Cammo or just subdued colours?

[Paul_B]

A recent thread asking for tent recommendations in cammo made me wonder if for camping whether cammo is really more stealthy? I have never had anything in cammo apart from when I was very young I had a cammo sun hat and a commando dressing up kit (WWII version with those canvas gaiter things). Well boys do like to play soldiers don't we!!

Anyway I have always bought green tents and tarps. Not for being stealthy but they were the colours I preferred. Although it was also the colour that was available in the tent model I wanted so I also had no choice occasionally. I have pitched up at popular wildcamping spots and gone for a wander only to have trouble finding the green tent. I seriously doubt that it would be harder to find in cammo. The other problem is in cammo you tend to look a bit like a soldier wannabe (I think they are called Walts but could be wrong with that). If like me you also occasionally use camp sites then cammo doesn't look right there somehow.

My question is, why get cammo when plain green will work well enough in situations requiring stealth yet is better in more public places too?

This question works not just for tents and other shelters but also packs and clothing too. I understand that with some outdoors activities then perhaps cammo might help such as hunting or nature watching but for general outdoors I'm not convinced personally.

 

[MartinK9]

My cammo was all free when I finished in the Military; so I still use it. Seems a waste to me not too, I have enough to start a small coup

 

[Retired Member southey]

My cammo was all free when I finished in the Military; so I still use it. Seems a waste to me not too, I have enough to start a small coup View attachment 6840

Ahem, same here hahaha though buying stuff I go green, but not worried abut using camo kit its just a colour\pattern, I have bright orange tent for hills and stuff two, seem sensible to have a bright shelter in places I may need to get noticed,

 

[Toddy]

Natural colours covers a heck of a range....

Those hoops are natural dyes on wool, all native plants and nothing hard to achieve.

Why do Scots wear tartan ?
'cause they cannae make up their minds what colour to wear
Seriously, tartan of any colour disappears on the hills, it just blends right in

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Scottishwanderer]

I was only in the army for 1 month ( health) so don't have any of the kit except for some trouser which are DPM i wear them sometimes because i have them basically.

Personally i don't mind the odd bit of camo but when i see folk camping in full miltary gear with webbing and bergen all in DPM seems completely wrong to me.

Each to there own though.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I was only in the army for 1 month ( health) so don't have any of the kit except for some trouser which are DPM i wear them sometimes because i have them basically.

Personally i don't mind the odd bit of camo but when i see folk camping in full miltary gear with webbing and bergen all in DPM seems completely wrong to me.

Each to there own though.

Thats the RAF Dude!

 

[DaveBromley]

I'm a natural colours man myself, i think yomping about in the woods in camo can give the wrong idea and might require an explanation so i just avoid it

Dave

 

[John Fenna]

Sybdued colours are my preference - some places I have been cammo could get you in serious trouble/dead.....

 

[Kerne]

SWMBO won't let me buy "proper" clothes without her as: (her words) "there are other colours than brown and green!" Guilty as charged - don't have much cammo but subdued browns and greens by the wardrobefull.

 

[lou1661]

I tend to stick with subdued browns, greens and associated tones as i like not to stand out too much or distract from the natural environment and more to the point it matches my eyes!

Cheers
Louis

 

[bojit]

The only camo i wear are trousers as they are cheap and comfy , other outdoor clothing i go for greens or black will do till they come up with something darker !

Craig...........

 

[Retired Member southey]

I tend to stick with subdued browns, greens and associated tones as i like not to stand out too much or distract from the natural environment and more to the point it matches my eyes!

Cheers
Louis

And you do have beautiful eyes!

 

[Nonsuch]

I like wearing subdued colours, not just out in the woods, but think brighter colours on the hills and rivers are safer. No cammo for me as I was never in the army and would feel a fraud wearing it.

 

[spandit]

I wear browns & greens as I think bright colours look a bit offensive to the eye in woodland. Wouldn't be too averse to some camouflage but as has been mentioned, don't want to look like some right wing survivalist!

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Army surplus DPM gear is both cheap & rugged, 2 good reasons for using it..... I'm not a fan ( though I do have a faded DPM bergen & love it) ) but have nothing against it for other people, it's just not for me................But I am partial to a bit of flecktarn.
Green tent & sleeping bag, earth colours for clothing.

 

[Martyn]

I think if you are stalking or hunting then camo is appropriate, but otherwise it can draw the wrong kind of attention. In many places in the world, camo would id you as someone who is probably armed, which can get you shot or shot at. Probably no risk of that in the UK, but it could flag you as someone who would like to be armed, and that could create a bad impression or worse. Subdued civilian colours are less threatening, less intimidating and altogether less noticeable anywhere other than Epping forest.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

The only time I wear camo is when shooting and occasionally when fishing.
Most of the time I just wear subdued greens and browns.

 

[kINGPIN]

I tend to only wear olive, black, or browns when out and about. I try to avoid camo (especially british) as I don't want to attract attention to myself.

 

[Man of Tanith]

SWMBO won't let me buy "proper" clothes without her as: (her words) "there are other colours than brown and green!" Guilty as charged - don't have much cammo but subdued browns and greens b the wardrobefull.

that sounds very familier
if i buy camo it tends not to be british camo patterns purely cause i can buy alternatives and flecktarn etc looks more interesting

 

[johnboy]

I think for a tent OG is fine for low impact camping... If you want to camo that get some Scrim net from the suplus store or chuck a DPM basha over the top. For 99.9% of Bushcraft stuff. A solid subdued colour is fine. What 'gives you away' mostly is movement and noise.

Anyhow I own a couple of bits of camo kit. A Lowe Alpine Rucksack in DPM and a pair of DDPM waterproof trousers I got from Twodogs. I'm not sure if either make me a 'nut job' Or wannabe soldier/ walt. The rest of my kit is in an eclectic mix of colours from Alpine Orange to OG.

While I think it's true to say if you go to some places on the globe wearing camo kit you might be in for trouble. If for example 10 'Bushcrafters' rocked up for a holiday say in the Congo with DPM jungle shirts and DPM/OG bergens and a belt full of kit than prepare for a bit of a Q+A session with the local authorities. How common that or similar scenarios might be for the average BCUK subscriber I dont know. Looking at the threads on 'Out and about' possibly not that often.

A lot of other places just dont care. It's pretty common to see folks wandering around here in NZ with all sort of camo kit on. A lot of it in Civvy camo patterns on hunting jackets etc. No one bats an eyelid. It's also pretty common to be tramping and meet folks with an array of firearms. But NZ has a far higher population per capita of recreational hunters than the UK I suppose. So the acceptance level is higher. Although you cannot shoot at the local pistol club if you wear camo. The combination of camo jacket and Glock is not a happy one.

The only time I've seen someone in camo here in NZ and thought it was strange was last weekend.I took My 8 yo son to get an airfix kit he'd saved up for and there was a bloke in the model shop with full DPM's on buying a heap of 1:72 scale soldiers. I thought that was a bit odd.

Anyhow I suppose if common sense is applied then all will be ok.