[TW2013] Food requirments

[Michael Lewis]

Food requirements seem a little bit high. From what I can tell, a full meal of packaged food weighs 4.8 kg, or 10 1/2 lbs.

Does that mean a PC must eat 3 meals a day or 31lbs. of food a day!

[stg58fal]

Packaged food is TWO point eight kilos. Wild food, forage heavy is 4.8 kg. (Table on p. 248 of the .pdf version of the corebook, my hardcopy isn't handy right now so maybe the page #s don't jive, IDK)

2.8kg
times
2.2 kg/pound
equals

6.16 pounds

That may still seem a little high but I'm thinking that is the total combined weight (food plus boxes, cans, whatever).

I think that the designers wrote it this way to simulate complete nutrition, so as to make it easier recordkeeping for all concerned. So that 6.16 pounds might be a can of green beans, a can of Vienna sausages, and a package of crackers or other carbs. Much easier than saying "Your character needs 2300 calories a day, and that can of green beans has 240, the sausages have 500, and..." etc etc.

Also, people have a tendency to look at food requirements from what they understand, which is usually school, work, an hour at the gym, and end the day reading or watching TV. Activities such as patrolling, conducting a tactical movement from A to B, and especially any kind of combat, increase your necessary food intake at least twice over.

[Tegyrius]

FAL is correct. The weight includes packaging where applicable. IIRC, the calorie requirements were derived from military standards for infantry in the field, though I'd have to go check my design notes to be absolutely certain.

- C.

[HorseSoldier]

Which probably is also a reasonable benchmark for most civilians in the T2K world as well, engaged in agriculture with limited animal/mechanized aid, salvage and (re)construction, etc. By 2000 the world is probably back to the point body fat is a hallmark of of the wealthy.