Comparing various camo-patterns

[Rizzo]

Hi, I am a collector of different camo-pattern-styles and would like to do a little study of comparison about visiual effects that different patterns cause in various environments. This is not meant to be another one of this „Style-X-is-the-best“ discussions! I just want to see how all these patterns work at different landscapes, distances and lightings.
I have already fotographed some of the gear I own (see examples on pics below) and will do further in more various locations by time to get a bigger variety of comparisons.
Unfortunately I don´t own that much of different camo color patterns as i would like to. Also I am not able to travel around that much with all that stuff to really get into all that different sourroundings. So maybe some of you guys can help me out and send me some pictures of your camo-styles and how they work in several locations that I may use? If you have some personal experience with special patterns, please let me know.

If I get enough evidence about history and developments on the different camo-patterns, too, I even think about doing a summary of all that in a Powerpoint-Presentation or even print the complete study on paper. But this is a future thought and depends on what I can find and get on this issue. So if anyone can be of some help to me this would be great! Especially Canadian CADPAD-Pattern ist really hard to get over here in Europe so this would be very interesting in first. If someone wants to swap camo-pictures of any style with me, please feel free to send me a pm.

[mark23]

Hi Rizzo!

Especially the old Eichenlaub pattern is really good. IIRC there is a version with "blurred" edges and the color gradients in it make it look like a "green" version of MultiCam. What shirt are you wearing? M38? Is the shirt reversible?

Do you happen to know where to buy reversible (spring/summer-autum/winter print) cloth/fabric with the Eichenlaub (oak leaves) pattern?

Thanks!

Kind regards
mark23

[Rizzo]

Yes, the shirt is reversible. (see pic)
But I don´t know if there ist a number connected to this typ. It´s a Paratrooper-Shirt with Hood. The Pattern should be comparable to the M42 type, i guess.

There are some retailers in Germany that produce and sell very good replicas of those different Pattern clothings. But the prices are quite expensive.
You can take a look at some good works on www.zeugwart.de for example.

[Porkchop]

Some excellent stuff there but why does their sizing only go to xl???
Oh well.

[Rizzo]

I found some interesting statements about the effectiveness of camo-patterns in a book of Mr. J.F. Borsarello. In one paragraph of this book he describes following facts:

"...At long range, colours appear to be less clear, different colour shades melt together, the intensities of colours weaken. A good camouflage must of course produce the same effect - the pattern and colour effect must be designed with consideration to both the close range and the distant effects they produce..."

Has anyone some experiences on that? It would be interessting to see if someone could show some pictures of camo-patterns in close and distant ranges to see how that fits in natural environments.

[Luckyorwhat]

I think that's why they talk about Micro-patters and Macro-patterns, now. So up close, when you can focus well, you see the micro-pattern. Far away, to break up the big blob, you see the macro-pattern (which, aiui, is created from the micro-pattern).

[Rizzo]

I found some interesting images of MULTICAM use on the net. Very impresive...

[Dafe]

on the 2 first picture; are we supos to see somebody or no.

[Lerch]

First picture was just a hat, second picture...there's a guy somewhere...

Problem with these pictures is that they were done at peak performance time for the camoflage (hey, if you wanted to sell a new camo pattern, would you show it sticking out like a sore thumb?).

[pugs144]

Originally Posted by Lerch

Problem with these pictures is that they were done at peak performance time for the camoflage (hey, if you wanted to sell a new camo pattern, would you show it sticking out like a sore thumb?).

ORLY??? Well that's the whole point behind MultiCam. It performs in multiple environments. Why the hell would you show the camouflage in anything other than it's peak performance time. Until the Predator stealth suit is actually in service ALL camo will stick out like a sore thumb in the environment for which it was not designed.

Everytime the subject of MultiCam comes up the same pics are posted which elicit the same responses and people end up arguing in circles.

[Lerch]

I know about the usual responses, but there's a difference between 'peak performance time' and 'reality'.

We still need someone to take all these uniforms and run through a bunch of different locations, at different times, in different weather. Then we can crown the SUPER CAM!

[pugs144]

Until someone develops a Klingon cloaking device there will be NO SUCH THING. Crye never claimed MultiCam to be this so called SUPERCAM, but to be an ADEQUATE camouflage pattern for a variety of terrain. "Adequate", "Super". There is a difference.

[Gryphon]

I like Danish M84.... :|

I find that in the bush it's not usually someone's camouflage that gives them away, it's their shadow and movement. Fieldcraft is just as important, if not more so, than the clothing you're wearing. Obviously if you put on a black ninja suit in the middle of the desert it won't matter how still you lay, but to remain concealed takes more than just a fancy pattern. You could be using the Predator suit and if you're moving rapidly I guarantee it will still show distortion visible to the naked eye.

I also agree that camouflage is very region-specific, and not even Multicam works in a very large range of environments. In central Manitoba during the summer, CADPAT, M84, and other bright green patterns work the most effectively because they match the rich foliage. During spring and autumn, we found that Asian Tigerstripe works fantastically due to the more muted hues that go with the leafless and dead vegetation. In winter the trees don't turn white, so unless you're in an empty field Tigerstripe still works great. I find winter whites don't do much good at all unless you're completely still and laying down. As soon as you stand up or crouch, all I need to look for is the big blob of white against the dark brown and black of the tree trunks and unleash a torrent of BBs in that direction.

[Rizzo]

I agree mostly with the above mentioned statements. But let me put it this way: I know how difficult - if not impossible - it is to define the very best of all camo patterns. That´s not what this discussion should be about. I think we all know that there are some patterns that work great in specific regions while others work well in different settings. My interest ist to see how the single pattern works in different settings for his own and then compare it (statistically) with other patterns. I know that many people have their personal favorite pattern, and that's great as it is... wouldn´t it be boring seeing all the guys wearing the same stuff?

I pick on the state of Lerch and would like to try this, to take images of a wide range of different patterns, put them in different enviroments with various lightings and in different seasons. To show these settings for every single pattern could then be ratet by points or something like that by different people (with their own personal opinions). Then I could compare the single effectiveness-points of those patterns against each other to get some tendency on what patterns is seen as most effective in all-year-round effectiveness.

Just a little hope of mine to get this done somehow... not to prove the ultimate Camo - just to do a little research and comparison so anyone can pick his own favorite by comparing different possibilities.

I hope you guys get the meaning. Though I come from Germany my English isn´t the best... has been quite a time since school days

[Blackthorne]

In the first photo, the guy is lying face down in the midlle of the shot with his face towards the ground. What you can see is the top of his boonie and his back at an oblique angle.

In the second shot the person is in a ball about 1 inch out from the center at 10 o'clock.