Do you DPM or not and why?

[Mowmow]

I love a bit of camouflage but I prefer going into town or the pubs without looking like a terrorist or action man.

Ill happily don some if I'm hunting, camping or working outdoors. Where it doesn't matter what I look like and the camo or whatever it is printed on is serving a certain purpose.
I find Mtp is quite a pretty pattern tbf and is quite a diverse camo.

Although generally for those pursuits I still do prefer plain drab colours as I think they just have a more "relaxed" look about them and dont draw too many eyes regardless of if in town or country. I also find mismatched drab colours will tend to look nicer and blend together better than mismatched camouflage patterns as the shades fade into each other nicely without any patterns fighting each other.

And although i love camo and i own a lot of camouflage kit I'm also a believer that when trying to remain concealed, camouflage clothing is probably the least important factor as it's useless unless you get everything else right, but when you do it just gives you that extra edge.

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[Robson Valley]

Department of Public Mischief = DPM? Most everything is too dark and too green for where I live.
Greys, sands and pale smudges fit in better. Buy paint and DIY. Pale, pale, pale.
I have beige grey cut leaf ghillie camo and sage brush bib fronts.

Camo? Sit still. Move your eyes, breathe, don't even fart. Can you learn to sit still for 15 minutes?
That was a hell of a thing to learn to do. 100% remarkable how the world will ignore you.
Canada Geese seem totally ignorant of static scenery. Move your hand? They flare off at 70kph.

 

[mowerman]

If you take a random selection of 1000 people then there is usually at least one nutcase and 9 times out of 10 that nutcase I wearing camo.

I myself have a DPM Bergen with side pouches and a MTP army issue coat. Real tree hoodie, balaclava and neoprene gloves. However, I do not wear them all at the same time.
I think the quality and ruggedness of the army issue stuff is really good and you just have to accept that it comes in some sort of camo.
The real tree stuff is amazing when walking through woodland and I think it is the best camo to wear when out with the air rifle.
I wear mostly green for work so when out bushcrafting etc I just tend to wear my usual Dickie's or Castle work trousers and neoprene wellies

 

[garethw]

I do like camo too, I use it for the reasons stated above; hard wearing, comfortable, cheap as chips (I get most of mine from Strikefoce Surplus in the UK, shipped to me here.. all new unissued at great prices)
....I wear it frequently both in the countyside, fishing or around town..no worries. I think it has less of a negative perception here in France. I do though avoid wearing the local pattern..ie: I can walk around in MTP as its not French... Local pattern is Cenrtal European woodland...
I think the parallel with denim is a good one, I don't wear full camo; so if I have MTP trousers I'll wear a blue, black or green fleece and it I wear the Smock I'll wear plain tan or olive trousers..
Only time all my stuff is camo is when fishing in the rain and Iput on the full camo gortex...
Cheers
Gareth

 

[Fin]

Not camo - per se (after 28 years in the military - I kind of rebel against it now...)

The best quote, in my view, on this subject, and one that I subscribe to, came from Wayland:

"I don't want to be a blot on someone else's landscape"

It's really for that that I choose 'earthy' colours for the outdoors - and most of my urban wear too.

 

[snappingturtle]

Yer I do like various nations camo, mainly use the tops, and packs some are camo some are drab, its good kit, and I want to blend, I like that nature will get close to you and people don't always see you I guess being unnoticed has its own peace.
I think camo has its own fashion I get the suits sometimes because I collect some stuff, the bottoms go well with a tee and trainer's and the tops good for the woods with a pair of jeans.

 

[Herman30]

I used to DPM but now my new favourite is MTP. Allready have a smock, a temperate jacket and gloves in MTP. And a cold weather cap in MTP.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Dpm doesnt bother me, the decision is what piece of gear is the most functional! Now one thing I don’t think you can beat is a dpm jacket in long length, it might look like you have your uncles jacket on but they are great, go right past your butt so you can sit down and not get wet through to your pants

 

[dasy2k1]

I wear a mixture, I don't have much in actual camo (95 pattern jacket, leaf pattern trousers is about the lot) and I generally only use that for scout wide games where I want to hide!

In and around the woods I generally wear muted mainly earth colours although anything that's not outright dayglo will do, I have some nice warm fleeces in mid blue for example that are not too in your face....


Dayglo hiking clothes I reserve for actually hiking in terrain where they can actually help you in an emergency situation for ease of location by mountain rescue and the likes

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[Kev627]

I tend to wear what have dubbed my Funky trousers! https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71GcfVYBDDL._UL1480_.jpg

 

[lostplanet]

I think the latest MTP smock with zipped hand warmer pockets is the nuts. great features, its so chinese cheap thin, its more like a shirt than a smock, i have worn it in most weathers all year and felt comfortable.

I wear green or brown or blue TDUs as trousers, but if the MTP TDU weren't so stupid expensive, i would have no trouble using them.

I don't care what others think, its about being comfortable and my current kit suits me. I use lowa desert elites with a goretex booty(if pouring raining), seeing as i had 3 pairs of boots go down all of a sudden. I got a pair of meindl desert fox i use sometimes.

MTP and DPM bashas, DPM bivvy bag. Dancam smock and trousers from the endicotts group buy many years ago for really bad weather. My mate was a Royal Marine and he used to take the **** out of civvies in uniform as fun i think coz of boredom i imagine, but really i find it good quality gear and VFM and it doesn't matter if it gets trashed as being so cheap.

wear what you want i say.

 

[ScottE]

Of course, it's tough, it's cheap, it's functional, why wouldn't you?

 

[WealdenWoodsman]

Though I don't wear camo gear, I completely get those who do. Personally I just stick to green and browns.

 

[Trojan]

Like many others I never wear both top and bottom in DPM. I only wear it if deep in the woods other wise its greens or black. I never wear MTP as it is current issue.

I would like to get Kryptek kit in Mandrake or Typhoon if I could! It looks fun.

 

[Snufkin]

I do sometimes wear camo, my favs are French central european and Polish woodland. Like most I'll only wear one item, trousers or jacket, with plain green or brown. I may put on a camo boonie hat as well. The best item to wear to dispel the "Rambo Syndrome" is a binocular. People see binoculars and think birdwatchers, try it, it works.

 

[Fallschirmwomble]

"Rambo Syndrome"

Okay, from memory of the first film (the only good one):

Boots, High Leg.
Jeans, Levi or Wrangler, Blue, Faded. (Blousoned)
Vest, Grey. Worn inside-out. (Johnny J didn't attend the "How to wear clothes" module of SF training)
Jacket, Combat, M64(?), Green, With "Old Glory" Badge. (Forgotten in the police station)
Tags, ID. (Forgotten in the police station)
Somewhat non-EDC compliant elephant hunting tool...


But:

• What was that DIY poncho made from when he escaped up the mountain - carpet, waxed canvas, hide?
• And where do you get those super long socks to wrap around your head?!

Now, if I saw someone dressed like that, I'd REALLY be alarmed - never mind DPM...

 

[Fallschirmwomble]

.

As a youth, I used to wear a '68 Patt DPM Combat Jacket, everywhere. Until...

...I drove past an old weathered chap with a long grey beard in full army DPM including Bergen who was walking down a suburban street.

In the mid-1980s, I used to often see some office johnny type smartly dressed in full Royal Marine DPM uniform (with beret) march to/from Wimbledon rail station, briefcase in hand.

Yes, full-on, arm-swinging MARCHING and along the pavement! The best bit was when he had to stop to cross the road: geezer actually used to "mark time" as he waited, knees up to the hips. I never knew his story but I somewhat suspect that he perhaps may have been a few sandwiches short of a picnic...


Put me RIGHT OFF from wearing DPM in public places!!!

I like what I'm used to: Para Smock, SAS Windproof, '95 Patt Combat Shirt (customised) and '95 Trousers. Comfortable, hard-wearing, functional. But I hate DPM.

Para Smock and SAS Windproof retired, I use a '95 Patt Windproof. Everything bought in Desert DPM then dyed brown, velcro replaced with brown (but not zips). Produces a groovy brown/lighter brown subtle cam scheme and doesn't look so military - but is quite effective for not standing out in the woods. (More later)

I rarely wear the trousers, typically wearing navy blue ones. Tops are carried and worn once in the area. The haunting press image of Michael Ryan always makes me feel uneasy about wearing cam in the urban and semi-urban environment.

I have some US ACU and Desert MarPat clothing awaiting being dyed brown. I think the ACU cam pattern is quite naff in natural terrain but it doesn't look so military, to most UK civilians.

As regards to a need to remain unseen, that stems from a couple of spells of homelessness and when visiting a homeless friend who'd located to derelict woodland. In my experience, most homeless people DON'T beg and have enough sense to avoid attracting attention - you don't want to display your obvious vulnerabilities (I cannot understand why people sleep in shop doorways, etc).

Unless it's a hike in which case I'll have a hi-vis panel or cover on my rucksack - sometimes also bike lights (for road use) - I sincerely prefer to be as inconspiculous as possible when out in the wilds, I go there to be alone or with my mates only.

Ever since I saw "Deliverance", I've had a thing about not being too noticed...

 

[Nice65]

Saw a bloke today in Oxford type boots, straight huggy jeans, and a realtree DPM "type" jacket, with a very weird hairdo.Top knot and kept beard type.

Only DPM I do is my Lowe Alpine Sting. I didn't want DPM, but it's all I could get for a bag that takes a bruising for £100. DPM isn't something I'd wear in any time or place, makes you look like a Walt.

 

[santaman2000]

.......I like what I'm used to: Para Smock, SAS Windproof, '95 Patt Combat Shirt (customised) and '95 Trousers. Comfortable, hard-wearing, functional. But I hate DPM.

Para Smock and SAS Windproof retired, I use a '95 Patt Windproof. Everything bought in Desert DPM then dyed brown, velcro replaced with brown (but not zips). Produces a groovy brown/lighter brown subtle cam scheme and doesn't look so military...

So you prefer looking like a prison guard over looking military?