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Originally Posted by Guido
There's something that has been piquing my curiosity about the gears the soldiers are seen wearing on their sides.
What is the purpose of the boxes they carry on both their left and right sides?
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The boxes contain their detachable blades. Chopping through titan flesh rapidly wears down the blades, so the soldiers carry several spares.
The lines and grapples are apparently stored in the drum container you see attached to the small of their backs. I noticed that, in Ep4, the anime presents the drum differently from the manga. I don't know if that's intentional.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guido
If we add the weight of the belts plus the boxes, how much weight (estimated) the soldiers are capable of carrying?
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For comparison, the modern infantry soldier carries as much as 20kg (44 pounds) of gear and ammunition into combat. I would expect that the soldiers of this story carry about as much weight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guido
I mean for the soldiers to carry that much equipment without losing mobility and speed either the equipment is made of a lightweight material or the condition of the soldiers themselves is above that of a human.
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You'll find that, in most cases, it isn't actually the weight that is the issue, but ergonomics. Well-designed equipment will spread its weight evenly across a soldier's body, making them easier to handle in normal movement and combat.
The design of the 3DMG isn't completely implausible, although I strongly suspect that the line and grapple will be highly prone to potentially life-threatening jams. As for their swords, to me, they are highly improbable. A detachable blade with such a short tang is highly unlikely to be able to withstand the huge amount of stress impact it is apparently subjected to. The pin that keeps the blade attached to the hilt would have to be impossibly strong to withstand the shock each time a soldier slashes across a hard object.