You might get some ideas from this site on how to make Stormtrooper armor. Looks like it might need a vacuum form machine but there might be other helpful ideas there. Beyond that you might try paper-machet if you get the top layer smooth and use a few coats of some really glossy paint it might look passable.

http://www.studiocreations.com/howto/stormtrooper/index.html

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Checked out the site. what a great find. Thanks for the info and I will be trying to use his techniques. I would still like to find a way of doing it without a vacuum form machine. Plaster is to heavy and paper mache is far to brittle. I think that maybe plastic is going to have to be the way to go. so maybe this weekend I will begin to make a vacuum table. Thanks for the help and to everyone else I am still open to any suggestions.

Thanks

Another option is sports equipment (Soylant Green used baseball helmets after all). Hockey equipment can look really futuristic and since it is normally covered in large jerseys few outside the Great White North recognize it for what it is.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/s:Hockey:4168-Brand=Hespeler

Especially with some paint, some military camos underneath, and perhaps the addition of other gear (motorcycle helmet or paintball helmet).

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Tippmann_Tippmann_Armor_Paintball_Goggle,__24542062/

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Didn't 'Aliens' use Steadicam vests? Though they'd be rather expensive too :).

I think two characters used steadycam vests, the two with the largest guns. The rest used a formed plastic-type deal similar to what the stormtroopers wore but painted green.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA