why camo?

[welderguy]

I am not a camo fan , dressed my 3 yo up in some camo cloths I bought him and DANG IT I couldnt find him for 3 days, so nope no more camo in this house.

Seriously tho I have 1 camo thermal shirt and a pair of camo bib overalls I bought for hunting and thats about the only time I wear them.

[owl_girl]

if you dont like camo you could achieve the same effect using green and brown tie die
which do you prefer, hippie or redneck?

id go with the hippie look it might trick Bambi into thinking your vegetarian.

[Rick]

"Honey, does my redneck make my hippie look fat?"

[owl eye]

Ever put on an ASAT camo leafy suit? It's not overrated. I put mine on and I can literally walk 20 yards into the woods, tell my son to find me and he can't. It's amazing. However, I'd rather have on wool with a brown camo pattern while hunting simply because the leafy suit is too big of an advantage, and I feel animals should have a chance. (I once sat on the ground in the suit and had a doe stare at me from 10ft away...she never saw me). Camo has been used for centuries however. My Cherokee ancestors would fashion twigs, leaf litter, mud, and grasses on their hides (according to my elders) to get closer shots.

I do however agree, camo, like everything else, has been commercially exploited for someone's financial gain. Nature provides our needs not our greeds, so we have to manufacture those.

-S.R.

[crashdive123]

When you say commercially exploited, you imply that it is the fault of business and that the consumer had no role in it. After all - we are not forced to buy camo clothing.

[Rick]

has been commercially exploited for someone's financial gain

I take it you don't work for a living?

[trax]

Um, anyone give much thought to how much wearing full camo out in the woods increases your chances of being shot by someone else?

Distraught hunter: Honest officer, I didn't see him there

Confused conservation officer: See who? Where? Where's that blood coming from? (Now, that's good camo)

If you want to fool critters, break up your outline, no point in an elk staring at you and asking itself 'why is that man dressed like a tree?' Quiet is more important than coloration. I own some camo stuff too, but for the reasons stated, if you want hunting clothes these days, that's just about your only option, but I've never seen a necessity for it.

[mcgyver]

I seen this debate going on over a whole array of outdoorsy sites.

I'm kind of a wool flannel kinda guy myself, but I do on occasion, really prefer to blend in.
My Bivy and my hammock are both Camo for two reasons.
1. It's not such an eyesore in the woods.
2. I'm not so noticeable if I happen to be camping accidentally off trail on state land.
Yes I've had Deer within touching distance while hunting in camo.
But I've also almost stepped on them wearing shorts and a tanktop walking quietly.

What about "I just like the looks of it" theory?
Do you have to be a redneck to just like camo?
Some people have very strong reactions to Camouflage, and I not really sure why.
I've always been a big fan of Browns and Greens anyhoo.
I may take Owlgirls advise on the camo colored tie die.

[owl_girl]

i just think its funny when hunters cover themselves in camo and then have a bright orange vest and cap on. i dont get it. is the point to look like a floating vest and cap? is that less likely to spook the deer? i understand the orange is to bee seen by people as to not get shot, but if the people can see you so can the deer. the 2 together kinda cancel each other out and it just looks silly like they think its all trendy or something.

[mcgyver]

Most recent studies indicate that Deer vision is color deficient.
They see the world in a sort of sepia picture, with UV halos.
So Orange would look the same as light green or tan.
If it has a breakup pattern, it is just as "invisible" as camo.
In Michigan, Hunters only need the orange flag during Gun season

[owl_girl]

ive heard that but i dont think they really know. thay thought elephants only saw in black and whit till they gave them paint brushes and found they started painting the colors they saw the handlers had on.

if this was true any blotchy pattern would work and camo is a rip off for hunting since it could get you shot.

[Ole WV Coot]

Camo is great for all social events. It is never out of style and being a 100% REDNECK I never wear it in the woods. Don't really have to match either, any pattern is acceptable in polite society. I only wear it when traveling North, scares the natives and along with my accent I am irresistible. Need I say more?

[Rick]

Camo:

MARINES: Work uniform, to be worn only during training and in field situations.

ARMY: Will wear it anytime, anywhere.

NAVY: Will not wear camouflage uniforms, they do not camouflage you on a ship. (Ship Captains will make every effort to attempt to explain this to sailors.)

AIR FORCE: Will defeat the purpose of camouflage uniforms by putting blue and silver chevrons and colorful squadron patches all over them.

CIVILIAN: Preferred shopping attire. Official wedding attire in some families.

[aflineman]

I'm a big fan of old wool coats. Plaid in natural colors is a bonus.
Wool is warm quiet and can be very water repellent. You can even find them with Goretex lining
They have said that Deer see in shades of gray so that color should not be an issue. A nice plaid breaks up your outline fairly well, and doesn't look quite so commando.
I like camo myself for reasons stated above, but there are times a plaid is a good camo in public places as well as being at home in the woods.
Check out brands like L.L. Bean, Pendelton, Filson, Swanndri or Woolrich.

I use camo, but just dyed one of my Grandfather's Pendleton (Bought IN Pendleton BTW) wool coats. It was a very light colored 60's era plaid. I used some dark green Rit dye, and it is just about the perfect color for woods use. I really like wool here in the NW. Keeps you warm and dry, but is quiet.
I have some camo also. Mainly left over from my AF days, but some bought on sale at the local stores. Seems like all of the quiet synthetic rain-gear these days is camo. I have an orange vest that I wear most days during deer season, and some days during bird season. Just makes it easier for my hunting partner and I to keep track of each other.

[hunter63]

i just think its funny when hunters cover themselves in camo and then have a bright orange vest and cap on. i dont get it. is the point to look like a floating vest and cap? is that less likely to spook the deer? i understand the orange is to bee seen by people as to not get shot, but if the people can see you so can the deer. the 2 together kinda cancel each other out and it just looks silly like they think its all trendy or something.

Some northern states require orange for gun deer hunting.

Now considering, in Wisconsin, there are something like 650,000 to 800,000 people in the woods, with all kinds of auto-loading, high powered rifles and shotguns, I agree that being able to see other people is a plus.

I purposely said "people" rather than "Hunters", lots of "Opening day, once a years participants, that I try to stay away from.

Some states require an orange hat, hat and vest, or just vest, it's better than nothing.
Even though a lot of states require orange something or other, they don't have any punishment for not having it.

I mostly wear all orange, but does have a pattern on it, whether it is visible to deer or not, hasn't seemed to matter.
Sitting still and doing your scouting home work seems to work for me, no matter what I wear.

As I said before, most "camo" is for people, and a marketing thing rather than hunting necessity, unless you count not getting shot.

I have worn my "all orange suit" in other states, been laughed at by hunting partners, but generally do pretty well as far a results go.

And you want to look cool in the saloons..............He who has the coolest camo ...wins!

[Rick]

AFLineman's Grandfather: "Woman! Where the @#$% is my Pendleton wool coat? I bought that in Pendleton, you know."

[lucznik]

I use camo, but just dyed one of my Grandfather's Pendleton (Bought IN Pendleton BTW) wool coats. It was a very light colored 60's era plaid. I used some dark green Rit dye, and it is just about the perfect color for woods use.

I was under the impression that wool is fairly difficult to dye. At least, if you don't want the color to run whenever it gets wet.

I don't know that for sure as I don't dye clothes ever. I just heard it somewhere. Either way, you might want to test that newly-dyed coat before you go out in a rainstorm.

[hunter63]

I use camo, but just dyed one of my Grandfather's Pendleton (Bought IN Pendleton BTW) wool coats.

Sorry, now that's just sacrilege..........Sorta like painting a Corvette camo, with a roller.

[Rick]

Just so folks get it right....

http://carpainting.wetpaint.com/page/Roller+Method

End result. You have to admit. That's a good looking Corvette and a realistic paint job.

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[aflineman]

Sorry, now that's just sacrilege..........Sorta like painting a Corvette camo, with a roller.

The color that is was is just sacrilege. This looks much better. It was a sort of pink, yellow, and beige.
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So far the wool has not bled the dye. I have had it out a few times and it has worked well.

Rick, Since my Grandfather's ashes are floating in the ocean alongside my Grandmother's, it wouldn't surprise me if he was asking her where all sorts of things are.