Cammo test - plain green, plain brown and tweed print

[caorach]

I don't have any actual tweed and so used my Musto jacket with the tweed print. I appreciate that this will perform differently from real tweed but it is as close as I can come. It is also the case that there are so many different tweed patterns as to make any general test like this useful only in the broadest sense.

I included the MTP in some of the tests just because it has appeared in all of these tests so far and so it is there as a reference.

First a real colour image of all 4 jackets on a grass bank just to give an idea of the pattern - the solid brown jacket is a Harkila fleece and the solid green as a Simms fleece.

Now a test of the cammo properties on the same grass bank, basically the photo taken from a little further away. L - R Brown, tweed print, green, MTP

Then I hung the coats over a traffic cone in a forest ride. The background is mostly green moss. Firstly the control with MTP over the cone:

Then with the green fleece over the cone:

Then with the tweed print over the cone:

and finally the brown fleece over the cone:

 

[caorach]

Moorland, thicket and clearfell

Here are the 4 jackets lying on some heather moorland. L - R MTP, tweed print, brown, green.

Now all 4 jackets in a thicket. I took two photos of this, one closer than the other. The arrangement of the jackets is L - R tweed print, green, brown with the MTP in front of the brown.

Then I took the jackets to some clearfell and put them in the same position as for the previous test. L- R MTP, brown, tweed print with green above the tweed.

 

[caorach]

Under a tree and by a forest track

I didn't include the MTP in these photos as we've already seen it in these locations in the previous test and I think we have seen enough of it for a reference.

First the jackets are hung under a tree with the other two lying at the foot of the tree our lying on the grass in full daylight. You can ignore the target I'd put up which sneaks into the pictures. Starting with brown hung up and green in full daylight:

Now green hung up and tweed in full daylight:

and now tweed hung up and brown lying in full daylight:

Finally here are the coats thrown over a small tree by the side of a forest track. The other coats were laid on the ground beside the tree just for reference and to see how well they might blend in down there.

Firstly green over the tree:

Now tweed print over the little tree:

and finally brown over the tree:

 

[pilgrimmick]

This is an excellent series of threads, and it must have taken some time to produce. Thanks.

 

[caorach]

I've just been doing a wee bit now and again as I go along so it doesn't seem like such a task. However when I took these most recent photos it was rather brighter weather and so the coats under the trees are far too dark to give any meaningful info as the camera has exposed for the brighter areas and so made the shade much darker. I didn't notice that until I reviewed the photos. So, it isn't exactly science but hopefully it gives a good general guide. Personally I'm still sticking with my MTP and DPM smocks but it must be said that the flecktarn was the surprise star of the show.

 

[NewForester]

I've just been doing a wee bit now and again as I go along so it doesn't seem like such a task. However when I took these most recent photos it was rather brighter weather and so the coats under the trees are far too dark to give any meaningful info as the camera has exposed for the brighter areas and so made the shade much darker. I didn't notice that until I reviewed the photos. So, it isn't exactly science but hopefully it gives a good general guide. Personally I'm still sticking with my MTP and DPM smocks but it must be said that the flecktarn was the surprise star of the show.

Thanks for all your work here, Caorach

Very interesting!

For me the surprises have been how good Flecktarn is, and how much dark green stands out.

Chris.

 

[Dalua]

It is an interesting series of pics.
The idea that a dark green stands out it perhaps less surprising when you consider first that it is a solid colour and therefore has well-defined edges and second, that it is is a much darker colour than nearly anything else in the environment.

Less of a surprise to me is the idea that patterns designed in the military manner, depsite not actually looking like trees, twigs, leaves and so on, actually work very well.

 

[Mr. Gain]

An interesting thread.

On the subject of the ability of tweed to blend in, I think this picture demonstrates how effective it can be.
View attachment 13914
As for military vs. civilian patterns, I also think flecktarn is the one to beat.

 

[www.yorkshireroestalking.]

A very interesting and in depth post. Thanks for taking the time.
For me these days its plain green and plain old field craft.
Don't move when the deer are looking.
I have loads of cammo and its best for daylight foxing and pigeon shooting.
But if it gives you the confidence to be a better stalker then wear it, but DON'T rely on it thinking "they can't see me"
You'll be wrong the second you move.
me in plain green client in a smock but bright blue jeans breeze in her fur. and NO face masks.

 

[caorach]

For me these days its plain green and plain old field craft.
Don't move when the deer are looking.

I think this is a key point John, the cammo might just give you an edge if you are caught in a bad place but it is not a replacement for doing the right stuff on your part.

In saying that i stalk sika and my view is that they are better with the eye sight than other deer. If you sit still in the shade wearing something sensible they will spot you out to 300 yards. Last Wednesday I spotted some sika feeding on open ground. The wind was at my back (I hadn't counted on finding them where I did) so I figured my only chance was to move as quickly as possible and get a shot before they winded me. The deer were out at 250 yards and I kept some light branches and the like between me and them while getting into position and a hind still spotted me. I am certain she saw me rather than winded me, she didn't have the nose up but was looking pretty hard directly at me, as the two other deer with her didn't react at all and I managed to shoot one of them before they all vanished. Now I was trying to move quite slowly but was in something of a hurry but even so that deer saw me at 250 yards, dressed in cammo, behind a light screen of branches and in the dark shade of some trees. In situations like that every little helps.

 

[geoshot]

Great video John
The poor dog looks like it has buck fever though.
Thanks
T