BDU's and camo patterns. T&E, etc, lots of pics.

[fallout boy]

very kewl thread

[Spock]

dewd.... seriously excellent info. I was gonna go multicam but after watching your videos I'm thinking digital woodland.

[protus]

multi cam is sooo awesome......oh wait....wrong forum. :P

great pics, cant wait for the next round.

[Grand58742]

Okay, I tried posting up my own camo test, but didn't seem to work as the pictures weren't resized like in other forums.

Any help with this?

[Bourbon]

Okay, I tried posting up my own camo test, but didn't seem to work as the pictures weren't resized like in other forums.

Any help with this?

I use Filesmelt, it has worked for me, example:

I advise you to just use basic.

Regarding the thread - In my area, MultiCam works perfect. And I do mean perfect.
In the photos above, I understand why you choose the camouflages given, but I think CADPAT does wonders in green bushes/grass areas. It's just a lot harder to get than traditional American camouflage.
I do have X-CAMO and I have mixed feelings over it. I feel that there is too much of the light tan,
and if seen from far away, the tan dominants the other colors - good for me, I suppose, as I am in a tan-based environment. I see it as a mix of MultiCam and MARPAT - with different shades of brown and green, but with dark brown/black? and light tan.
I can see a few really small white specs where the tan should have been, and I suppose the light tan is better than the white, as it looks like a neon, how bright it is. However, to me - something about X-CAMO seems off.

I post a fews days before a month of the last post, as I think this thread is an ongoing discussion.
Also, it's the thread that brought me to this forum, so cheers.

[Grand58742]

Most camouflages are environmental dependent along with another factor overlooked, lighting and weather. While multicam excells in a lighter environment and well lit areas, it does only so so in darker areas with darker green and brown vegetation. In these environments, darker patterns (M81 woodland, DPM, MARPAT, Flektarn, etc) do far better than the lighter patterns.

Add in the fact a lot of woodland areas heave heavy canopies of vegetation and don't allow a lot of light to penetrate means these darker pattern become even more effective, muting themselves to the background colors far better. Even darker monotone shades like the old OD green and coyote brown do far better since they blend into background colors and are overall darker in appearance. Movement is key with these colors, but in still shots, they tend to blend into the background colors.

Overall, I think Multicam is a great pattern and is far superior to the ACU/ABU pattern. But in selected environments and conditions, even it sticks out far more than it should. Take nighttime for example. Multicam tends to be easier to notice in darker environments since it has lighter shades. (Standard observation and not through night vision enhancements) But M81 Woodland and other darker patterns are far better since they are darker and with lighter contracting shades creating more of a shadow effect in darkness. I have tried the X-Cam after dark over here in Germany and found it works fairly well in dark and low light conditions with the lighter tan shade. Is it the cure all? No, but it does tend to blend in better in my experience but breaking up the color scheme and being just about the right shade between dark and light.

[Grand58742]

Last winter I did a test out in an area close to where I live. It was December when I went out and the weather was rainy and overcast, time in the afternoon and around 37 degrees F. Area was dense vegetation not unlike the hardwood areas in the Eastern US. I won't post up the entire thread, but the four I tested side by side, ABU, Multicam, M81 and X-Cam. Please forgive the gianormous photos.

From left to right the ABU, X-Cam, Multicam and BDU at about 15 yards. You can already see which one is going to stick out like a sore thumb and which one will do the best.



At 25 yards, the lighter colors are contrasting against the environment, but the darker BDU is starting it disappear.



At 50 yards, the lighter patterns can still be seen, but the BDU has almost faded entirely into the background.



At 100 yards, the ABU and Multicam can still be picked out and you can faintly see the X-Cam. The BDU is completely gone.



So ranking them up in my environment…

Short range (10-50 yards)

1. BDU
2. X-Cam
3. Multicam
4. ABU

Medium range (50-100 yards)

1. BDU
2. X-Cam
3. Multicam
4. ABU

Beyond 100 yards

1. BDU
1. X-Cam
3. Multicam
4. ABU

The X-cam worked best closer to the leaves since the pattern was lighter, but the BDU was better against the natural background. This is why I gave them a tie at 100 yards and beyond. I feel like both would be sufficient at extended distances over here as they are darker. Multicam came in third place, but because the pattern is a lot lighter than the others. But the ABU failed miserably except at longer ranges and I don’t think different weather or vegetation will change the fact the colors are not found in nature. At longer ranges it does okay, but even then, it is not something I would be willing to risk my life to wear into a woodland combat environment.

As a reminder, each and every camouflage is environmentally dependent and based on the background colors found naturally in your areas. What specifically worked for me in Germany won't always work in say, Texas or California where lighter shades might work better.

And the X-Cam used was the older model.

[Bourbon]

I think those photos are a bit bias. The trees are dark brown and green, and it is very dark. Naturally Woodland would work lovely.

But a camouflage that works really good at night, probably is not good for most cases.
Also, the shirts are on trees, if more to the ground, the lighter ones would do better with the light colored underbrush.

Don't get me wrong with my posts, I love Woodland, but its a bit too dark for things like grass-green plants.
All three of the camouflages shown, except UCP, would work good if not making a silhouette.
Anyone making an effort to be seen, should be seen.

[Grand58742]

Not biased, just my specific environment. That's Germany in the fall, winter and early spring. Overcast, darker woods, lots of browns and darker greens. Lighter patterns like Multicam tend to stick out more. And even during the summer, they tend to still be a little too light as the forest over here is typically has darker greens and browns but also with brighter greens that contrast with Multicam. I'm not saying it doesn't work, it just doesn't work as well as other patterns like Flektarn, DPM and M81 Woodland that have a darker overall pattern.

And even closer to the ground doesn't work as well. The leaves and ground vegetation is darker brown and the Multicam shows up. But the biggest factor is lighting. When the sun is out, the lighter patterns blend in better, but during the overcast and limited lighting, the darker patterns blend better. But we all can't hope for sunny days and/or switch patterns when the sun goes behind clouds. Here's some contrasting photos of light and dark with Multicam during the summer:

Multicam in the light at about 15 yards. Black hat on top for contrast. Blends in pretty well.



In the shadows at about the same distance. Not as good as the lighter pattern shows up more with lack of light. As the distance grows, this will probably mute better.



Multicam on the left, Camelbak foliage green on the right at about 10 yards.



Same at about 15 yards



But even manufaturers are somewhat biased. Take a look at the Multicam file photos. They tend to take their pictures in lighter areas, which right now is the main environment they are being used in. It's a marketing technique used by them to show how "invisible" their camo can be. But again, it's in the environment that works best. You take a look at Hawkeye's posts in the beginning of this thread. The Multicam catches the eyes quicker than the MARPAT since it's lighter shade doesn't break up the outline against the vegetation like the MARPAT does.

I fully agree Multicam is a great choice for A-Stan and other lighter environment (like grasslands and sparse vegetation) but it is not the cure all of camo patterns as others make it out to be. While it is a great camo asset, some have taken the Koolaid fanboy factor to a whole new dimension and proclaim loudly the pattern is the cure to every environment. But other patterns work better in selected environments. Is Multicam probably the best "universal" camouflage out there? Probably so since it does tend to work okay in a wide variety of environments and awesome in others. Are there better patterns for a specific environment, say darker woodlands? Absolutely.

[Hawkeye]

Not biased, just my specific environment. That's Germany in the fall, winter and early spring.

Its no surprise that Woodland works there. After all, thats where it was DESIGNED to work at. ;)

[Grand58742]

Its no surprise that Woodland works there. After all, thats where it was DESIGNED to work at. ;)

Yep, North European battlespace when the Russians were peeking at us from their side of Europe and war was thought to be inevitable. Funny how things take a turn isn't it?

But also, the major powers in Western Europe all had (until recently) similiar colors in their uniforms. I've wanted to try that new Italian pattern, Vegetata, over here. It's like a digital pattern based on the M81 colors and looks like it might work okay. But it's got more greens than browns as opposed to the MARPAT. Looks interesting enough though.

http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/camouflage/image/italian_army_woodland_digita_camo.jpg

[Hawkeye]

S.O.D. has some really nice BDU's in Vegetato that I've been eyeing, but they are a bit pricey for me at the moment...

[Grand58742]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Even with the Euro dropping relative to the dollar, that's a pretty penny to pay!

[Hawkeye]

Had some folks asking some more questions recently and in the past. Tried to put some info/thoughts into video for a change.... dont laugh too hard. Its in two parts as the original wouldnt fit into youtube's time constraints.

Part 1 -

Part 2 -

[1Admin]

Awesome, great job!