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As far as experience shows me, uniforms/clothing that has a significant amount of cotton content will display not only an over "washout" of the original pattern, but an inevitable "whitening" of the uniform due to very short cotton fibers becoming denuded of dye, and sticking up from the fabric surface. The difference between a brand-new uniform, and one that has been worn, and laundered even a few times is immediately apparent. The aforementioned "whitening" will make a uniform stand out pretty well even in strong moonlight, as troops in Vietnam found out.
The user is strongly advised to launder their uniforms with them turned inside-out, and entirely buttoned-up Furthermore, using detergent that contains no optical brighteners is essential in a night vision environment. google US Army Approved Detergents. Woolite seems to be a good idea, as it is universally recommended, and it is widely available. I don't have a lot of expertise with dyeing uniforms, and the pix I posted on above link makes the uniforms look a great deal lighter/whiter than the looked when fully dry. To be fair, both ACU and ABU uniform dyeings were experiments, and IMHO reasonably successful (despite the unflattering pix) in converting the uniforms into something useful. I think I would use a bit more dye on both of them than was originally used. With cotton-component cloth, one can easily dye darker. Naturally, I have no issue with Hawkeye's vids. They are a fair portrayal of the various camo patterns, and many thanks for his efforts. I think we have all learned something. I would suggest that proper laundering, with proper detergents be mentioned by OP, preferably in the OP. I hope he will see fit to do so. In any event, I will look into dyeing cotton-based uniforms. Probably a lot darker than originally. I might suggest, with limited basis for doing so, other than the aforementioned cotton-based "whitening' efffect, that new uniforms be available, or perhaps general camo-compatible hue dyeing be done. Dyeing an OD or brown cotton-based uniform should be easily done, but such dyeing might comprmise the intricate paterns ofother uniforms. Submitted with all due respect to OP, and intended as construcctive comments. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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Originally Posted By raf:
Perhaps it's just the pic, but none of those guys' uniforms blend-in to the surrounding terrain. OD field gear does a better job, IMHO. Hell, I've dyed ACU and ABU uniforms that would do far better than what I see in the pic. ETA: Pic 17 on this thread shows some decent dyeing of ACU nylon gear to decent green terrain. Another pic above shows dyeing ACU to brown. https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/On-Dyeing-with-Rit-Dye-Many-Pix-/10-429475/ View Quote |
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“It’s not that I can’t help these people. It’s just that I don’t want to.” Lawrence Bourne III
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Originally Posted By raf:
Perhaps it's just the pic, but none of those guys' uniforms blend-in to the surrounding terrain. OD field gear does a better job, IMHO. View Quote |
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"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken |
Originally Posted By raf:
As far as experience shows me, uniforms/clothing that has a significant amount of cotton content will display not only an over "washout" of the original pattern, but an inevitable "whitening" of the uniform due to very short cotton fibers becoming denuded of dye, and sticking up from the fabric surface. The difference between a brand-new uniform, and one that has been worn, and laundered even a few times is immediately apparent. The aforementioned "whitening" will make a uniform stand out pretty well even in strong moonlight, as troops in Vietnam found out. The user is strongly advised to launder their uniforms with them turned inside-out, and entirely buttoned-up Furthermore, using detergent that contains no optical brighteners is essential in a night vision environment. google US Army Approved Detergents. Woolite seems to be a good idea, as it is universally recommended, and it is widely available. I don't have a lot of expertise with dyeing uniforms, and the pix I posted on above link makes the uniforms look a great deal lighter/whiter than the looked when fully dry. To be fair, both ACU and ABU uniform dyeings were experiments, and IMHO reasonably successful (despite the unflattering pix) in converting the uniforms into something useful. I think I would use a bit more dye on both of them than was originally used. With cotton-component cloth, one can easily dye darker. Naturally, I have no issue with Hawkeye's vids. They are a fair portrayal of the various camo patterns, and many thanks for his efforts. I think we have all learned something. I would suggest that proper laundering, with proper detergents be mentioned by OP, preferably in the OP. I hope he will see fit to do so. In any event, I will look into dyeing cotton-based uniforms. Probably a lot darker than originally. I might suggest, with limited basis for doing so, other than the aforementioned cotton-based "whitening' efffect, that new uniforms be available, or perhaps general camo-compatible hue dyeing be done. Dyeing an OD or brown cotton-based uniform should be easily done, but such dyeing might comprmise the intricate paterns ofother uniforms. Submitted with all due respect to OP, and intended as construcctive comments. View Quote |
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
A-TACS AU-X....in the swamp. |
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Good video. Thanks!
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"What is socialism? The most difficult and tortuous way to progress from capitalism to capitalism." -Stated at an intel conference, East Berlin, Oct. 1988
"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." -H.L. Mencken |
Excellent as always Hawkeye!
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A socialist may indeed be academically superior.
And yet, they are most certainly emotionally retarded. Minion of Snow #006 Public education is the opiate of the masses. |
@Hawkeye
Nice to see your alive man |
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"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." - Ronald Reagan
Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
Yeah, still kickin. Kinda like the rooster, they aint killed me yet.... not for lack of trying though.
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
@Hawkeye
Hey saw your All-Terrain Tiger camo, how would you say it holds up to multicam? Love the pattern but I'm worried about it blending in with my AO anyway you could do an update video? |
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"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." - Ronald Reagan
Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
Originally Posted By PA-Minuteman:
@Hawkeye Hey saw your All-Terrain Tiger camo, how would you say it holds up to multicam? Love the pattern but I'm worried about it blending in with my AO anyway you could do an update video? View Quote |
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." - Ronald Reagan
Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
Free bump. Why isn't this in the tacked post list of picture threads.
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Bump
@Hawkeye Any update on an updated vid on the AT tiger? |
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"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." - Ronald Reagan
Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." - Ronald Reagan
Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
Bump for more Hawkeye greatness.
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A socialist may indeed be academically superior.
And yet, they are most certainly emotionally retarded. Minion of Snow #006 Public education is the opiate of the masses. |
Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Promoted to Member by Ed, Sr.
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Promoted to Member by Ed, Sr.
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Bump.....
And hoping for a new video on AT tiger.. |
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"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." - Thomas Jefferson
VCDL Member Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
During some recent readings, Col Jeff Cooper made the comment that when in the field (Africa), the most easily seen/visible parts of the enemy were the backs of their hands. This is not surprising, since one's hands are moving objects, and so most easily seen.
Facepaint did not seem, in his opinion, to be very useful, assuming one's face was shadowed by some sort of adequately brimmed headgear. OTOH, and speaking for myself, a bald-headed Caucasian out in the field might be conspicuous. YMMV. In short, most of this is common sense, but I admit I did not think about the "moving hands" vulnerability. The current practice of wearing protective, terrain-appropriate gloves might be more useful than first thought. In the same vein, may I suggest a mosquito net/face veil to be worn in future videos? I have found such to be VERY useful to me, as I am forced to wear eyeglasses. Perhaps something to think about. |
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Promoted to Member by Ed, Sr.
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This is slightly off topic but, there are so many knowledgeable people on this thread,
Why do many law enforcement agencies like LAPD, Secret Service, that are two that come to mind, choose black? Sure it's great at night but daytime I would think would really stand out. What do you think? |
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Originally Posted By OlKev: This is slightly off topic but, there are so many knowledgeable people on this thread, Why do many law enforcement agencies like LAPD, Secret Service, that are two that come to mind, choose black? Sure it's great at night but daytime I would think would really stand out. What do you think? View Quote For appearances and/or public and community relations maybe. Many people don't like the militarization of domestic police (ex. Multicam clad officers rolling around in retired military MRAPs) |
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Traditionally in the past, black was all that was available for the most part. It also has a certain "intimidation" factor, and for LE concealment isn't usually a concern.
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Bumping this thread
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Great stuff. Would be nice if he could do some updates on some of the camo.
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Buy It Cheap!
Stack It Deep! |
Where did all of the old black/white/gray urban camo go? Was that just marketing or did it actually have a use?
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Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants
Caddyshack Some men are morally opposed to violence. They are protected by those who are not. |
Supposedly made for Urban environments. Showcased in The Rock.
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I haven't had time to do much for a while now, but I did manage to get this done. I'll get part 2 as soon as I can. Current event's are keeping me......busy..... to say the least.
M81 Woodland pt 1 |
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Originally Posted By Hawkeye: I haven't had time to do much for a while now, but I did manage to get this done. I'll get part 2 as soon as I can. Current event's are keeping me......busy..... to say the least. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2NFVofONSk View Quote Still waiting on that AT tiger video... |
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"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." - Thomas Jefferson
VCDL Member Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
OD green and local dirt will always be an effective camo. OD fatigues were the uniform of the day for me. Damn, I'm old.
This looks like a great pattern. I would wear this if I weren't a fat ass. |
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World ain't what it seems, is it Gunny?
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Originally Posted By lorazepam: OD green and local dirt will always be an effective camo. OD fatigues were the uniform of the day for me. Damn, I'm old. This looks like a great pattern. I would wear this if I weren't a fat ass. View Quote iX works extremely well. I've got a couple of videos on it. |
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Has anyone tried dyeing the Air Force ABU uniforms? I would like to get as close to OD or ranger green as possible.
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World ain't what it seems, is it Gunny?
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Originally Posted By lorazepam: Has anyone tried dyeing the Air Force ABU uniforms? I would like to get as close to OD or ranger green as possible. View Quote I'm guessing that the dyes would be an issue for IR though right? My understanding is that dyes or brighteners can make BDU's more visible in the IR spectrum. That's an issue for both defense and hunting alike. |
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Does anyone have the winter weight BDU's?
So, I'm a big fan of the summer light weight stuff. I have the Patagonia L9 pants and shirt and they are perfect for summer wear due to their light weight. The True-Spec Army Hot Weather Uniform (IHWCU) is awesome. However, as the Starks say "Winter is Coming" and I've been looking at the winter weight Proper Multicam set and wondering whether that's worth it or if it's not necessary if you already have all 7 layers of PCU Gen 3 and are going to be layering anyways. |
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Originally Posted By KaerMorhenResident: I'm guessing that the dyes would be an issue for IR though right? My understanding is that dyes or brighteners can make BDU's more visible in the IR spectrum. That's an issue for both defense and hunting alike. View Quote There are lots of dye threads here, but I cannot find any, and I hope that your questions can be addressed by those with actual experience I just want to color them something that fits my area better. |
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World ain't what it seems, is it Gunny?
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
View Quote |
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"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you." - Thomas Jefferson
VCDL Member Volunteer Firefighter/EMT and damn PROUD to be! : Arfcom Callsign "Bucket 2" |
Has he done a vid on the OCP uniform yet? Unless I missed it.
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Buy It Cheap!
Stack It Deep! |
Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Originally Posted By KaerMorhenResident: I'm guessing that the dyes would be an issue for IR though right? My understanding is that dyes or brighteners can make BDU's more visible in the IR spectrum. That's an issue for both defense and hunting alike. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By KaerMorhenResident: Originally Posted By lorazepam: Has anyone tried dyeing the Air Force ABU uniforms? I would like to get as close to OD or ranger green as possible. I'm guessing that the dyes would be an issue for IR though right? My understanding is that dyes or brighteners can make BDU's more visible in the IR spectrum. That's an issue for both defense and hunting alike. No idea if fabric that has been washed with detergents containing "Brighteners' can be remediated in any way. Not saying impossible, just lack of knowledge. |
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Promoted to Member by Ed, Sr.
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View Quote |
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Promoted to Member by Ed, Sr.
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Protego quod vallo.
Si vis pacem, para bellum. |
Bump
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Originally Posted By KaerMorhenResident: Does anyone have the winter weight BDU's? So, I'm a big fan of the summer light weight stuff. I have the Patagonia L9 pants and shirt and they are perfect for summer wear due to their light weight. The True-Spec Army Hot Weather Uniform (IHWCU) is awesome. However, as the Starks say "Winter is Coming" and I've been looking at the winter weight Proper Multicam set and wondering whether that's worth it or if it's not necessary if you already have all 7 layers of PCU Gen 3 and are going to be layering anyways. View Quote If it's dry, the summer stuff and layering works fine. If it's not dry, the issue synthetic wind shirts/pants are probably the way to go for fast drying. I get into weather conditions these days wearing the level 4/5 stuff and have an easy time of it, when wearing old school BDU's would range between "miserable" and "lethal" I don't think I ever wore winter weight BDU's unless they were all that I had clean enough/on hand or I needed extra durabilty vs terrain, thorns, rubble, or the like. |
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Originally Posted By boltcatch: If it's dry, the summer stuff and layering works fine. If it's not dry, the issue synthetic wind shirts/pants are probably the way to go for fast drying. I get into weather conditions these days wearing the level 4/5 stuff and have an easy time of it, when wearing old school BDU's would range between "miserable" and "lethal" I don't think I ever wore winter weight BDU's unless they were all that I had clean enough/on hand or I needed extra durabilty vs terrain, thorns, rubble, or the like. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By boltcatch: Originally Posted By KaerMorhenResident: Does anyone have the winter weight BDU's? So, I'm a big fan of the summer light weight stuff. I have the Patagonia L9 pants and shirt and they are perfect for summer wear due to their light weight. The True-Spec Army Hot Weather Uniform (IHWCU) is awesome. However, as the Starks say "Winter is Coming" and I've been looking at the winter weight Proper Multicam set and wondering whether that's worth it or if it's not necessary if you already have all 7 layers of PCU Gen 3 and are going to be layering anyways. If it's dry, the summer stuff and layering works fine. If it's not dry, the issue synthetic wind shirts/pants are probably the way to go for fast drying. I get into weather conditions these days wearing the level 4/5 stuff and have an easy time of it, when wearing old school BDU's would range between "miserable" and "lethal" I don't think I ever wore winter weight BDU's unless they were all that I had clean enough/on hand or I needed extra durabilty vs terrain, thorns, rubble, or the like. Same. I don’t think I ever wore winter BDUs unless my summer BDUs were standing on their own. Did the ACUs even have winter weight options? My multicam issue was all the same weight as the ACU stuff excepting the combat shirts obviously. |
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