Tires and meds

[stormlion1]

Did some checking and Dry Rot is a environmental condition event, if stored in a dry, cool place-like a Bolt Hole they could probably survive some time, maybe even 150 years. But if stored in a wet, or a hot humid environment there going to start to dry rot very quickly. Which makes long term use of tired vehicle's a problem in the South West and the North West as vehicles up there if let sit, and not maintained will soon lose there tires, and not only that any other rubber items inside, like hoses and wire covers.
In many ways, the fact that each team is supposed to be somewhat self sufficient might be a death knell for there Commando's, lacking a supply of spare parts for there vehicle's or even a central area to go for basic repairs or replacement of parts and equipment. Might not be a major problem if they were supposed to wake up only a few years of going under, but a 150 year gap will cause issues. In many ways this is a perfect way to separate a team from there armor support, the very fact that replacement tires, hoses, and wire insulation will wear out in the wrong environment and spare parts aren't readily available.
Maybe the Morrow Project had set up regional repair depots for this problem?

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by stormlion1

Maybe the Morrow Project had set up regional repair depots for this problem?

I think they have. It is just up to a Team to locate one, wake the operators, and get it active.

Maybe an engineering Team and the Team Leader has a few clues like Desert Search?

[gamerguy]

Tires are a mix of many components and compounds. A portion is the elastomer, the balance is the cords or 'bones'. Modern tires use a wide variety of materials in the mix.

Even if you could reclaim the elastomer how are you going to source the fabric of the carcass you will be molding the new tire to? Even basic tires are made of synthetic cords with steel belts under the tread area. Your best approach would be to use cotton fabric belts and a heavier material to form the belts. But you will lose a lot of durability and life span compared to modern tires.

My understanding is every tire must have some natural rubber in the elastomer mix. How are you going to source that?

I read a book a few years back about the immediate aftermath of WWIII. It concerned a group of people escaping DC on a sail boat and their journey to the eventual tip of South America and for a couple beyond. In addition to the usual bad guy suspects was the entire continent of South America. As the boat passed Brazil it was attacked. Partially out of fear of carrying a plague from the north and partially out of retaliation for starting TEOTWAWKI. How willing would these same people (or their descendants) be to trade with us Northerners in the far future? What would we have to trade with?

The same goes for wiring, medical gloves, anything which would need natural rubber. Now, not to say some enterprising university or other organization couldn't have a greenhouse with a bunch of rubber trees somewhere. But I don't know the biology of that kind of set up.

In my opinion electrical and electronic apparatus would either be few and far between or not at all. You can make steam powered generators and insulate the power lines with cloth and the windings of the generators and motors with varnish impregnated cloth. Anyone who has worked on pre WWII equipment has probably come across fabric insulated wiring. Also there are a lot of places where tires and wiring have been made in the past which may have avoided the big 'un. Getting supplies to sustain repairs let alone new manufacturing though will be the issue.

Of course many adventures could be staged around forming a trading organization designed to move raw materials around the world.

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by gamerguy

My understanding is every tire must have some natural rubber in the elastomer mix. How are you going to source that?

One possibility for US sourced raw latex is dandelions. During WWII, the Germans researched using them with little success during the war. However recent research in Germany had produced a cultivar of dandelion that may be a viable commercial source of raw latex. A pilot project was started in association with Continental Tire to see if it scales.

[gamerguy]

Checked the link from Wikipedia. Interesting but very recent. Of course all the most up to date technology is used here but the concept could be very useful. Imagining a whole economy based on this, say around one of the surviving universities. Even basing it on more primitive technologies it should provide a great potential boost to the local economy which can then develop tire, wiring and other manufacturing in their locale. Thanks for the heads up.

[mmartin798]

Don't forget, the dandelions don't have to be variety that used recent tech to create. Game canon has many unusual mutated flora. It would not be a stretch to say there is a mutant species of dandelion whose stems are 10cm in diameter and grow 30-45cm tall that produces 200 ml of latex sap per bloom.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

Don't forget, the dandelions don't have to be variety that used recent tech to create. Game canon has many unusual mutated flora. It would not be a stretch to say there is a mutant species of dandelion whose stems are 10cm in diameter and grow 30-45cm tall that produces 200 ml of latex sap per bloom.

or that viciously expels the seeds like darts into anything larger than a rabbit using the poor creature as a host for the growing flower. Seeding far and wide as the creature travels to escape the pain and delirium of a growing plant draining them of fluids.