Multispectral camouflage.

[22F]

Cross-posted from Farcebook for prosperity.

Here’s a great teaching point for you all.

There’s a reason why I bang on about quality materials.

One of these plate carriers is made with quality, NIR compliant materials. The other isn’t.

For life saving equipment, “just as good as” - often isn’t.

By zooming in on the picture, it can be seen that the camouflage pattern on the webbing tape helps break-up the shape of the plate carrier across the whole spectrum.

 

[Whiskey]

I haven't played around with my NOD's enough, or maybe the people I hang out with just have the right gear, but is that picture under IR illumination as well? Or do the non NIR materials just glow that badly under whatever passive light there is?

 

[shoobe01]

Stuff can really, really glow just from starlight, moonlight. And don't forget too dark can be as bad as too light. Black stripes or triangles or whatever stick out plenty.

Worth checking all your gear, as I've shared photos after training (I have a night vision adapter, often take photos at least around camp) that surprised folks. Their solid ODG jacket, good to the eye, has part that's black, part that's all but glowing under night vision.

Also fun to know how well actual camo works, on NIR (NODs), and MWIR/LWIR (thermal). We've recently gotten some smaller bits of ULCANS (Barracuda) nets, using them for hides and head scrim and MAN does it work... when properly employed.

Sometime we'll get the photos and video made of this.

 

[Diz]

Yeah this can be a real eye-opener, so to speak, when you see stuff in different spectrums.

That pic is probably a gen III NVD, with active IR illum, showing you how stuff glints. You can sorta get a hint of how webbing will look under IR by noticing how shiny it appears to the naked eye; solution-dyed webbing appears to have a dull, flat finish; batched-dyed webbing will appear to have a sheen, to one extent or another. BTW, solution-dyed webbing is on the right. Pretty amazing, huh?

 

[Whiskey]

Stuff can really, really glow just from starlight, moonlight. And don't forget too dark can be as bad as too light. Black stripes or triangles or whatever stick out plenty.

Worth checking all your gear, as I've shared photos after training (I have a night vision adapter, often take photos at least around camp) that surprised folks. Their solid ODG jacket, good to the eye, has part that's black, part that's all but glowing under night vision.

Also fun to know how well actual camo works, on NIR (NODs), and MWIR/LWIR (thermal). We've recently gotten some smaller bits of ULCANS (Barracuda) nets, using them for hides and head scrim and MAN does it work... when properly employed.

Sometime we'll get the photos and video made of this.

I just ordered a couple 3x5 sections of that ULCANS netting. Looking forward to trying it out.

 

[shoobe01]

It is totally just cut off the big diamonds, and nothing else. I sewed down edges so they don't get damaged, or flop and not be camo. For my personal bits added seam tape and corner loops.

Sewing camo netting is So Infuriating. Snags on simply everything.

Aside from being legit multi-spectral (I mean... I don't have a radar so didn't test that) the nice thing about these is they lay totally flat. If you fold carefully, they pack well. I cut down to 1.5x3-ish bits as head-sized handy covers to always have in the cargo pocket.