Improvised thermal cover

[Lowdown3]

Now that the MVT thermal shield has been out of production for a while, we could use some ideas to improvise some protection against thermal imagers.

I have an idea and I'm going to make it and test it out with the handful of thermal scopes we have here.

My thoughts revolve around using an off the shelf Snugpak Poncho liner. This item is very similar to the Jungle blanket only it has a built in hood and arm sleeves. The hood has a draw string and the arm sleeves have the little elastic keepers at the wrist.

From there I'm adding some new issue military netting. This isn't the old type that had the plastic type feel that was LOUD out in the woods. I believe also this new pattern has some radar scattering attributes as well.

I'm going to attach the netting to the poncho liner. The outfit to be worn OVER all your other gear. Why over? Because their is a need for an air space or the blanket/poncho liner will simply start transmitting YOUR body heat.

As we've seen previously when we tested just normal space blankets at campouts, it takes very little time for your body heat to "bleed through" and show up on thermal when their is not an air gap. Putting it on OVER gear should add a bit of an air gap.

The netting should break up the signature a bit for normal I2 devices (night vision) as well as Mark I eyeball viewing.

What I'm NOT trying to achieve here is total thermal blackout. I'm not sure that's even possible, but definitely not with $60. worth of material.

I'm thinking of sewing the netting to the poncho liner via 550 cord if I can find a big enough needle.

Other ideas on this?

[Dennis W]

Get a yarn or darning needle, that should be big enough, or one of the leather working needles.
I think you will find that if it is worn on you, it is going to heat up pretty quickly and show through. Definitely worth a try though.

I made one a while back before I got my MVT shield. I took an OD green emergency blanket and sewed it in between 2 layers of thin nylon. It works pretty good but is very noisy. You still need the air gap.
Dennis

[Lowdown3]

We are basically just looking at a short time usage due to pretty much any material placed near to the body heating up.

So should we focus on more of an air gap? Ideas?

Should we focus on a THICKER material for perhaps a little longer time before bleed through? Ideas?

Also I was thinking about spraying tent seam sealer/waterproofer on the poncho liner itself to give it some water resistance. I wonder if that will reflect more with thermal or I2? It would be nice if the cloak had some weatherproofing but it isn't absolutely necessary.

What other ideas can we try?

[Lowdown3]

Hood and face area ideas-

Thinking about trying a lightweight balaclava as the base layer. A thin cheap multicam "ninjeee" hood I use for FOF classes. The hood on the poncho liner should be a little air gap there. Protus showed me some of those "cooling wrap" devices that you can get at Lowes. May try that to dissipate some of the heat there. Some scrim will be added to the hood itself.

Was thinking about trying the ESS or Wiley goggles in conjunction with this. This could be good or give a blocky look via the thermal, we will see.

Ideas?

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

could there be a way to have some "ribs" on the inside that would keep it away from the body by an inch or so so heat/air could flow? maybe a foam rubber type of product?

[Lowdown3]

could there be a way to have some "ribs" on the inside that would keep it away from the body by an inch or so so heat/air could flow? maybe a foam rubber type of product?

My inner jury rigger says I wonder about foam or the rubber like pipe insulation wraps for this purpose. Whatcha all think?

Sew or glue to the inside, or both?

[Dennis W]

I think it depends on what you want to do.
If you wear it all the time I think it will heat up and look like you.
If your going to be stationary set it up like a shelter. 4 bungees would do.
If your mobile you could attach it to you pack, so that you could just flip it up over you, if you have any warning at all.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

My inner jury rigger says I wonder about foam or the rubber like pipe insulation wraps for this purpose. Whatcha all think?

Sew or glue to the inside, or both?

My thoughts were like copying the backpack "airflow" channels. If you knew where the cover would touch your body, maybe you could attach the padding material, then cover the padding with a material of some sort to hold padding (essentially sewing around the padding to form the airflow channels) in place and keep it from peeling off while wearing or donning and doffing. If you need to use as a tarp shelter like Dennis W was alluding to, this could still be done.

[Bill Foster]

In the movie Preditor, Arnold covered himself in mud. Just sayin...

[protus]

I'm picturing this looking like the alien outfits from spies like us.
Lol.


Heavy poly thread with #16 needle will hold that netting. If doing it by hand.
Also putting mesh on the body side..think old Survival fish net..will give you a air gap as well.
Face wise you can try the wrap we spoke of in conjuction with a mesh base layer are a bug net viel.

[protus]

Also.
Water proofing won't reflect IR iirc.least not on the stuff I've used
Remember that night camo tarp I made you looked at it with the pvs5/14 years back. No reflection.
Now. Some nylons will so it'd be best to check prior to building it.

[Lowdown3]

So far this is what I got going.

Used jute twine and a huge needle to attach the netting to the Snugpak poncho liner. The jute will also be handy for attaching other pieces of netting and/or burlap, etc.

I will paint it all probably next and seal all the holes where I went through the poncho liner with the needle to possibly stop any heat spots there.

If for nothing else it will make a decent ghillie cover if the thermal protection properties don't hold up well.

[cpt_sfc]

As I recall, one does not want to remove all heat as this will show you as a colder blob. But what do I know. When they first came out with all this Flir stuff there was a list from DARPA that listed all the heat signatures of items like glass, elec tape , mylar etc. and how to mix it up for camo. Now they claim to have a treatment for ACUs that helps defeat heat signatures. (INTENT) Mix up the signal to be less obvious. Hope this helps. If I can find the list again I will post it.

[cpt_sfc]

Nemesis turkey suit by Gore tex and Raven Aerostar another co. Listed in national defense magazine, allows the heat and cold spots to look like leaves and background. 2900 bucks a pop at the moment. Consists of pants,shirt, hat, face mask.

[cpt_sfc]

http://www.google.com/patents/US5281460 Patent for IR camo.