# The Thing question: Why flamethrowers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552 "2011-11-20T15:58:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/1 "2011-11-20T15:58:27Z")
I’ve watched the original and the prequel, and never thought to ask WHY both camps have flamethrowers handy lying round to be used? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/2 "2011-11-20T16:08:14Z")
[To melt the ice and snow?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=350375) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/3 "2011-11-20T16:24:41Z")
Not sure about the remakes, but the original from 1951 takes place mostly in a military base in Alaska. Those bases had the typical items for those days just before or at the end of WWII: Bombs, TNT, Termite, candy bars - cigarrets - chewing gum 🙂 , and flamethrowers. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/4 "2011-11-20T16:26:16Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > [To melt the ice and snow?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=350375) :smack: It still seems a losing proposition in the arctic, but I suppose you can’t just bring a big bag of salt. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/5 "2011-11-20T16:31:08Z")
Salt is good for fighting giant monster slugs and snails. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/6 "2011-11-20T16:34:49Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Salt is good for fighting giant monster slugs and snails. It also stops [rocks](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050720/) from growing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/7 "2011-11-20T17:20:48Z")
Salt also doesn’t work when it gets too cold out (around 0 F), which it probably will in the deep arctic or antarctic. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/8 "2011-11-20T19:24:15Z")
They can’t use their pulse rifles when they’re under the primary heat exchangers. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/9 "2011-11-20T23:19:25Z")
“What are we supposed to use, man, harsh language?” ---
**Author:** ![theworldisright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@theworldisright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theworldisright)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/10 "2011-11-20T23:29:54Z")
> [@Number](#): > > They can’t use their pulse rifles when they’re under the primary heat exchangers. Must be for the pre-sequel _The Alien Thing From Another World_ ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/11 "2011-11-20T23:30:50Z")
In any horror film, the correct question to ask is really, “Why NOT flamethrowers?” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/12 "2011-11-20T23:38:05Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > In any horror film, the correct question to ask is really, “Why NOT flamethrowers?” Depends on the monster. If it’s the zombie apocalypse then you have to worry about running out of fuel and blazing zombies wandering around setting things on fire before they finally die. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/13 "2011-11-20T23:42:19Z")
> [@theworldisright](#): > > Must be for the pre-sequel _The Alien Thing From Another World_ I guess _Things_ is taken. ---
**Author:** ![theworldisright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@theworldisright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theworldisright)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/14 "2011-11-20T23:48:12Z")
> [@Number](#): > > I guess _Things_ is taken. Not sure Bobby Darin had that in mind when he sang the song. Could be a great theme tune, tho! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/15 "2011-11-20T23:55:50Z")
> [@Number](#): > > They can’t use their pulse rifles when they’re under the primary heat exchangers. Speaking of which, why did the crew of the Nostromo from the first Alien film have flamethrowers on board a spaceship? Or are we to assume in both cases these are some sort of jury-rigged welding torches? ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/16 "2011-11-21T00:41:07Z")
In _Alien_ captain Dallas clearly tells engineer Parker to rig up a couple incinerator units. They had handguns, the “weapons” Dallas told them to break out before going to search the derelict spaceship. These were visible in holsters on the thighs of their spacesuits. Once they realized that the alien had acid for blood and that blowing holes in it was bad for their ship, they rigged the flamethrowers as a way to “drive” the alien, which at that time was still the small chestburster. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/17 "2011-11-21T01:23:12Z")
> [@ryan](#): > > In _Alien_ captain Dallas clearly tells engineer Parker to rig up a couple incinerator units. They had handguns, the “weapons” Dallas told them to break out before going to search the derelict spaceship. These were visible in holsters on the thighs of their spacesuits. Which always made me wonder why there were weapons on the Nostromo to begin with. Back to The Thing, I also wonder why “El Capitan” (Jim Cromwell) is wearing a holstered sidearm at the beginning of the film. . ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/18 "2011-11-21T01:26:38Z")
\ “Kill it.” “Kill it with _fiiire_!” Thank you. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/19 "2011-11-21T02:06:11Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Which always made me wonder why there were weapons on the Nostromo to begin with. > > Back to The Thing, I also wonder why “El Capitan” (Jim Cromwell) is wearing a holstered sidearm at the beginning of the film. > > . Not James Cromwell. Donald Moffat. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552/20 "2011-11-21T04:21:33Z")
In hindsight, you’d need to annihilate all of the creature - a few surviving cells will start everything up again. That, or use a cryogenic weapon and freeze the entire creature - and then completely incinerate it. Without that, with no weapons, a flamethrower can be rigged up with basic mechanical elements and fuel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-question-why-flamethrowers/603552.md?page=2)