D&D General How many air-blown waterskins are needed, if wearing metal armors, to prevent sinking in water?

[Oofta]

Not only that, but historically people in pretty heavy armour - including plate - have swum across moats or similar obstacles by using floatation aids - usually logs of wood or the like.

I mean, I think you'd swim pretty slowly, but it has been done.

So then the question becomes, how many air-blown-waterskins are the equivalent of a log?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So then the question becomes, how many air-blown-waterskins are the equivalent of a log?

No, the question becomes, why use dozens of waterskins when you could use a log?

 

[greg kaye]

Mod Note:
The moderator warning someone about commenting on a moderation post is probably a really bad time to do so yourself.

Use your heads, folks.

I meant to say:

It (the doubling down) also causes distraction from the reasoning presented.

 

[Umbran]

I meant to say:

Mod Note:
What you "meant to say" is not relevant. You aren't supposed to respond at all.

That you continue to respond to moderation posts, when one person has been ejected from the thread for doing so, and you yourself have been told not to, is... not good.

I've been giving you some benefit of the doubt, but it is time for you to show you've gotten the point, and stop responding.

 

[greg kaye]

... the question becomes, why use dozens of waterskins when you could use a log?

I presume a skin of water (weighing 5lbs) could weigh just 1 lb when empty.
12 waterskins could weigh about 12 lbs and might not take up a large volume when empty.
I'd think that a log of a size that could internally contain the equivalent of 48 pints of air might be less able to fit alongside the other kit in a standard adventurer's pack.

If you can find a log, go for it.

 

[greg kaye]

My only comments have related to the contributions of other regular contributors to the thread and those of myself.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I presume a skin of water (weighing 5lbs) could weigh just 1 lb when empty.
12 waterskins could weigh about 12 lbs and might not take up a large volume when empty.
I'd think that a log of a size that could internally contain the equivalent of 48 pints of air might be less able to fit alongside the other kit in a standard adventurer's pack.

If you can find a log, go for it.

I think the odds of finding a log are at least as high as finding a dozen waterskins.

I seem to recall that Alexander the Great got his army across a body of water with inflated goat skins, or similar dead mammals. I assume they first killed, skinned and stitched up the animals (I'm absolute confident the farmer was fairly compensated!) The point being, a whole animal skin has a higher volume/weight ratio, and therefore makes a more effective flotation device than lots of smaller inflated skins, and is easier to swim with.

 

[Vaalingrade]

If you have a barbarian and trees nearby, you have logs.

 

[greg kaye]

If you have a barbarian and trees nearby, you have logs.

If you have a backpack and a history of shopping, you can have waterskins.
In the scenario I'm thinking of, boat owners insist on passengers having appropriate buoyancy aids in the same way as might happen in modern times.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

No, the question becomes, why use dozens of waterskins when you could use a log?

Yeah I mean if you have a bunch of air-filled waterskins and an easy way to contain them - say, a net or a light bag that won't easily become waterlogged, go for it. But I think in most situations you'll get greater total buoyancy and controllability of said buoyancy from a log or similar, and they're probably more available in most situations, it's just real heavy until you get it into the water.

I'm also intrigued by @Oofta's point re: the gambeson temporarily acting as a life preserver. I feel like, with medieval materials you could probably make a pretty good floatation aid along those lines, but I'm not the man to work out exactly how.

Also been watching a lot of Taskmaster lately (how did I miss this show?) and I think one of the things it reminds me of most is D&D because of the way people come up with completely insane ways to complete tasks under pressure.