How I made my Stormtrooper Armor Comfortable and Ergonomic

[@MistahFox]

I hope you guys enjoy and some of you can get some useful help out of this! Remember, this isn't 501st certified so if you're in the 501st you might want to talk to your garrison before making some of the more extreme changes. It took a long time to make this video, partially because of how much I underestimated how much time it would take and partially because I had problems with motivation over the summer. It's finally out, I'm proud of it, and the next videos should be easier. Right?

[@RND3YT]

"Stormtrooper armor just tries to kill you" epic quote 🤣 I fully built my own Clone trooper armor, and it's never something to sit on 🤣

[@MistahFox]

True! I'd love to build Clone Armor some day. Thanks for checking out my channel, your contents pretty good so I definitely subscribed too!

[@RND3YT]

@Mistah Fox Well dude, if you'd ever love any advice, I'd love to show you my armor and I'd love to get some tips from you too! You got discord man?

[@timsullivan4566]

Although I know I shouldn't have, but laughed my butt off seeing the guy rolling down the stairs! 😄😄😄

[@jasondray4048]

For shin guards; use rubber car edging, sold in white, around all edges.

[@SaltySwede]

"If you don't know, Stormtrooper armor just kinda tries to kill you." I think this might be true in-universe as well. XD Also, when you had the footage of yourself wearing the harness with just the thigh pieces, I couldn't help thinking "do these make my butt look big?" sorrynotsorry lololol I made a X-Wing Pilot costume for halloween several years ago and I made a lot of dumb mistakes, like not taking proper measurements for the jumpsuit, so it barely fit me, as well as going a little overboard with a black paint wash for weathering on the helmet. It wound up looking less like it was battle-worn, and more like a well-used hard hat, lol. This makes me wonder how comfortable the original film costumes were. I love seeing the little details like these that go into "making the magic happen" as it were.

[@MistahFox]

Hey I love your channel! It's super cool to see you here! Apparently the original costumes were really bad. In the movies you can see a lot of sloppy cuts on the back of the thighs to make them a little bit more comfortable, but still the Stormtroopers sat on saw horses instead of chairs because a lot of them couldn't bend enough for chairs. The costumes were just one size, so they only got actors that were 6 foot to 6 foot 5. When they fitted Luke Skywalker's Stormtrooper disguise, they cut down the chest plate a lot to fit Mark Hamill since he's 5 foot 9 and a little short for a Stormtrooper. Just imagine, some of them had to wear it in Tunisia for the Tatooine scenes! It was extremely lucky my armor still fit after all those blind edits lol.

[@leahstansbury6948]

Thank you so much! I’m currently making a Crosshair cosplay out of cardboard and couldn’t find reference for how the cod and posterior armor might attach. Unlike the animated Crosshair who regularly breaks physics, (I do not know where the other half of his rifle goes when not in use,) I also do not have a huge thigh gap where the pieces can comfortably connect. The photos and your own version of the belt and garters is gonna be incredibly helpful.

[@MistahFox]

Glad to hear it, I hope it's helpful and good luck!

[@1st_SGT_Bussey]

This is awesome you basically just made the armor practical by tailoring it

[@bilplaymo6121]

Hey, thanks for sharing : problem is Thermoformed plastic manufacturing process (why ? because low manufacturing cost for the film, the comfort of wearing it is after...poor extras actors inside during movie they suffered !), the pieces are very thin and cause pain with pinching of the skin at the joints, the solution ? no more thermoformed manufacturing ! but in injected ABS, or you can leave thicknesses of material near each joint (arms and legs) and also be able to shorten (while keeping the internal bead) and adapt the ends of each piece to each bodies, thanks to this surplus of material (which is not heavier than a thermo armor) here is the solution friends, this ABS version seems not to exist yet today...I'm coming....

[@KevingaryGreenfield-u8t]

That's why eva foam is very comfortable and don't pitch ya plus its easy to put on. And take off

[@pookart9893]

Now my mistar fox cosplay for halloween will be ergonomic, thanc you mister lesser wolf

[@stuartdavies10]

I would have assumed your armour would have been made to measure,I guess they don't offer this option.I was measured up for mine and can't wait to receive it. kudos for the bicep pinch solution.

[@MistahFox]

I got mine from a kit, but I hope yours fits you well! For the bicep, I have since replaced the soft foam with harder foam to make it more reliable.

[@stuartdavies10]

@@MistahFox oh I see,thanks I hope it does,good tip about changing the foam thanks for sharing.

[@MWCharke]

I make leather armor and I went to a student film shoot with one of my heavier suits and there was another fellow there in a purchased-online platemail and he couldn't sit or bend over. He dropped his sword and no one would help him. So I got up from where I was sitting went over and got his sword for him.

[@MistahFox]

Mobility is under-rated!

[@LegitPostalDudeArchive]

I'm your 100th like bro, loved the video!

[@greyofpta5305]

This was outstanding!

[@MistahFox]

Thanks!

[@greyofpta5305]

I would highly recommend some usb powered cpu fans for the helmet and back. It makes trooping SO much more comfortable.@@MistahFox

[@KevingaryGreenfield-u8t]

If you make a stormtrooper armour out eva foam it's more comfortable on your body and easy to put on and take off no pinching

[@MistahFox]

That's a good idea, it is more comfortable and I've used EVA foam to make ODST armor from Halo, but for Star Wars costumes it is extremely difficult to make EVA foam look convincing and only the best foam smiths (which I am not one) can pull it off.

[@gnomefisher7920]

You can cut the return edge of the wrist end of the fore arm piece as it makes it more movie accurate 🤣

[@gnomefisher7920]

I'd recommend using a Dremel

[@louisGauto]

I feel like being tall helps, i'm short aroung 5'8ish

[@MistahFox]

That it certainly does!

[@theace1602]

imo, ill leave wearing that armor to the actors. even tho it looks sick. the most ill ever do for stormtrooper armor is chest armor, a belt, maybe the shin guards, and the helmet like you see in many of those gritty star wars fan art things. i just cant stand wearing body armor that has no function as i play airsoft as well so it is a mentality i have.

[@theace1602]

at least that way troopers are still protected, but can move at the same time. Like for 80s retro sci fi i get it but cmon george lol

[@MistahFox]

@@theace1602 If you're an airsoft guy, drop the chest plate too since you can't bring your arms close enough together to shoulder a rifle. A scout trooper looks more practical IMO with a bigger visor, smaller chest and no limb armor

[@theace1602]

@@MistahFox yeah that’s prolly smarter, my chest plate it kinda trimmed up so it worked but I def need a new one

[@mosquito3796]

how much is a stormtrooper kit?

[@MistahFox]

When I bought it it was 700 dollars, but if you want one you really have to do your own research to find one that's accurate and still a good price.

[@spongemanicecone2765]

hey dude. I am the new owner of an rs prop masters stormtrooper suit. I haven't had much issues with my suit apart from the fact that I'm 6ft 4 and am essentially the maximum height a stormtrooper could be without completely altering every single aspect of the armor. Do you have an Instagram account. I loved this video and as a 17 year old armor owner, its refreshing to see someone whos around my own age talking about owning such things.

[@MistahFox]

Yeah man! It feels like all of my hobbies are for people much older than me, but yeah I got my armor when I was 16. My Instagram is mistahfox02