I was able to get ahold of some of the Rhodesian camo about 10 years ago or more.  The website selling them was getting them direct from Zimbabwe wihich was then and still may be using the old Rhodesian camo pattern for their current military.  I still have that complete set.

Added Swedish M90 desert pattern above.

Fireforce Ventures has re-opened their pre-order of Rhodie brushstroke camo combat pants and combat shirt, through March 2.

Thanks for the heads up.  Just ordered a pair.

If I was tacticooling it, I'd have a different pair of pants for every day wear.

Keep up the thread!

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It helps to have friends in Sweden.

Updated Austrian entry on page 1.

I really like that Austrian camo. Where'd ya get it?

@primuspilum

Very cool thread OP.  Thanks for postings.

Any specific websites that you use for getting some of this?

I've gotten some at Sportsmans Guide, also at Keep Shooting.com.

Anyone use www.varusteleka.com?  They seem to have some good stuff, based out of Finland, but I've never ordered from them.

Surplus trousers came from Omaha Surplus.

Commercial were a European store eearmystore.net which appears to be defunct.

The shelter half/boonie hat was from an ebay seller named "slangvel"

SG and KS are good sites.  Major Surplus, Omaha Surplus, McGuire's, are some ones I recall using.

varusteleka is gtg. I've bought lots of stuff from them.

some of the stuff I got from ebay sellers.  It looks like Trident moved their operation to ebay store, as their website doesn't appear to be updated.

Tac Up Gear is a Swedish brand.  They have their own website, but stuff is also for sale in some European web stores. The fabric is permethrin dipped and IR treated.

Also have bought from stores in Ireland and UK.  Shipping is brutal, but if it's rare, I'll pay it.  Milsurp Irish Army was moon rocks a few years ago.  A little more common now.

I'll buy from eastern european (Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland, etc), russian and israeli sellers...if they're selling on ebay.

Varusteleka is awesome.  Shipping takes maybe 2 weeks to the US but not pricey.  Some of their "store brand" is really neat, their windproof smock is awesome and they just started doing some in camo too.   And I'm addicted to the caffeinated chocolate, they have the best prices I could find on that.  They also have a line on some Euro surplus more than US stores (I am addicted to Brit MTP smocks and German Tropentarn parkas.

Other US stores I watch at Keepshooting, Kommandostore, and Fireforce Ventures from Canada.

Edit:  it's modern gear but 0241Tactical has great custom camo options and some Euro brands.

How close are the conversion charts for sizes? The boy wants some desert german and british stuff. Thought about putting in a order but since it's coming from out of the country I know returning it won't be an option

The Brit and German systems are very different but seemed pretty accurate.  Go bigger if you're between two, I found the sleeves short on the German stuff.  I did eventually get a Tropentarn parka off Ebay to get the bigger size I needed.

I have only tried their Sarma windproof smock, not anything else sized.  The first one I got was too big, I don't recall if I had misread it or if it was sized up more than average for overclothes.

Agree with this re sizing

one thing to note also is that while the size conversion may be accurate and fit as intended when you order based on the conversion....many other countries militaries intend their uniforms to fit more snugly, so that's something to keep in mind when ordering surplus that's not cut in US patterns like BDU or ACU.

Got a shipping notice for my pre order a day or two ago

No love for Dutch Jungle camo? Not difficult to find in Europe and makes a nice hot weather camo (like tropical british DPM) and heavier smock is good for bright color autumn.

slangvel is on Arfcom and does great work.

I’ve ordered stuff from them several times. 100% satisfied, would recommend. Good folks. I had something get “lost” in customs, they express sent me a new one PDQ.

I like that chest rig

Thanks, it's a dutch rig, cut is just like the classic Northern Ireland style britsh rig. I bought it at Ciney Expo in Belgium. the whole chest rig+pants+shirt+smock costed a mere 8.50€. Wished i could browse for more items but i was there to help a friend that had a booth there.
I bought even a swedish "summer" m90 uniform new in bag for 25€ (there was a pallet full of these) which is a very nice autumn uniform here.

Back into weird camouflages try to look for the early "experimental" italian woodland uniform for paratroopers and special forces, they are still available new in bag at the same price of the latter issue ones. They are commonly referred as "Roma 87" because they were first seen in Rome during 1987 training Exercise at MonteRomano. They have a yellow hue and a peculiar cut
.
In 1992 another cut with US woodland colors became general issue and stayed until vegetato (last issue woodland ones had elastic material and a ugly skinny fit )

This is the then new experimental uniform worn by paratroopers at 1987 Armed forces Day parade in Rome, i put it just because the guys are armed with Franchi produced HK G41 rifles.  

I bought a surplus T shirt from SG. It's a cool pattern. Though, I wouldn't have wanted to wear that T shirt in a jungle, it's was pretty heavy cotton and must have been like a wet towel in the heat.

Came today.  Looks pretty good.  Maybe someone else can comment on accuraccy of pattern.  The cut is a more modern one, but not BDU or ACU

I got mine as well last week.  Dug out my other recent buys (that were waiting for EE) but no pics yet.

I liked the combat shirt, although really, what do I need a combat shirt for.  Pants were almost OK once on, but felt very tight going on.  If they shrink at all it won't work.  Their BDU size ones were enormous.  So other than my old '80s set, which I need to dig out from another box, I have one working BDU top (marked Tru-Spec) and the combat shirt.

Anyways, regarding patterns, Fireforce Ventures posted this picture on Instagram last week.  They claim it is a bolt of real Rhodesian brushstroke from the 70s.  They say the later Zim stuff is a bit different in how the colors overlap.  They say all their stuff is based on this example.  I have no knowledge either way, other than to say I like the blend of overall tone of their stuff, both this pic and the items I've gotten in this shipment.  Some older things were too dark, but may have just been luck of the draw in what parts get put on what big panels of uniforms.  I do wish companies spent more time matching up the edges around the front closure, and especially on the baseball caps.  The straight lines of non-matching areas take away from the overall effect.

Also, I would kill for a bolt of real Rhodie camo.  It would be sent to 0241Tactical instantly to make up their tactical operator jacket and a pack cover.  And then to Drop Zone Tactical in Canada for a Recce Smock.  Then all I would need is some Rhodie hard shells to be content.

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The only Rhodie camo I have is a flap hat, all I could afford, years ago, and it was a cheap repro. I would LOVE to have that pattern on some good solid BDUs, like that FireForce Ventures, but $140 for a shift? $145 for a pair of pants? Yikes for us poor people. I want something I can afford and wear out hunting - that pattern is the perfect scrub desert pattern, for me.
Any ideas if anyone will ever use that pattern on something a wee bit more "generic"?

More like $100+ each when you convert from CAD to USD.  Still really expensive for what they are.

One thing they definitely get right is the green overlapping the brown.  Most repro attempts do the opposite.  The Zim revival of the basic pattern also has the brown over the green (the colours are also off and the pattern itself slightly different; they've been issuing old Rhodie uniform stock from storage lately, though, in addition to the Zim-manufactured stuff).

One guy on the New Rhodesian Forum from Central Europe after a few attempts managed to get the camo spot-on and did a couple of runs, and also did them in the correct Rhodesian uniform cuts (using originals to make patterns for cutting and sewing).  Trident, back when you could actually count on being able to buy stuff from them, also got the cloth spot-on; the cuts of the clothing were also reasonably close to the originals, but not 100%, and they used the wrong button type.  IIRC, Bertus in SA got the pattern and colours right, but IIRC his pattern has the brown overlapping the green, which is wrong, and I'm not sure if he's still in business or not.  Every other repro attempt I've seen was off to some greater extent, or way off the mark (I have some 1980s SA repro bush hat, ADRO, maybe, that is just totally wrong, with dark brown and a really bright green).

The pattern is perfect for my area most of the year.  In the driest times in many spots the short-lived dry season version (replacing the green with a yellow-ish colour) would be even better, although the original is still more than serviceable.  There's also a wet season version that would do well during the few periods where things get really green here, although it was only produced commercially in Rhodesia as far as I can tell (the khaki background is replaced with a light green; the Zim lizard stripe wet season camo uses the same colours).

It's a pretty good pattern, and even the USMC considered it as a basis for MARPAT (especially when CADPAT was not available to them due to licensing issues or some such).

I really want to be able to get some more, but at a price that makes it affordable.  Even getting some straight bolts of cloth would be nice (I think the guy from Central Europe was selling bolts of cloth in addition to uniforms).

Is Drop Zone Tactical still in business?  Their smocks look pretty good.  Something like that in Rhodie DPM would be pretty sweet.

FFV also has sales at regular intervals, so 15% off and the converted to USD is not as ridiculous.  The first run of pre-orders was $90 per piece CAD too.

I had a nice Rhodie boonie that I bought with my top and bottom  in the '80s, but I actually cut it up to give material to lengthen the pant legs.  Yes, I'm hitting myself in the head now.  Who gives a flip when the material that gets bloused into your boots looks like?

Hmmm no website anymore and Facebook very old...  Sad because I like the Penncott Badlands stuff too.  I just watch Ebay for used smocks, not wanting to pay $400 or whatever either.   I have proper size ones in MC and khaki, and an enormous one, XXL maybe, in MC that I need to put on the EE too.  Really, for a MC smock, I prefer the Brit PCS pattern.

Thanks for the interesting pictures. Several thoughts:

1. Was Mickie Mouse vehicle camo from WWII ever tried on uniforms?
2. Anything from Israel besides the helmet? It seems the male conscripts have worn the exact same uniform for generations.
3. Anything for the French Foreign Legion? They currently wear a pattern in Guyana that looks a lot like Woodland to me.
4. I read years ago tiger stripe was so variable in colors and patterns it was unbelievable. It was reported villagers catering to various bases had mills that produced their own patterns. This could have been an issue of Gung Ho I read in the early eighties. An excellent article on current camo patterns. Remember the picture of the SEAL crouching on a river bank with green tiger stripes on top, amd brown on bottom, or vice versa? He had a head wrap and Stoner.

During the Six Day War some IDF paratroopers used a mishmash of their usual and French Lizard. In pics you'll see some guys in full sets, some pants, some jackets.

I don't think regulars had them.

1 No mickey mouse camo on uniforms. Unrelated, a two color camouflage with dark brown blotches on green base is the soviet amoeba oversuit. Maybe the most similar
2 israel got a latge batch of french lizard camo in the 60's and nothing more. US surplus woodland and desert camo (6 and 3 colors) are seldom used by some reconnaissance units; only issue camouflage thing is a two piece mesh hunting style reversible oversuit, similar to the mitznefet helmet cover. Camouflage uniforms are undergoing development but i think the changeover won't happen soon.
3 the woodland pattern in use since long time by France is Camouflage Central Europe (CCE). They issue a jungle cut of it. For a practical purpose i'd look at the Felin cut uniform (Commando style pants, combat shirt and loose fitting smock) over the old F2 cut (old form fitting style uniform with calf lenght trousers to tuck in, very martial uniform).
4 Tiger stripe is a whole collecting world of extremely rare, delicate and expensive uniforms. The reference books is "tiger patterns" by R.Johnson which is old, badly done and with some errors, but at the moment is still the FIRST and ONLY book covering those. Collecting community had advanced a lot since the book but no further written material is available (There is a very promising book in the pipeline).

The French exported Mle. 47-54 and 47-56 TAP (troupes aéroportées) uniform sets and the Mle. 49 chapeau de brousse in tan/khaki. Some 47-54 TTA (toutes armes [all arms]) allégée camo trousers and jackets found their way in. Both were used by French paras in Algeria, and it was the IDF airborne that ended up with them. I think that shipment happened in 1964.

You are right. These French set too are rare and collectible, definitely not to wear around (Maybe the 56 cut are mosre common as well as having a better cut).

I have a mismatched replica set in 47/52 cut which looks like it was made from bolts of Croatian or Yugoslavian Lizard cloth; i bought it secondhand who knows where 15 years ago. nice for the range. Anyway nice replicas exist.

As usual with France the paratrooper uniform set the stage for a lot of things still in vogue today...tiger stripe, the Para Smock and the kit carrying smock concept in general, KSK style pants (even the front thigh pockets seen in modern pants started here ). A masterpiece.

I love the smock concept pioneered with the Denison smock and carried on through the French jackets. In addition to my repro "officers" Denison smock and original and repro French 47/52 and 47/56 uniforms, I found a nicely-made Multicam/Multi Terrain Pattern Denison smock on Ebay and wear that and my Brit MTP windproof smock fairly often. Very functional, but pants with a ton of pockets are miserable here in the desert.

Awesome video!  Love the short shorts and Chucks.

i think tou are talking about the Para Smock, they are cool for the cuffs, but no hood and beavertail are letdowns. I still prefer the old S95 (first mtp ones retained that cut) cut to the new PCS (which are made in china as of now), the simpler cut is good enough. I also dislike the waterproof ones with drop liners or goretex lining.
In the army i used a Vegetato "KSK style" smock with the 6 pockets plus the large back pouch, great carrying capacity (per SOP), slightly modified; but this is an alien concept to US audience.

Back to milsurp camouflage, i went to an open air flower market yesterday and there were those from a used clothing vendor.

Czech Vz 92 work camo uniform


From right, Italian "Roma 87" airborne woodland pattern, Czech vz95 leaf pattern, UK DPM pattern 68 "dayglow" tropical uniform and the neatest of all the Czechoslovakia "Oblaky"
rain pattern. This have another camouflage under it (can be seen on the reverse side) that bleeds through under nvg.

Rain pattern under nvg (not my pic)

Yep, a copy of the Denison Smock in MTP, complete with beavertail (not that I need it, but it doesn't get in the way) and knit cuffs. I use it as an outer layer, and throw on the MTP Windproof smock over it for more weather protection and insulation. I coated both with DWR, too.

(really, I am not trying to hijack this good thread to be just Rhodie stuff)

Fireforce Ventures has pre-orders open for "original cut" brushstroke pants and shirts for $85 and $75 respectively.
They also have the combat pants and shirts from the last preorder in stock.  Helmet covers too.

"All prices are in Canadian Dollars (CAD)"

If that statement is true then the sets are around 100$ which is definitely not out of the realm.

I think they are the only ones making a non collectible brushtroke pattern that you can wear. I think the only alternative was european seller Begadi that has in stock shirt and pants (in some proprietary cut) in Pakistani brushtroke camo (the most recent version) which sure is cool but i don't think it's as effective having a very bright tan base. They are marketed under thir proprietary brand BE-X as the "opfor camo". They had also a smock but it's sold out

Same seller also has uniforms in Pakistani "arid woodland" 2004 pattern (khaki base, russet and olive shapes), again proprietary cut. Called "rooivalk" (falcon) camo.

Thanks for the heads-up. The pictures look very promising.

Thanks for the info, very good to see this type of thing available.  More Tropentarn things to buy.  Anyone know how is their shipping to the US?  20ish Euros for DHL with more for weight.

I like a pattern with good contrast, but the OpFor might be taking it too far even for me.
Begadi OpFor items

I think that Rooivalk would work really well in Texas prairies.  
Begadi Rooivalk items

Not an easy find here. Surplus T shirts were available for a while, and I picked one up a few years ago.

I did manage to find some from US seller, which I looked for after being reminded of it by your post above.  Thanks!

Found a source for the following and have an order pending,  it appears to be surplus, or new manufacture to same specs:

Africa Nigeria Army Woodland Camo Camouflage Shirt Pants BDU Set
Africa Nigeria Army Desert Camo Camouflage Shirt Pants BDU Set
Spain Spanish Army Desert Digital Camo Uniform Shirt Pants  Iraq Army
Australia Army Woodland AUSCAM DPCU Camo Shirt Pants set - 2006 style
Afghanistan Northern Alliance Style Lizard Pattern Camo BDU
Singapore Army Starlight Forces Woodland Camo Shirt Pants set
China PLA Type 07 Digital Universal Camo Shirt Pants set
China PLA Vietnam Double Side Reversible Leaf Camo Shirt Pants set
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force JGSDF ARMY SPECKLED Woodland Camo Pants

The seller is "Royal Tiger" out of HK.  I went through my emails and I have an order from "Royal Tiger" from 2009, which there were no issues with, but I'm not sure if this is the same company.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

ETA they had some other patterns that were unusual (Taiwan for example) but I was only willing to gamble on an order up to a certain point. If it turns out to be legit, I might order more.

I've got some surplus pants in Italian "vegetato" camo (one of my favorite patterns), as well as some surplus Danish M/84 "fleck" pattern pants. The M/84 pattern looks like flecktarn, but using CADPAT-type colors. As mentioned above, these do fit better (more snug/less baggy) than BDU/ACU cut pants.

Royal tiger is good to go, sizes may be variable

I remember several years ago they had norway camo, vegetato, cadpat and counterfeit USMC t-pattern (but pattern was smaller, like the one seen in african countries).

The nigerian is probably some extra stock from the manufacturer, auscam should be a copy (there were counterfeits floating around years ago), i am not too keen about the Arido Pixelado being worn in iraq at this time, i think they made some rolls of the surplus one into the widespread "export" cut (ACU with added epaulets and stable belt loops). I bet that it will appear on the field in short time, iraqi would use everything imported from china, including Splinter camo ACU cut uniforms and even Vegetato. China surplus is good too (even if it's available from ebay price seem to be better), the reversible one (which i have too) is very thin and it is the late 80's model, the earlier variant has more complex patterns, there are also higher quality non reversible ones.  
I am in the market for the new chinese opfor camo as i think it would go well with lush vegetation in sunny summer but no way i am spending 200$

PS. Some weird patterns may be sourced from aliexpress as well.

i am also in the market for Desert Greek Lizard camouflage, i think they are way more fasinating than desert tiger stripes. Morocco also has a deser lizard in French TAP  cut that is superb.

Some eye candy, this was a USAF special forces rainsuit contracted in 2008, this is the only official issue item, i've seen ponchos, tents and uniforms made. The issue ones are UCP reversible (USAF wouldn't license ABU for production ), other items are reversible to plain brown.  Color was called "six screen camo", the maker doesn't exist anymore.

Is Dutch jungle camo a throwback all the way to Indonesia or some UN mission?

Don't they have some Caribbean islands still?

Yes, but with the exception of Sint Maarten, the islands are semi-arid.