One of the beauties of the digital age of camouflage is that patterns can easily be recolored if needed. There seems to be a lot of interest in the Dispersal pattern by CROPS that we showed earlier in the week but we received several comments that it was too this or that.
This new variant is intended for Alpine use. But it might be the ticket for some of you guys looking for something to blend in with concrete environs, although I find the best urban camo is to dress like the natives.
Natick has issued a Sources Sought Synopsis looking for companies that are capable of digitally printing on a variety of substrates (fabrics). Additionally, they must be capable of NIR and SWIR compliance. Specifically:
Natick Soldier Systems Center requires rapid printed fabrics for field/lab testing of camouflage patterns for use in woodland, transitional and arid environments that conform to visual, NIR and SWIR requirements.
The Army is interested in prints on 50/50 Nylon/Cotton Ripstop Fabric, 500D Cordura and Rayon/Para-Aramid/Nylon Ripstop Fabric.
Notice in the documentation they reference Woodland, Transitional and Arid patterns? They go on and on about this, repeating it four times which tells me that, despite the contractual machinations currently (not) underway with Crye Precision for OCP (MultiCam), Natick is committed to working with a family of camouflage consisting of a Transitional pattern combined with Bookend Woodland and Arid patterns. Perhaps someone has realized that they actually own the Scorpion pattern (seen below), a precursor to MultiCam developed for the Objective Force Warrior program and can do pretty much anything they want with it. Then again, maybe not.
At this point, the Army is in a bit of quandry, having banked on a soft transition to OCP. Now, no one seems sure if the Army will be capable of moving away from the UCP camouflage. If a friend asked me in October if I knew what was happening I’d say “yes.” If they asked me now, I’d tell a story that sounds like a plot to an episode of “Three’s Company” and say “Not so much.”
As for trying to keep up; the Army is getting pretty savvy on releasing solicitation notices that deal with developmental camouflage issues on FedBizOpps. Looks like they’ve figured out that folks are keeping an eye on them so they are issuing them without any discussion of camouflage on the actual notice. Take for instance this one. It is titled “Fabric Printing BPAs.” You have to get down into the attachments to see what is really going on. Sneaky, Sneaky. But don’t worry Army, we will keep an eye out for you to help keep you honest. Since the Army likes to alter the public record by deleting postings once they’ve been brought to light on SSD, we’ve included the meat of what the Army is looking for below.
Click to download: CAMO_BPA2_Spec23Jan2014
If you’re interested in answering up, you’ve got until February 4th.
For the full Sources Sought Synopsis visit Fabric Printing BPAs.
A reader of ours shared a couple of Kryptek kilts custom made for him by Gryphon Work Shop out of Vancouver, Washington. The kilts were done in Typhon and Mandrake patterns. These patterns aren’t a standard option on the Gryphon Work Shop site, although you can make a request for these and more patterns if you choose.
Thanks to AZ for the tip!
We recently ran across an interesting new hexagon-based camouflage from British company CROPS and asked them for some information to share with our readers.
History & Background:
I have been obsessed about camouflage ever since I was a child, back then I used to hide in the back garden using material which had been painted and died to make my own camouflages, this all thanks to my mother’s everyday role as a textiles specialist.
As an adult in the military I would buy ‘arctic cam whites’ and once again spray paint, screen print and stencil my own camouflages. Only this time for a more serious role than that of hiding in the back garden!
Having designed and developed a number of rural based technical equipment, optical platforms and more recently three variant low-profile rigs and the technical CROPS combat pant. www.crops.uk.com
Current times:
Now working alongside the UK based manufacture ARKTIS, we (CROPS) continue to be innovators within the tactical clothing arena.
Approached by a small overseas Special Forces unit with the following brief, “we require a new, never seen before camouflage print which would aid concealment at distances between 100 – 150 metres in an urban environment. This then was to be made into a technical coverall consisting of a number of set features required of the tactical team”.
Urban concealment concept:
The first stage was to identify the correct colour pigments required to blend into the domestic and industrial urban back drop, I remembered years ago I stencilled an urban print on to my ‘arctic cam whites’ using the following colours. Pale sand, baby powder blue, pinks and dark purpley-red blends with a deep orange. These colours where stencilled in the same way as a WW2 German camouflage known as ‘Lozenge’ a basic hexagon-base camouflage typical for night operations. Once happy with the colour pigments, the next stage was to arrange them so that they worked together creating the overall effect.
We started playing around with a number of designs trying to add a 3D concept on flat fabrics, introducing artificial trapped shadows, fake textures and colour bleeds. After a number of tests and trials, so was born the latest in urban concealment fabric concepts, DISPERSAL.
DISPERSAL:
The DISPERSAL camouflage design is an optical effect that you will notice works in several ways; at greater distance its cuts up the outline of the wearer, mimicking broken rubble and harsh masonry lines. Whilst at shorter distances the ‘blurring effect’ fools the eye making it seem like its merging with the environment.
So effective the print has been at fooling the human eye, factory staff working to cut and machine the design, have had to be taken off the line complaining of dizziness and blurred vision!
Trials:
Remembering the original brief which was concealment between 100 – 150 metres, I drove around looking for as many different back drops I could find to test the print. Once convinced that the product worked I needed to test it on a real target location, this was to be a fully operational construction site.
The aim was to insert and slowly move as close to the workers as possible until compromised! With a college situated on the boundary armed with a camera and powerful lens, I started my insertion been photographed at stages. I achieved a distance of 10 metres before running out of rubble and only left with the option of standing up and walking out, this confirm the DISPERSAL as nothing short of awesome.
I emailed some images to a friend who had not seen the print and asked him to find me, 50 metres nothing, 25 metres nothing, and at 10 metres with a hint did he find me.
The Future:
After all this hard work the unit in question failed in their commitment, so the DSP print is up for grabs, CROPS is interested to hear from specialist units who have a requirement for this one of a kind camouflage.
What’s next:
The DISPERSAL is now in the trial stages for operations in the Rural, Arctic Mountain and Arid environments. All prints will be available in time from our on line store as well as our other specialist products which have been designed for the tactical and surveillance professionals. The store which will be going live very soon can be found at www.thesurveillancestore.co.uk
Written by: Ben Wall – CROPS School of Rural Surveillance
Slangvel will soon be offering his M43, Patrol hat, and Recce in MultiCam Tropic, a pattern heavily influenced by the ERDL camouflage pattern.
Ariat has produced a line of performance and lifestyle footwear in the Kryptek Highlander Pattern. There are a total of 6 styles in the outdoor collection feature fully waterproof leather and uppers. They also integrate the Ariat ATS technology which is their integrated outer, mid and insole combination to enhance comfort. Also, several of the models are insulated for cold weather hunting.
Additionally, Ariat has applied a Kryptek Highlander upper into the Quick Draw. They’ve also developed some undergarments which you can see behind the boots. These models will be available Fall 2014 (August) from www.ariat.com as well as your favorite boot retailers.
Kryptek has introduced five new patterns for hunting and fishing.
Of the five patterns, fishing patterns the lighter Pontus and deep water Neptune as well as Altitude, the high altitude, above the tree line hunting were on display.
Pontus
Neptune
Altitude
OTTE Gear gave us a tease of their Patrol Parka in the Brookwood Army Improvement Effort Woodland variant submission.
What do you think guys? Should they do it? I’d buy one.
