Do you use a hitchhiker storage container on long missions?

[Xavven]

I feel so bad leaving a Kerbal with such a tiny living space for more than a a few days. Although the IRL Apollo astronauts had something like 200 cubic feet of living space (think a 6'x6'x6' box) and did fine for about week, that's just a week. Imagine living in the equivalent of a sedan with two other people for 6 months while you ride to Duna and back (2 years game time, but with 6-hour days it's more like half an Earth year).

Back in 0.23, I used only a Mk1 pod in order to keep the payload small, but a Moho surface sample mission would still require huge bundles of Mainsails on the lifter.

With the new ARM parts, the challenge got reduced a little. So, I've been able to keep the same level of challenge I had in 0.23 by now imposing a "must have a habitat module (hitchhiker storage container) on all manned interplanetary missions" rule. While it's only 2.5 tonnes, the rocket equation is unforgiving with increased payloads. To do a Moho surface sample mission with a Mk1-2 and 2-man lander, and a hitchhiker storage container, I'm right back to having to have huge bundles of KS-25x4 engines.

From a min/max gameplay perspective, you could just send 1 Kerbal in a command seat. But really, what's the fun in that?

[Dingbat1967]

I feel so bad leaving a Kerbal with such a tiny living space for more than a a few days. Although the IRL Apollo astronauts had something like 200 cubic feet of living space (think a 6'x6'x6' box) and did fine for about week, that's just a week. Imagine living in the equivalent of a sedan with two other people for 6 months while you ride to Duna and back (2 years game time, but with 6-hour days it's more like half an Earth year).

Back in 0.23, I used only a Mk1 pod in order to keep the payload small, but a Moho surface sample mission would still require huge bundles of Mainsails on the lifter.

With the new ARM parts, the challenge got reduced a little. So, I've been able to keep the same level of challenge I had in 0.23 by now imposing a "must have a habitat module (hitchhiker storage container) on all manned interplanetary missions" rule. While it's only 2.5 tonnes, the rocket equation is unforgiving with increased payloads. To do a Moho surface sample mission with a Mk1-2 and 2-man lander, and a hitchhiker storage container, I'm right back to having to have huge bundles of KS-25x4 engines.

From a min/max gameplay perspective, you could just send 1 Kerbal in a command seat. But really, what's the fun in that?

Yes ... for any interplanetary mission, I have at least one hitch hiker container for the crew AND now that I'm suing TAC life support, enough supplies to last sufficiently assuming everything goes moderately well. I usually launch a supply ship in the same launch window with some fuel and extra supplies in case they are needed at the destination.

- Dingbat

[SkyRender]

I tend to be a bit more generous about long-term surface accommodations than simply a Hitchhiker.

Though the details have changed a bit on the smaller parts, the overall design of this particular base remains my standard for housing on other worlds. Obviously the skycrane on top doesn't stick around normally.

[WillHop]

I like to make sure my Kerbals are comfortable. On interplanetary missions, I send either the Hitchhiker storage container or the Science Lab as the Lab can hold infinite experiments. Even my LKO station has capacity for 19, but there can only ever be 6 Kerbals up there at any one time due to docking port availability. I like to keep the realism

[r4pt0r]

i also do this. interplanetary missions also must have more than 1 kerbal to prevent boredom, and 1 of the goo shaped rcs tanks(not allowed to use them) per kerbal, to hold "snacks".

[Pecan]

Yes. I have minimum crew requirements (but crew-in-transit count) and a 'two seat' rule; there must be at least twice as many places as there are crew+passengers for interplanetary and spacestations (short-stay excepted).

On the other hand I prefer to build a reusable infrastructure of stations and never-landing tractors rather than launch everything in one go. That means for Moho, or anywhere else, I just launch the lander/mission vehicle to LKO station, refuel/crew as required, interplanetary tractor transfer to Moho station.

[AmpsterMan]

I follow a simple rule. A day is equal to Six hours, a "kerb-day" (kd) is the amount of supplies a kerbal consumes in a day. Therefore:

Spacesuit: 1kerb-hour

Small capsule: 1 kd

1 kerb can: 1 kd

2 kerb can: 10 kd

Large capsule: 60 kd

Hithiker: 360 kd

These numbers give me easy endpoints. Specifically, I can only be on Mun for 5 days with two kerbs. 20 days in large capsule with 3 or 30 days with 2. The hitchhiker can support 2 kerbs for 180 days, 3 for 120, 4 for 90.

As you can see, interplanetary missions are very difficult for me to prepare for.

[Sabastian]

I have a couple "house rules" for my missions:

1) Pods can only house one half of their full capacity for long term missions. The number gets rounded down in any situations involving half-Kerbals. IE, the Mk1-2 can only house 1 kerbal for interplanetary travel since cutting kerbonauts in half outside of missions was deemed to be "wasteful" by upper management. Engineering is still in the process of looking up the definition of "wasteful." The hitchhiker can therefore house two kerbals on long flights. This tends to work out well for your standard 3-crew mission where the extra half-kerbal worth of space can be used for extra snacks.

2) Lander cans don't have heat shields, and are therefore not suitable for returning to Kerbin.

3) Rockets should look plausible. I am not Whackjob, and more importantly, I don't have Whackjob's CPU. Plus, I like building stuff in orbit. It's fun.

[TimePeriod]

Never did and never will, too much mass for too little use.

[Pecan]

They certainly must be Amp. If those figures work for you then stick with them but I think you're being harder than yourself than you need to be. The NASA mercury capsule, for instance, performed a 30 hour manned mission .

[Red Iron Crown]

Nope. My kerbals seem happy enough to sit in a cramped pod or can for years if I'm bringing them somewhere interesting.

I don't use command chairs, though, so I'm not totally heartless. Inconsistent yes, but not heartless.

[cantab]

Three Kerbals in just the pod to spend a couple months going to and staying with an asteroid? Fine by me! If they start feeling cramped they can just pop out for some fresh space.

And if I was taking the science lab with me, that does for providing extra space. No need for hitchhiker containers.

[Ravenchant]

I felt bad for even making a manned Minmus mission with only the capsule, let alone interplanetary trips! Usually my rule of thumb is: 2 Kerbals per Hitchhiker, which goes for stations as well. You know, if their chances to suffer a horrible fate are this high, they might as well have some comfort

[ArmchairGravy]

All of my manned missions out of Kerbin SOI get a habitat module. My base station/interplanetary vessel is a 2 man can, habitat module, and science lab. Dock a lander and a drive module onto that and go.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

I always send at least one hithchiker per two kerbals.

[RocketPilot573]

I usually make sure my Kerbals have plenty of living space on long missions. My main interplanetary mothership has a Mark 1-2 Pod, a Cupola, two hitchhikers, and a lab.

[Javster]

Since I've never sent a Kerbal outside Kerbin's SoI, it doesn't really apply to me. Still, I prefer to leave Kerbals in Hitchhikers in my stations.

[Frank_G]

I always bring along hitchhiker containers when kerbals need to stay in space for long. For long means, for a trip to mun, minmus or orbit including timely return it is ok, to stay in a capsule or cockpit, but when it gets to stations, bases or interplanetary trips i take along enough living space outside the work environment.

As kerbals are a totally undemanding and a feeling-right-at-home-in-space race, i think they really don´t care about the convenience as long as they get above the atmosphere somehow, but i like to make the mission feel good for me too. When playing KSP it is MY space program and in my space program, there is room for individual privacy and when possible even some place to spare.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Frank_G

[Starwaster]

I use them on shuttle type vehicles or rescue vehicles.

[Vanamonde]

I always send at least one hithchiker per two kerbals.

That's my rule, too. For long missions, anyway.

[AmpsterMan]

They certainly must be Amp. If those figures work for you then stick with them but I think you're being harder than yourself than you need to be. The NASA mercury capsule, for instance, performed a 30 hour manned mission .

30 earth hours is about 8 kerb hours. I find it easier to calculate in days . I got my info from rl though. The longest Apollo mission was 12 days. Likewise, a full lander can plus big pod give me 50 kd or 16 days for a full roster.

In practice my limitations mean that I need to send a hitchiker to Minmus, at least 4 to Duna and about 12-16 to Jool

[James_Eh]

Aren't a HH and a 2-Kerbal capsule the same weight? I think that's why I always use HH on any 2.5 m vessel. Plus the leg room.

[problemecium]

My interplanetary ships generally have a crew of between four and eight, with the corresponding number of hitchhikers serving as "common areas" and a lander-can serving as "private quarters" for each Kerbal and doubling as an escape pod.

[G4S3FR]

I havn't up untill now, but after reading this thread I just might start to add hitchikers to everything. My kerbals may as well die in comfort!

[Tortoise]

Do kerbals actually complain about being comfortable? I never knew. I thought they just sit there.