Mr. R
Nice article. I’ll agree that the new ACU [1] is terrible, and that MultiCam [2] is pretty good. Problem is it’s currently limited, hence mucho expensive
I’ll second how effective ASAT [3] [pattern camouflage] is. Years back we went backpacking up in Bandelier [National Monument] [4], which is a mixed environment with evergreens, deciduous trees, brush and grass, amidst rocky canyons. My son walked out into a field in bright daylight and sat down with an ASAT big-bandana over his head and shoulders. Gone! Even with some light wind moving brush he stayed gone. We did this a few more times as we moved into canyons and up into woods. Gone!
They currently have sales on seconds and imperfects, and the bandanas, gloves and hats are reasonably priced. The fabric would be great for ponchos, backpack covers, and simple groundsheet shelters – MurrDoc
James:
FYI:, I saw these relevant comments on DefenseTech.org [5] of the new military ACU pattern from guys in the ‘field’: The ACU (as I have seen in both the woods of Georgia and the desert &
urban areas of Iraq) is pretty much c**p. Yes, I agree it works well if you are lying still in a gravel parking lot or next to a large moss covered live oak. Any other circumstance, though, you are truly “Ghost Recon”. I work at the Recon Surveillance Course 4th RTB at [Fort] Benning, and teach camouflage here. The grey pattern sticks out like a white ghost. At nighttime it gets highly illuminated by the moon and stars. The ACU is pretty much the joke of the Army. Joke’s on you. Thank God I am a Marine!
And, for those interested in the methods and study used to choose this new pattern you can find a very interesting synopsis document [6] (in PowerPoint format). Regards, – S.H.
Hi,
I just wanted to point out to you and your SurvivalBlog readers the new camo designs being created at Hyperstealth [7]. There is plenty of reading and good information about camouflage. They also have some BDU [8]s for sale, unfortunately the best are sold out, but perhaps they will be reissued in the future. – Tom
James:
I trust all is well with you and yours. About this camouflage thing. After going from the old green/olivedrab to grey flight suits to Vietnam green jungle fatigues to the tiger stripe, back to green fatigues and then to nomex in grey and nomex in green and then on to the stylish BDUs and then to desert and now to Digital, which I still think is dumb and now to civie [9] clothing, I still think the best camouflage clothing is the original Green/OliveDrab fatigues. To make them into effective camo, just lay them out on the ground, lay some local branches with leaves or needles on top of the fatigues, dust them with flat black spray paint. Flip over, do the other side. Let dry and wear.
May not be fancy or stylish, but it surely is functional….. and cheap. Used that method a lot thru the career and it works.
Functional during the day and you simply disappear at night.
Maybe somebody can explain the new army digital camo to me. IMHO, it just looks dumb. (At least Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children went for dual color versions) At the range, I can look down the firing line and past a certain point, I see this line of green blobs that stand out from absolutely everything. Even in an urban environment it doesn’t work well unless you have a particular penchant for being noticed. Just been a point of confusion to me. Best Regards, to all. – The Army Aviator