefully examine the screen captures: https://starwarsscreencaps.com/star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope-1977/28/ Charlie