"Space 1889: what color is 'khaki' on Mars..?" Topic

Since (ahem) I find khaki a bor-ring color..
I'm considering painting my colonial troops
'Martian Khaki'.. which would be a sorta-kinda light reddish-brown..? (ie dust-color.. but *Martian* dust..)

Or.. the color normally referred to as Victorian Rose.

Maybe a light orangish-red..?

Any thoughts..?

The proper British troops, of course, wear their scarlet tunics..

I dunno why they call Mars the red planet. Looks boringly yellow-brown in the photos I've seen of it.

Khaki-coloured, you might say.

Well, I've herd that the original khaki was the result of staining white uniforms with coffee, so, is there a Martian beverage that has mildly stimulative properties that could be used to dye cloth?

Mars today:

link

The yellow or golden color is normally during global wind storms on Mars. The reflected light changes when the dust is whipped up into the atmosphere.

DyeHard

You could go with a red clay color link

Of course the troops on Mars would modify their uniforms to adapt to local conditions. As troops arrive on planet their uniforms are dropped into great vats of martian soil mixed with water. This dyes the uniform 'Martian Khaki'.

"Khaki" on Mars should have the same strict definition that it does on Earth…

Khaki with red rust dry brushed over it.

Jlundberg: ooooooh yeah.. dat da color..!

John the OFM.. agreed. But whose dust..? :-)

khaki, dusty, from Persian, from khk, dust, from Middle Persian.]

Why would the British change the colour of their uniforms from scarlet anyway? That smacks of going native and sounds dashed un-British.

wukong,
Hmm, I view the British and Germans as most likely to change to 'Martian Service Dress', while the French will still wear the capote with pantalon rouge. The Germans will have kitted their troops in proper color before they leave earth, but they won't send enough men.

Are we assuming that Martian dust is homogeneous?
I would think that Martian dirt would have as much variety as does Earth's dust. Particularly if the planet can support life. If it can't, why are we fighting there?

I think it is closest to the color we call "Fuchsia" here on earth.

"The Germans will have kitted their troops in proper color before they leave earth"

They will also all be wearing Picklehaubes.

wukong : I'm only referrring to uniforms for Martians in British service..

Having looked around.. fuschia is a little too red.
A reddish-brown (iron oxide perhaps.?) seems more the ticket,
assuming the martian red comes from iron oxides in the soil…

The only 'real' reference is the map found in Sky Galleons of Mars.. the map of Kraag Borovaar.. which is a reddish-brown..

Jlundberg's pic really helped..! :-)

All My British troops on Mars are in red coats.
I tried painting up some Germans in pink/khaki and they looked really nice but then I couldn't use them anywhere else.

Khaki is a color. So it is always a shade of tan-brown. Khaki in different armies at different times have used khaki as slange for daily undress or fatigue work clothes.

The use of daily Undress and campaign uniform colors for Earth forces is a different matter. I do not see tropical and naval whites being being used much. The use of British red, Russian Green and Prussian gray or blue, French- blue seems logical. Efforts to use clothing in an effort to camao would not be something I would associate with the Victorian Age.

I use khaki for my Martian askaris/sepoys.

Redcoats for the sons of the Widow. Hurray!

Blue for the French Legion Extraterrestriale, with white kepi, d'accord.

White blouses for the German Luftschiffetruppen, but dunkelblau for the regular infantry.

Texicans wear butternut. You might call it khaki, but its really butternut.

Papal States wear purple. Yes, purple. Though since I only have three painted so far I might be changing it.

My friend's Royal Hawaiians are rather colorful. Reds and yellows.

Haven't gotten to the Russians or the Turks or the US or Free State of Vancouver or Republic of Ireland or… but I will!

I'm a big fan of Howard Hues British Khaki, which is rather yellow. Then again, my khaki-clad brits are fielded in locales other than Mars.

I dunno why they call Mars the red planet. Looks boringly yellow-brown in the photos I've seen of it.

It's called the red planet because it looks red when seen by the naked eye from Earth. The moniker predates photography and telescopes by a long time.

Try GW terracotta. It's a nice reddish-tan color.

I thought the british army had transitioned to khaki field uniforms in about 1880?

Lion: They had. It's VSF. SO I changed history as well as physics and kept my Brits in red.

Since the Brits still use the redcoats for parade dress, why not?

As long as I don't have to pay the cleaning bill for the deployed units, I don't really mind one way or the other.

"what color is 'khaki' on Mars..?"

Depends on what you eat.

Dan

I've posted a pic for those interested,it gives a good colour guide

dliworkshopinspace.blogspot.com

but this would most likely be the uniform of new troops.Those who have served in India,the North West Frontier etc.

Those units who were some of the first to get to Mars are likely to of kept the Red Tunic design for its 'natural'look.Mars may be one of those places were the old uniform is still in use and permitted by army regulations.

Haven't gotten to the Russians or the Turks or the US or Free State of Vancouver or Republic of Ireland or… but I will!

Dude, I totally forgot about the Free State of Vancouver!

Didn't we come up with that when I was creating the Kingdom of Hawaii?

-Eli

Earth Khaki….. usually khaki colored
Martian Khaki…… usually khaki colored
there are a few exceptions too rare to be discussed adequately in this forum!!
Thank you!

Eli: Yep, I think that was when we mentioned it.

Of course, I have left out the Empire of California (Norton I), Japan, the Mexican Empire, and several others as well. So many places I just don't see me getting around to doing them all.

And khaki is boring. If I am going to change history and physics to allow space flight in the 1850s, then I can get away with keeping redcoats.

Khaki? Not in MY British Army on Mars, blast it!!! Sounds suspiciously foreign, eh, what? Can't have a thin red line of 'eroes without the red, dontcha know.