Ive been following with interest some of the can you dye dpm? threads here on Bushcraft. I have several British military jackets, they are excellent outdoor wear. I like the tough practicality of these jackets, and they are really good value. But there are social and business occasions when DPM isnt the ideal colour scheme to wear and I was wondering about dyeing one of my jackets a dark brown colour in order to tone down the camouflage pattern and make the jacket look less overtly military.
Threads on Bushcraft (and also on Army Rumour Service) seem to give mixed opinions on how well this works. The consensus is that the IRR (infrared reflective) properties of the clothing make it very difficult to dye. If I try to dye a woodland DPM jacket I could easily end up ruining a perfectly good jacket and find I can neither wear it as Id intended, nor sell it on to anyone else. But Im going to have a go at dyeing some of my DPM shirts, this wont be a disaster if it doesnt go as intended because I usually wear these under another layer, for instance I use them as a windproof layer under hi-vis clothing.
These threads and my subsequent research raised some interesting points. I had a good look on Wikipedias Army Combat Uniform page. It is about the US Army issue stuff but Im sure it also applies to UK stuff too.
Firstly, contrary to popular belief, the IRR is not a coating or a treatment. Its an integral part of the material and the dyes, and these are in the manufacturer specifications. So its practically impossible to get rid of the IRR. I did see a thread that suggested boiling the clothing in washing soda, but isnt that likely to wreck the garment?
Secondly, using detergent with optical brighteners, or using fabric conditioners or starch negates the IRR but is unlikely to remove the IRR qualities to the extent that dyeing the fabric becomes possible. In a nighttime combat situation it seems it would simply mask the IRR qualities at the very point when the wearer would need them most!
Thirdly, black patterning is being used less nowadays in camo because it has a very distinctive infrared signature. Theres a good photo of this on the Battle Dress Uniform Wikipedia page. A soldier is wearing black boots and holding a black rifle, and these items show out loud and clear against his uniform and the vegetation behind him when viewed in near infrared. Which makes me wonder if those alleged SAS ripstop jackets in black are for real. Im not sure why the SAS would ever use black clothing when there are better alternatives available. And anyway, those jackets are much more expensive than DPM and Im not sure Id want to wear one, they look a little too wannabe special forces for my liking.
Since the British military jacket is so well designed but not everyone wants them in DPM, I dont know why a manufacturer doesnt produce them to the same pattern and spec as the DPMs or DDPs, but in single colours (navy or beige, for example). Id have expected to see more of these offered for sale.
Ive decided to go for another option altogether and acquire an ex Austrian army M65 jacket, so my wife is getting me one for Christmas. It isnt a direct match for the British jacket, but these items are evidently very well thought of and will do some things better than UK DPM and others not so well. However it is still a classic and is highly thought of.
