E-Mail 'Camouflaging Techniques, by Concealed Prepper - Part 2' To A Friend

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1. Thanks CP, that’s good info.

2. Please bear in mind plastic-based camouflage materials can be seen easily seen with multispectral cameras.

   Every state has at least one government aircraft that has these kind of sensors. They are used to find crashed aircraft or drug growing plots. Which is why the sophisticated use natural fibers, like grass mats, for camouflage.

   1. Can they detect plastic based clothing or gear items underneath natural fiber outer clothing? Or does the natural fiber conceal them?

      1. Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors operate on the principle of seeing in dozens, or hundreds of colors – almost all of them in the IR region.

         These colors, taken together, make a signature. This signature can be correlated by computer to determine automatically what the target’s surface is made of – be it paint, plastic, metal (and what kind of metal) or organic substances.

         These systems do not penetrate below the surface. For that synthetic aperture radar needs to be overlayed with the multispectral data.

         Generally speaking, if a target is 90% covered with organic material it will obscure any artificial material below.

         Bear in mind multispectral colors also include thermal IR, which is a separate problem to mitigate.

         https://www.textronsystems.com/intel-hub/hyperspectral-detection

         Even disturbed earth, tire tracks, and digging can be detected. Always cache under foliage, with evergreen trees being the best.

         https://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-hyperspectral-sensors.htm#didyouknowout

         1. Thank you very much. That was very helpful.

            I did not understand one sentence: For that synthetic aperture radar needs to be overlayed with the multispectral data.

            Does that mean that it is possible, using that kind of radar and data, to see through natural fibers to any plastics below them? If not, what did you mean? I am confused.

            Thank you again.

            1. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) allows for detection of metallic materials that are obscured by camouflage. Imagine a tank hidden in a forest. Visual and IR sensors may miss this target; SAR will identify a radar reflective body.

               To answer your question from a personnel viewpoint, SAR doesn’t pose much of a threat. A hidden BOV, however, might be seen.

               A mitigation would be to scout out remote parking areas for your BOV that already have metallic debris, like an illegal dump.

               Change detection is a method of taking an existing scan of a territory and overlaying new imagery – then finding what has changed in the image. SAR is generally lower resolution data (due to the wavelength of the radar) and images made with microwaves takes some interpretation to make sense. Things look different in microwave “light” than normal illumination.

               That being said, a pile of existing metal junk may look similar to your BOV when your vehicle is parked nearby when change detection is used. Reflectivity to radar can change drastically according to the angle of the sensor; two images of the same area from different angles will both show reflections, but of different magnitudes. Your BOV may be ignored as just an artifact of this.

               Another possibility would be to plant a camouflaged corner reflector at your stop-off points a few years before you may need them.

               https://www.barnardmicrosystems.com/UAV/features/synthetic_aperture_radar.html

               If Google has 6″ photo resolution of the most remote parts of the continental US, two dollars get you three there exists SAR sweeps of the entire US as well.

3. A couple of cheap and quick winter camo techniques we learned while stationed in Alaska in the 70’s was: A) old bed sheets (white, of course). Didn’t matter if they were torn or had holes, they were draped / thrown over any permanent object like tents, vehicle parks, bunkers, etc. They could be ripped in lengths and tied to trees/branches, rucksacks, weapons and other pieces equipment also, you can make a poncho / cape out of them too. And:
   B) Vehicle camo for our OD painted vehicles was just a sloppy solution of powdered laundry detergent mixed w/water in 5 gal. buckets and just roughly painted or thrown on the vehicles to be easily washed off after winter was over. (I’m sure it took several pounds of powdered detergent to do a complete fleet of trucks and 1/4 tons, I never paid attention to that part of the logistics, I was just a dumb E-3 doing what I was told…lol)

4. For those with AR’s that have removable handguards, keep a set in various colors. For my SP1, I have the original black, white, and tan in both forearm, buttstock, and pistol grip. Just changing those parts can go a long way to breaking up the pattern.

   1. I concur. MagPul recently discontinued all of their “sand” color (dyeable) magazine and stock furniture items. Among these was a three-piece M4 furniture set. If you can find a set or two, then jump on them. It is great being able to dye furniture to match your environs. The last I heard, Delta Team Tactical had just a few sets left: https://www.deltateamtactical.com/Magpul-MOE-SL-Carbine-Furniture-Kit–Sand_p_7603.html

5. Another way to hide your ATV, if a 4X4 or a smaller side by side is to hide it under a red cedar tree. I’m not sure what parts of the country have red cedar but in the south they’re everywhere and they’re a nuisance. Just back your ATV up to the tree and then break off a few limbs and back on under the tree. I was told once that heat seeking type optics (FLIR) on board an aircraft is unable to see through the red cedar because the tree actually puts out heat. I don’t know if that’s true but at least the red cedar is a very thick and bushy tree that would make it hard to see under.

6. Correction……..F.L.I.R., forward looking infra red

   Thanks for the correction. F.L.I.R., forward looking infrared radar.

7. If you need to go this far you must consider a thermal evasion suit.
   The military and police forces use drones and helicopters with infrared
   technology. FLIR scopes are in use today by poachers and other hunters.

8. Regarding vehicle camouflage, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to totally cover all reflective surfaces BEFORE adding camo netting. I’ve seen anti-smuggling ops fail because a vehicle was not properly concealed against moonlight. Everything that can reflect light, and I mean EVERYTHING, needs to be covered. That means putting a base layer of dark (gray, navy or black) blanket cover over a vehicle – from top to bottom, windows, grills, bumpers and down to your shiny wheels. Then cover with camo netting. The last thing you want is an armed drug scout checking out your vehicle because he saw the glint of a moonbeam. Of course, use natural cover such as gullies, man made structures, etc.; but still take the effort to completely conceal vehicles.

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