Hi there,
I've seen TONS of mic setups in the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detatchment (
www.whitearmor.net). Can not recall the specific thread, but the "How-to/Tutorial" section is a beauty (granted it is for Stormtrooper helmets).
Most people over there either keep it contained, mic and speakers, in the bucket (I prefer this method). Or have a wireless, powered, mic in your bucket which sends a signal to speakers wired behind the chestplate (for stormtroopers) or perhaps even your thigh or hip pouches. No wire needed
The decision on that matter is yours. But reguardless of where you place the amp/speakers the setup is fairly simple. You can get a pretty good $13 amp for Radio Shack, as well as a set of speakers. The amp should come with a speaker built in. My advice: gut it. Get rid of the speaker, and wire in two new speakers to take its place. In order for the amp to work you need a powered mic, also from Radio Shack. You shouldnt have to do any wiring at all at this point. Your powered mic will come with a jack to fit in the amp. And like stated earlier, you can save yourself the hassle of having cords running through your neck seal if you opt for a wireless powered mic (microphone mounted in helmet, runs to a battery with a sensor ma-jig, which connects to another sensor plugged into the amp, wherever you choose to cary it).
Hope this helps
Ryan
P.S. I have a tutorial made by a friend for wiring two separate speakers to a larger jack, if you end up buying an amp with that capability.