I decided to post this up after realizing that some of the stuff I take for granted (in regards to safe trooping) is not common knowledge. Hopefully it helps some of you out.
Summertime is trooping time, and also a time when we hear about guys "falling out" from the combination of heat and layers. So here are some solutions to insure that you dont become a statistic. We'll call these Boba's Laws of Trooping.
Boba's Laws of Trooping:
1. IF YOU NEED A HANDLER, THEY'LL ALL DISAPPEAR...... RIGHT THEN.
Normally, this is when you need water the most. Be prepared for the occasion that you have no handler *tips below
2. ANY DAY A TROOP IS SCHEDULED WILL ALWAYS FALL ON THE HOTTEST DAY IN KNOWN EXISTENCE.
You should prepare for every summer troop with this in mind. *see below
3. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU PACK YOUR SUIT THE NIGHT BEFORE, SOMETHING YOU MUST HAVE WILL BE LEFT AT HOME, AND YOU WILL NOT REALISE THIS UNTIL YOU ARE HALFWAY TO THE TROOP WITH NO TIME TO TURN AROUND.
It's just the way it is, always make sure to put your cooler in your vehicle the night before, because if you're going to forget something it had better not be the water. This is doubly true if your told someone else is providing the water, since this rule applies to them especially. NEVER depend on someone else in regards to hydration.
4. THE MOST WELL ORGANIZED EVENT YOU ATTEND WILL BE THE MOST DISORGANIZED THING YOU'VE EVER EXPERIENCED.
See rule No. 3. If the one thing the organizers forget is water, what do you do?
5. THE STRONGEST PART OF YOUR SUIT WILL BE THE FIRST PIECE YOU BREAK.
Do your best to make sure that "part" is not you. Stay hydrated. The kids are going to be much more upset that Boba died of heat stroke in front of them, than that they had to wait a couple extra minutes so Boba could get a drink or go sit down and cool off for a bit.
6. YOU WILL FEEL THE BEST YOU'VE EVER FELT IN YOUR LIFE, UNTIL YOU HAVE TO SUIT UP, THEN YOU WILL BE STRICKEN BY THE PLAGUE.
Bring headache medicine and Pepto Bismol. We wear helmets in the heat, which is a cocktail for a headache, just ask a soldier. We also tend to get stuck eating "fast food" either at or on the way to a troop due to rule numbers 4 and 3. Nobody wants to stnd next to a Boba with a bad tummy, and remember, you wear a helmet and "heat" rises. lol
TIPS:
1.) Purchase a Camelback, or it's equivalent. Make sure you put ice in it. It can easily be put on under either your flak vest, backplate, or even in your Jet Pack. Simply run the hose under your neck seal and up to your helmet. This way, YOU CAN HYDRATE YOURSELF, anytime, anywhere.
*Another purpose this serves is to help keep your core temperature down by keeping a cooling source in the area behind your lungs and spinal cord.
2.) Stick some extra ice packs in your cooler. Your suit is covered in pouches and most ice packs are the perfect size to make use of those pouches. The flexible gel kind are thin and can be easily tucked into the front of your flack vest or top of your helmet.
3.) Hydrate the night before, without fail, and stay away from carbonated drinks and drink high in sodium the night before or day of. These drinks will work to dehydrate you by making you sweat and urinate, alot.
4.) Always keep a couple of Sprites in your cooler. If you get overheated and start to feel lethargic, drink one.... slowly. Sprite is chock full of electrolites and will work quickly to get you back on an even keel.
5.) The possibly most important tip.... YOU ARE NOT BOBA FETT! If you start to feel overheated, lethargic, or out of sorts.... TELL SOMEONE AND TAKE A BREAK. Make sure someone watches is you until you feel well again, or you may find yourself in the mouth of a different kind of Sarlaac.... minus the escape.
CAN ONE OF THE MODS PLEASE MAKE THIS A STICKY?
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Originally Posted by dsonik1 
